The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-11-01

Last Year EQUAL to What 100000
Tons of Coal Would Have Developed
Facts of Interest.
New England is the home of the most
varied industries in the world, writes
Fred II. Harris of Brattleboro to The
Reformer. These formerly grew up near
the water power and many town can
trace its origin to this source. Gradually
these small water powers lost their sig
nifcance and with the coming of the
railroads other forces became the domi-
nant reasons in determining the growth
of communities. Coal came to be more
and more used. Due to the long haul from
the mines. the price of coal was so high
in New England that New England be-
gan to feel keenly the competition of other
localities situated near the mines.
When the Vernon plant of the Con-
necticut River Power Co. was started near
Brattleboro, a new factor entered into the
industrial life of New England. The OLD
value of water powers once more began
To reaSSprt itself The success OF the
Connecticut River Power Co. led to the
organization by the same interests OF
the New England Power Co. on the Deer
and the net work of transmission lines,
constituting all together the New Eng
land Company's power system are today
an increasingly important factor III the
life of New England.
Last year. the water power companies
generated electricity by water equal to
that which it would have taken 100000
tons of coal to produce. 1t was first
thought that electricity made by water
power would have to compete with coal
made electricity. Instead of that, expe-
rience has shown that steam has proved
an ally. The hydrO-electric lines of the
New England Power Co. are now tied in
with almost every steam plant in New
England The benefits and economies of
these inter connections are considerable
For instance, power generated at Yer
non is stepped up by transformers from
$500 volts to $4,000 volts, and when it
gets to Worcester it is stepped down" to
1900 volts. The auxiliary power
brought from the Worcester Electric
volts and saves a double loss.
The power companies have an interest
ing schedule of fOrecasting what water
conditions will be. For instance, sup
pose it is raining today, at the big sub
station at AIillbury, which is the brain of
the big system. they are receiving fore
casts from as far north as Canada as to
what the rainfall has been and how many
units of electricity this will mean. The
amount of water can be accurately pre-
dicted. The water in the Connecticut
river during the average summer week,
translated into terms of kilOwat hours,
means 100000 XVIII. per day, while in
the spring freshet period this runs as
high as 100000 XVIII. per day. i
So many industries are supplied by the
New England Power Co. system that its
load is stabilized. The amount of power
delivered to the different factories gives a
good analysis of business conditions in
New England. The Power Co. has its
fingers on the pulse of New England's in
duStrial situation. The chart at the head
quarters of the New England Power Co.
shows. for instance. that the metal trades
industry is working ON but % to 80 per
cent capacity. Contrary to the general
opinion the wooden industry is using more
power than in 1920. The cotton industry
ranks high, using 80 per cent of what it
did in 1920. This industry also uses more
power than any other. The paper indus
try is next in load. ..-.....s-... r.
The largest single consideration in
selling power is reliability In the same
way that the New England Power Co.
securities are based on conditions which
are sound. the lines of the company are
tied together in such way that its
power is reliable. Great strides have
been made in the electric industry The
development of the art has served to
make electric power more reliable.
The power companies have two main