The Bismarck tribune., 1922-05-22

consumer was compelled to pay divi-
dends into three pockets. Naturally,
the price of electricity to him could
not be extraordinarily cheap.
Power development in Ontario was
partially under private ownership and
partially under public ownership. but
the World War threw it practically all
under government control. 1t has been
under government control that the
Queenston- Chippewa development has
been carried out.
Canada is heavily endowed with wa.
ter rower, and Ontario is the richest
province of all. 1t has been estimated
that the water powers of the world
available fcr usa approximate pne
hundred million horse, power. Of which
only seventeen millions have been de-
veloped. Canada's share of the worlds
grand total is about twenty million
horse power, one-fifth Of the whole.
Quebec and Ontario divide about
twelve millions between them.
Development ri watQr power on
both American and Canadian sides Of
Niagara began during the last century.
AS early as 1853 an American cOrpOr-
alton was formed with the design of
building a canal and cutting shafts to
permit the greatest possible use of
power on water wheels. In 1888 the
water power was first converted into
electrical energy. Twelve years later
advances in electrical science and i'm.
proved turbines permitted for the first
time the use of the full head of 210
feet from the top of the cliff at Nj
agara to the river below the Falls
Electricity had been used as motive
power for street railways in Tononto
in 1883. Five years later the first
transmission of electric energy by wa
ter power in Canada was at George
town. Ontario, when 100 horse power
was utilized in paper mill.
Forty three years Of tremendously
|accelerating progress were punctuat-
cd by marvelour strides 1sips electrical
utilization, until thss NINA opening
[of the Queenstown Chippewa power
development canal on December %,
1891, "a date which historians may he
able to use in marking the passing of
water power development from the
stage hSha aphazard individual effort
to Wholesale peak production.
ElectUcity saw the notable achieve
ment. of$the installation in 1900 Of a
200 horse pow xnaIo at Niagara.
and onlyea few years later the e41cfs6al
recording" Of -dynansos with ~, 900
horse, poweraand generators Of 81, 900
horse power. In 1891 the city " OF
tawa was elated over the operation of
electric cars in wintertime. but a few
years later the transmission Df power
from the Fails to Windsor, 232 miles,
occasioned only a passing notice.
It was only Is years ago that the
Ontario Legislature took notice Of
power development and provided for
the coordination of effort by passing
the Power Commission Act. Under
this measure, purchases, leases and
developments have brought practically
all Niagara power under the Hydro
Electrict Commission, which sells
the power to the municipalities at a
cost equivalent to the cost at the
source Of supply plus transmission
charges and proportionate shares OF
sinking fund and maintenance
charges.
In 70 years the commissions ae-
tivities have grown from one system
Of 1000 horse power supplying 12
municipalities to II systems embrac-
| ing 2So municipalities and distributing
$50 900 horse power over a territory
as large as England. Five hundred sen
arate farms in various parts of the
province and 5000 other rural con-
sumers at present receive power from
the commission, but a comprehensive
scheme of rural supply has been
worked out and further extensions are
expected.
Almost from the outset, the number
Of power users kept pace with the
fnower DEVELOPMENT. SURVEYS Of IA
cilities brought the conviction that
Niagara power would soon be ex-
hausted. Ten years ago Ontario ex-
merits expressed the belief that all
th, Niagara power, available under
Existing conditions for use in the
rrov'nce, would be gone by the close
Of 1924.
Facing this condition, they set at
once to the task Of providing new
source scf power. Instead of look
ing elsewhere, thev looked to Niagara