Evening star., 1924-01-18
IMMENSE ELECTRIC
PROGRAM FOR 1924
S28, 800, 900 Outlay in One
City AIone-Great Power
Strides Assured.
BY j. C.. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to Th. St,r


NE" YORK, January 1S-The tre.
mendous program Of electrical deveI-
opment for 1924 has already forced
Inc large manufacturers Of electrical
equipment to take steps to enlarge
their producing capacity. This pro-
kSram is being added to daily by an
louncements Of new hydro electric
'nd steam generating projects and
Fhrough consultations of power COM
panies and development of SUPER
power systems.
continuous employment to thou
SANDS OF workers is sure to result and
the prospects of the producers of cop
per aDd other raw materials is bright
eIhng noticeably. The General Elec-
tric Company and the Westinghouse
electric and Manufacturing Company.
She largest makers OF miscellaneous
equipment. started 1924 with about
SII9.ooo, 900 ir unified orders on their
books. The former COMPANY is ad
ding to plants in ST. Louis, Warren.
ONO; Philadelphia and Los Angeles
while the latter Is increasing capac-
ny IN pittsburgh, Sharon, Kansas City
|and st. Louis.
Great Plant Expansion.
in, Inc arst unit of the tremendous
pany at Kearney, n. J., will be com
pieted next fall. when 5000 workers
VIII begin manufacture Of telephone
equipment. In the meanwhile leased
and Jersey City. New facsory to eMats units
nave been added at Chicago and ad.
oittonal space leased there.
some idea of the requirements tel
espnone and telegraph expansion will
impose may be gained from the an
founcement by the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company that
ITS budget for 1924 will provide s270.-
"oO'oOO for plant additions. an in
crease of $30.000.000 over the amount
spent in 1923. 1t is expected that Is
per cent more telephones will be add
"a 10 the Bell system this year COM
pared with last. which was the larg-
est the system has ever had.
S:s.OOO.OOO Outlay in One City.
The Michigan Bell Telephone Com
lansion in Detroit alone in the next
live years. OF this sum s4,742,00G Will
be spent this year.
This program is based on a care
of ths ,ns said franz
Kuhn. president of the company.
Detroit now has about 10000 tele-
phones, or one for each six people.
rhe 100000 mark probably will be
reached early this spring. We an
ticipate that by 1928 Detroit will be
using 100000 telephones. Plans this
year also call for extensive additions
! in other Michigan cities"
The Pacific Telephone and Tele-
money In general construction work
in California this year than In any
previous annual period. Major items
Involved will be additions to lands
buildings equipment and outside
plants, which are necessftated by In
rreasing demands of the system. The
company. in expectation of the future
rapid growth and development of the
atate Is preparing for net increase
Of 10000 telephone stations a gain
OF so per cent over 1928. surveys by
en- ngineers of the company indicate
hat the growth Of the system Will be
General throughout the state, and WIN
materially affect the agricultural dis
trictS.
Enormous Power Program.
The production OF electric power
In the United States during 1923 is
conservatively estimated at $4,000,
100000 kilowatt hours, aS compared
with 47.659, 200, 900 kilowatt hours In
1922. Expansion of central power
stations already planned lead cleo
trical engineers to predict an even
greater increase in this year. Inc
heavy electrical equipment involved
will bring enormous oroers 10 the
manufacturers.
For example. application has just
been made at Topeka by the United
Power and Light Corporation to alb
sorb fourteen light and power COM
l,anies and increase it's capitalization
from three to nine million dollars.
and to issue $3,750,000 in bonds to
carry out the changes necessary.
Some engineers go so far as to say
frankly that the future OF the bitu-
minous coal industry Is closely link
ed with the production of electric
energy. The giant power survey au-
thorized by Gov. Pinchot OF Pennsyl-
vania now Is investigating closely
the advantages to be gained by locat-
ing power plants at or near the coal
mines and Transforming the energy
of the fuel into electrical units for
transmission to Industries over long
high-voltage lines.
Coal Transmitted by Air.
In this connection powdered coal
has been successfully transported
through steel pipes distances of a
mile between mine and power station
by compressed air.
Steps are now being taken to in
crease the North American Company's
kCahokia plant, opposite ST. Louis, to
a capacity of 100000 kilowatts, at
an ultimate cost Of s23.ooo,00o.
on completion this will be the worlds
largest electrical generating station
|operated with pulverized coal.
All the North Americans subsidi-
aries, including those in Cleveland
and Milwaukee. are substantially in
,reaslng capacity. More than $685.
roc. 900 was spent last year for new
power plants and extensions and
here Is every prospect this record
will be surpassed this year.