516 Proceedings. 



Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering Section. 



Presidential Address: " Electric - power Supply in New Zealand," by 



L. Birks. 



Abstract. 



Dealing with the cost of electric-power plants, the author said that the legislation 

 under which electric installations may be established in New Zealand, based on the 

 assumption that the majority of the plants would be publicly owned, was exceedingly 

 simple, and the legal procedure cheap compared with that of Great Britain and else- 

 where. With regard to the future, the Government proposals provided for one horse- 

 power for each five head of population — say, 240,000 horse-power for the whole 

 Dominion. The normal coal-consumption for the Dominion was about 2,500,000 tons 

 per year, and the possible saving in coal-consumption, averaging both city and country 

 users at about 10 to 12 tons of coal per horse-power-year, was thus approximately the 

 total amount of the present consumption of the Dominion. Of course, a large con- 

 sumption must still be required for gas-generating, bunkering, and main-line railways ; 

 but, on the other hand, the electric supply would be largely required for new houses 

 and new industries, and would also be largely used to replace candles, kerosene, petrol, 

 and mainly firewood, as well as coal, leaving a fairly large demand for coal even when 

 the full 240,000 horse-power is available from hydro-electric sources. As to future 

 developments, the total recorded hydro-electric-power sources of 1,000 horse-power or 

 over in the Dominion as recorded in the Year-book of 1914 are between 3,000,000 and 

 4,000,000 horse-power, apart from probably another 1,000,000 horse-power available in 

 small units below 1,000 horse-power. As to the demand, the provision of one horse- 

 power per five head of population was, of course, only a stage in the development, 

 which would ultimately be exceeded, possibly many times over. 



" Some New Zealand Mineral Oils," by Professor T. H. Easterfield and 



N. McLelland. 



Abstract. 



A statement was given of the districts in New Zealand in which mineral oils had 

 been found, and the paper also alluded to the attempts to supply mineral oil by the 

 distillation of oil-shales at Orepuki, Southland. The sulphur content of the southern 

 shales was stated to be a very serious objection, and a comparison was given of the 

 properties of Taranaki and Kotuku oil. The former is said to be remarkable in 

 the high content of benzoles and cyclo paraffins. The proportion of toluol, used in the 

 manufacture of T.N.T. explosive particularly, was higher than in the case of the fight 

 oil from coal-tar. A number of pure chemical compounds taken from Taranaki 

 petroleums were exhibited. 



Professor Easterfield stated that, in his opinion, the boring of new wells in Taranaki 

 promised at present greater success than development in any other area, but urged 

 that as a matter of Imperial interest systematic prospecting by bores should be carried 

 out in a number of areas. 



" The Quantum Theory," by Professor P. W. Eobertson. 



" The Horizontal Pendulum," by Dr. C. E. Adams. 



" The Wet Process of recovering Mercury from Cinnabar," by W. Donovan. 

 (This paper appears as " Thornhill's Sodium-sulphide Process for the 

 Recovery of Mercury," in the N.Z. Journal oj Science and Technology, 

 vol. 4., pp. 129-34, 1921.) 



Discussion on Isotopes in New Zealand Minerals. 



At a joint meeting of the Physics- and Geology Sections Professor P. W. 

 Robertson introduced the subject by explaining the recent developments in 

 chemistry which had shown that certain elements were mixtures of isotopes, 

 while others were suspected to be mixtures. It would be useful to place 

 on record the occurrences of New Zealand minerals which were available 

 as sources of these suspected mixtures, in order that chemists might know 

 where to turn for material. The subsequent investigations might prove to 

 have fundamental geological significance. 



After some discussion it was resolved to set up a committee (see 

 " Resolutions," below). 



" The Transit Micrometer," by Dr. C. E. Adams. 



