CHAPTER XXII 



BRITAIN'S NATIONAL ELECTRICITY SCHEME 

 Sir John Snell Hastens the Advent of a New Age 



FORTY years ago England produced and consumed 

 two-thirds of the world's coal, produced two- 

 thirds of the world's iron and steel and two-thirds 

 of the world's cotton goods. At that time English coal 

 was far cheaper than Continental or American coal, and 

 England could therefore manufacture more cheaply than 

 other countries. 



Times have changed, and now England has lost her 

 monopoly of cheap power. She has now to go much 

 deeper for her coal, while the United States are producing 

 coal more cheaply than is possible in England. In any 

 case, the age of coal is waning, for its function is being 

 usurped by oil and electricity. 



Britain has little oil and little water-power. The water 

 resources of the United States can supply fifty million 

 horse-power; the resources of Canada are the same; 

 Italy can derive at least eight million horse-power from 

 this source; little Switzerland can derive four million 

 horse-power from her waterfalls and torrents ; but Great 

 Britain apparently can derive from this source little more 

 than a million horse-power. 



After the War it became clear that Britain's great 

 industrial position was threatened unless some cheap form 

 of power could be provided, and the Government decided 

 to carry out a great State electricity scheme. A single 

 unified system was agreed upon, and it was wisely decided 

 that this should be run on a commercial basis and not on 

 Civil Service lines. It was thought that in this way 



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