48 CONSTANT-VOLTAGE TRANSMISSION 



to carry on its business better than its smaller rivals in 

 the following ways: It can bring the power of a large 

 amount of capital to bear when it has any important 

 undertaking to accomplish, such as making an extension; 

 it can command better prices from other companies, 

 since it handles a large volume of business; and it can 

 afford to employ the most skilful and experienced man- 

 agers, and all departments can be made to operate with 

 the highest efficiency, not only when considered sepa- 

 rately, but in their relation to the entire concern. 



In the case of a large power net-work, there are, in 

 addition to the above advantages, operating economies 

 and electrical advantages of large importance. A net- 

 work of long transmission lines generally receives the 

 bulk of its energy from water-power plants. Now the 

 ratio of the amount of energy actually paid for during a 

 year, to the amount which a water-power plant could 

 furnish if all parts of the system were operating at maxi- 

 mum load all the time, is usually exceedingly small. 

 The cause for this is that there are great irregularities 

 in the conditions of the application of electric energy and 

 also of its generation by water-power. First, the de- 

 mands for energy by the customers are very small at 

 certain times, and again they are very large at certain 

 seasons and certain times of day. Of course, if the 

 energy-supply company gives good service, it must have 

 a power supply and an entire electrical equipment large 

 enough to take care of the maximum peak of the load. 

 Secondly, the supply of water is nearly always irregular 

 throughout the year. The amount of connected load 

 which a water-power can supply is limited by the mini- 

 mum rate of flow during the low- water season, and for a 



