6io 



NATURE 



[July 14, 192 1 



would not be economical to supply the outlying 

 districts until the demand increases. They differ 

 also from the L.C.C. and the local authorities 

 in the constitution of the " Joint Authority " which 

 they propose. They suggest that it should consist 

 of sixty-two members. As most of the work 

 would have to be delegated to technical com- 

 mittees, we think that a council of this size is 

 much too big and would prove unworkable. 



Very divergent opinions are held by some of 

 the County and Borough Councils interested in 

 the schemes. For example, the Middlesex County 

 Council wants to be excluded, while the Surrey 

 County Council, although only part of its terri- 

 tory is involved, wants to be included. The 

 representative of the Poplar Borough Council, 

 which has a scheme (4) of its own, objected to 

 all the first three schemes. 



It was pointed out, when the 1919 Electricity 

 Act was passed, that it would be to the mutual 

 advantage of the Joint Authority and the railways 

 that the former should supply electricity to the 

 latter. Some of the railway companies, including 

 (5) and (6), think that they will be able to generate 

 electricity more cheaply themselves, one of 

 the reasons adduced being that the Joint Authority 

 would not be able to borrow money more cheaply 

 than the railway companies can, and would be 

 hampered by having to provide a sinking fund 

 on its capital, no such necessity arising in the 

 case of the railway companies. We think that 

 this is a very doubtful reason. It seems prob- 

 able, however, that in any agreed scheme con- 

 sideration of any railway load will be excluded, 

 at least for the first few years. 



The brief account given above of the first results 

 of the inquiry will show that the great expecta- 

 tions which some engineers based on the 1919 

 Electricity Act have still to be realised. Financial 

 considerations and vested interests have proved 

 stumbling-blocks. But it is very satisfactory to 

 note the conciliatory spirit in which the 

 engineers immediately affected by the proposals 

 have considered them. 



Supply engineers recognise that fuel economy 

 is the most important problem they have to study. 

 Recent tests show that in the boiler-house it is 

 possible by scientific management to employ use- 

 fully from 80 to 85 per cent, of the calorific value 

 of the fuel. It is heart-breaking, therefore, for 

 some engineers to have to use old-fashioned 

 engines which consume 40 to 50 per cent, more 

 steam per horse-power developed than the best 

 modern engines. In the national interest it is 

 NO. 2698, VOL. 107] 



necessary that these engines should be scrapped at 

 the earliest possible moment. The great increase in 

 electric power consumption is well exemplified in 

 the case of the city of Sheffield. The 1914 con- 

 sumption was 20 million units. It is now 172 

 million units, the coal consumption being zpoo 

 tons per week. In this connection we hope that 

 the use of raw coal for steam-raising will soon, 

 be a relic of barbarism. There is no difficulty in 

 designing furnaces for utilising coke, and several 

 are in everyday use. The economies effected by 

 using powdered fuel are also worth considering. 



A hopeful sign of the times is the increasing 

 co-operation between the electricity and the gas 

 industries. At the inquiry Mr. G. W. Partridge,, 

 giving evidence in support of the companies'" 

 scheme (3), said that arrangements had beea 

 made with the Gas Light and Coke Co. with 

 regard to leasing part of that company's site at 

 Beckton for erecting a super-station which it was 

 proposed to build in sections as the demand grew. 

 Owing to the large quantity of coke and coke 

 breeze on the site, much of which at pjesent goes 

 abroad, the cost of fuel would be very appreciably 

 cheapened. The gas company would also be will- 

 ing to let to the companies the use of the existing, 

 wharves, piers, railway sidings, etc. There would 

 thus be a great saving in capital outlay. Any of 

 the improvements, which are hopefully looked for- 

 ward to, in the carbonisation of coal, the utilisa- 

 tion of waste heat, and new by-products would 

 be to the mutual advantage of the two interests. 



The history of electric supply in this country is 

 largely one of legislative interference with a 

 flourishing industry. We are glad that the in- 

 dustry is now so largely dependent on private 

 initiative. Engineers have no delusions about 

 receiving large Government grants, although the 

 supply of cheap electric power, bringing new in- 

 dustries to life, is vital to the prosperity of the 

 country. The inquiry has proved that the supply 

 engineers are willing to accept the best and, 

 consequently, the most economical solution, even 

 if at first it affects their private interests adversely. 



Congress ot Universities. 



AT Oxford last week the second congress of 

 the Universities of the Empire was held 

 under perfect conditions as to weather and public 

 and private hospitality. The large and distin- 

 guished assembly which forgathered in the 

 examination halls on four successive days was 

 drawn from fifty-nine universities widely 



