Conservation Commission. 15 



construction of the Barge canal. Thus the project is free from 

 the heaviest of the charges for hydraulic development, and the 

 price for a peak load of 35,00.0 H. P. will not exceed $10 per 

 H. P. per year. 



2. The amount of power is ample to supply the growth of 

 demand in the district for a long time to come. 



3. As the first stage of the development, 6,000 H. P. of 

 hydraulic machinery may be installed at Crescent, and a similar 

 equipment at Vischer's Perry, with transmission lines which will 

 deliver to the cities of the district an aggregate peak load of 

 10,600 H. P. for a total capital investment of about $625,000. 



Investigation shows that this plan will not require any issue 

 of State bonds. 



The Commission recommends that a law be passed authorizing 

 the construction of the Capital District Project and prescribing 

 the conditions for construction, operation and sale, and making an 

 appropriation therefor. 



Investigation of Hydro-Electric Power-Distribution in 

 the Province of Ontario. 



A concrete example of the practicability of the policy advocated 

 by this Commission is shown by the work of the Hydro-Electric 

 Power Commission of the Province of Ontario. The demonstra- 

 tion is of the greater value because of the fact that it has been 

 carried out under conditions almost identical with our own. 



The Conservation Commission has, therefore, observed the work 

 of the Ontario Hydro-Electric Power Commission with more than 

 passing interest, and the Commission and its officers have visited 

 the Province of Ontario on various occasions and have gathered 

 a great amount of valuable data. 



Origin of the Movement for Governmental Action. 



Canada has many fine water powers, some of the largest being 

 comparatively close to the centers of population, yet the Canadians 

 found that water power cost the ultimate consumer nearly as much 

 as coal produced power. The basis of the charge was not cost of 

 service but " what the traffic would bear." In spite of the natural 

 wealth of the province in water powers, the rates for electric 



