LX. EK. K. SCOTT. 
to factories, this isa risk which most manufacturers would 
take if they could get power at the specially low rates 
which are possible from water power. In this connection 
it is interesting to mention that the Yorkshire Electric 
Power Oo. haS made arrangements to supply current at a 
specially low rate to a carbide of calcium factory which 
shuts down each day at the time of the peak-load. Hydro 
electric plants in this country would have an advantage 
over those of, say Canada, in that there would be no trouble 
with anchor or frasil ice. This substance is of a soft jelly 
nature and it is liable to stick to the strainers and passages 
of the turbine at certain times of the year. 
Copper—One can suggest many uses for electric power 
in locally situated factories. For example, all the copper 
mined inthis country should be treated here electrolytically. 
Fifty per cent of the world’s output is so treated. 'There 
is a small electrolytic works at Lithgow and another is 
being built at Port Kembla, but even these together will 
only treat a small fraction of what is mined in this State. 
Copper is treated electrolytically because it gives great 
purity, and enables all the gold and silver to be removed. 
In time, electric smelting may also take the place of the 
present system. Caustic soda and potash, bleaching powder, 
which are imported to a value of over £80,000 per annum, 
also aluminium and phosphorus are produced by electricity, 
and given cheap power could be made here. 
Manures.—The ideal kind of factory, however, would 
be one turning out artificial manure by the direct fixation of 
nitrogen process or else as cyanamide from carbide of 
calcium. Both these manures are being made in rapidly 
increasing quantites and timeisall in favour of the elec- 
trical method, because Chili nitrates are being worked out. 
In 1906 the imports of Chilian nitrate to the Commonwealth 
were valued at £36,000, the price being about £10 a ton. 
