1919.] 
New Zealand Institute Science Congress. 
317 
I suggest for discussion the adoption of a system of charging power- 
users based on the kilovolt-amperes in place of the kilowatts. If it is 
desired not to raise the price for electricity, but only to equalize the 
rates, an average power-factor could be taken or assumed on a given 
system and a reduction made. Let us say for our particular system 
that we have an average power-factor of 65 per cent. We can, therefore, 
take our present prices for power and reduce them by, say, 15 to 20 per 
cent., and then charge by the kilovolt-ampere-hour ; and the consumer 
with a low power-factor might find it a payable investment to install a 
correcting device of his own. The power company supplying lagging 
current is not entirely compensated even when the consumer pays for 
kilovolt-ampere-hours at ordinary rates. 
National Hydro-electric Schemes for New Zealand, by H. Hill. 
Press Notice (The Press ). 
Mr. Hill stated that so small indeed was the known quantity of coal available in 
this country compared with what was known to exist in Great Britain that if used at 
the same rate as the present annual British supply of 280,000,000 tons the entire coal¬ 
fields of the Dominion would be worked out in four years If coal was indispensable 
to the maintenance of high industrial efficiency in a country, as was once supposed to 
be the case, New Zealand could not hope to reach the standard by reason of the dearth 
of its coal deposits. But, if scientific knowledge was worth the having, our industrial 
and economic positions were assured. What was lacking in coal was more than pro¬ 
vided for in the lakes, the rivers, and the waterfalls distributed throughout the country. 
The future of New Zealand depended in a large measure upon the utilization of its stored 
waters for national development. Owing to the large non-productive amount of money 
spent upon the war and the heavy liabilities incurred thereby, some development work 
would be called for with a view to increasing the annual output of the country. Prices 
such as were being paid for New Zealand products could not continue at their present 
high, almost phenomenal, rates, so that unless production increased with us a lowering 
of prices would cause distress and possibly disorder. Under such circumstances it was 
to the highest interest of the State to adopt plans that would cause an easement in some 
line of domestic or industrial use. If, for example, the community had had to use coal 
and oil and gas for domestic or other use, and a new power could be found whereby 
coal, gas, and oil could be set aside, to the advantage of all, the undertaking should 
be carried out without delay. Mr. Hill referred to the beneficial effects of hydro¬ 
electric power, and said with monopoly at its back it was difficult to understand why 
there should be so much delay in formulating a national electrical scheme for the 
Dominion. Mr. E. Parry’s grand North Island scheme should be undertaken forth¬ 
with, the work to include the electrification of the East Coast Hailway. The 
people in the South Island should insist on a national scheme for national benefits, 
as in the case of the railways. National schemes for each Island might cost a 
large sum, but the money spent would be reproductive, and would not actually add to 
the public debt. It was urged, therefore, that each Island should come under a 
Water-power Board acting for the Government, but independent of it and of political 
influences. 
Photographs of the Solar Corona, by C. E. Adams. 
Through the kindness of Dr. W. W. Campbell, Director of the Lick 
Observatory, Mount Hamilton, California, the Hector Observatory has 
received a very valuable gift of three photographs on glass of the solar 
corona. The photographs were taken by the Crocker Eclipse Expedition 
of the Lick Observatory on the 8th June, 1918, at the total eclipse of the 
sun. The expedition was located very close to the central line of the 
shadow, at Goldendale, Washington, in longitude 8 h. 3 m. west of Green¬ 
wich and latitude 45° 49' north. The photographs were taken on 10 in. 
by 12 in. plates with a 40 ft. camera pointed directly at the sun, and the 
