IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 If 1^ 112.5 2.2 2.0 1.8 11.4 llllil.6 6" ^ ^ ^ / ">4 > 5 t ?• Photographic Sciences on i^^"^ « ^\ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (7 to) 872-4503 ^, ^ 4> '%■ #.signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent atre filmte d dee taux de rMuction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour §tre reproduit en un seul ciichA, il est filmd i partir do Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche 6 droite. et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n^cessaire. Las diagrammes suivants illustrant la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 (f-d f"T NIAGARA POWER. Report Containing Information Concerning the Development of Electrical Power at Niagara Falls. Published by the Niagara Fall. Board of Trade. Printed by The "Review" Printing Company, Niatrara Falls, Ont. 1897. "J I) Niagara Falls Board of Trade. 'h To The Reader:— Pursuant to a resolution of the Council of the Niagara Falls Board of Trade this pamphlet has been prepared contam- ing brief Extracts from the agreement between the Canadian Nfagara Power Company and the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park Commissioners representing the Provincial Govern n,cnt of Ontario and some of the published letters relating to the request of the Power Company for an extension of time within which to Gcnplete the works undertaken by them. Attention is drawn to the fact that no Electric Power derived from the Falls is at present in use, except that power developed by the Niagara Falls Park & River Railway Co. and that the Railway Company have developed more power than they require, which is now going to waste. It is hoped this publication may assist in bringing about a speedy development of Niagara Power and m makmg available at once the power already developed by the Rail way Company. K ,. kM:: ■"% R. P. SLATER, President. FRED. W. HILL, Secretary. [) I Extracts From Agreement Between the Canadian Niagara Power Company and the Commissioners for the Queen Victoria Niagara Fails Farlc. I 55 Vic. (1892) Cap. 8. p. no. "4— The liccn.se hereby <,n-anted i.s for the term of twenty years, commencinii^ with the first day of May, J 892, the Com- pany i)ayins therefor at the clear yearly rental of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) durinjr the first ten years, (^he rent to be computed from the first day of November, 1892); the rental for the jjeriod from the first day of May, 1892, to the first da\' of November, 1894, which is fixed at fifty thou.sand dollars ($50,000), having been paid to and accepted by the Commissioners in two payments of the sum of fifteen thou.sand dolla.s ($15,000) and the further sum of thirty- five thousand dollars ($35,000) paid by the Company at or prior to the execution and delivery of this instrument; the rent for the remainder of the first ten years of the term to be payable in half-yearly payments and at the end of each six months, to wit, on the first days of May and November of each and every year the first of such semi-annual payments to be made on the first day of May, 1895. The rental for tbe second ten years of the term payable half-yearly on the first days of May and November as above, shall be as follows: — The eleventh year $26,000 The twelfth year 27,000 The thirteenth year 28 000 The fourteenth year 29,000 The fifteenth year oq 000 I l) The sixteenth year TV, , , 3 f .000 ine seventeenth year.. Ihe eighteenth year rp, . ^ , 35.000 i nc nmeteenth year . . . ihc twentieth vear 35,000 ******** •'5-If at the end of the said period of twenty years the company desire to renew for a further period of twenty years and shall give notice in writing to the eoi^n^issioner'a "a^ twelve ..onths before the expiration of the twenty yea" period they shall be entitled to and shall receive Vrt ase of sud. rights for the period of twenty years i.or a the rental of thirty-five thousand dollars ($.c 00. , IJZ and si.i^ly .He company shall be entitl!^^^^^^^^^ stlt^^; ^ ^" "'"""' '^'' "^J^^^ ^"^^ '-"Mention of this stipula ion being to confer upon the company the right to a. original term of twenty vears nt H,o - ^ "^'k'lt to an c c J . ^ ^ ^^ ^"^ renrals here n before per annum, making one hundred years in all and th ■ .n shall then give u„ or ,f n, company twentv cxp,rat,on of the first term of t»e„ty years, or any subsequent term of twenty vear, C unrenewed in aeeordance with this agreement, he .tl/ prem,ses, r ghts and privileges by this agreeme t granled t m "■; '"' ^'"■"' '°' --P--'-" -th lib rty to the company to remove their machinery. I„ ease the eompanv des,re to terminate the lease, they may do so durin t3fir,t per.od of twenty years upon three months notice in w; t ng o he comm>ss,oner.s, or in case the commissioners are not then an ex,3tmg corporation, the government of the Province of 5 • Jf.OOO • 32,000 ' 33.000 • 34.000 35.000 ty years the twenty years, ncrs at J cast t-'nty years e a further irs more at 3cr annum, ir option to 2 thousand ion of this n'j^ht to an ?rein before of twenty s ($35,000) ■ company ^t term of / years, if he works, franted or rty to the company S the first writing to not then )vince of Ontario, payment of rent up to the time of the termination of such notice being made upon the giving of such notice. "9— The Commissioners shall not grant or confer upon any other Company or person any right to take or use the waters of Niagara River within the limits of the Park so long as this agreement is in force, nor will the Commissioners themselves engage in making use of the water to generate electric or pneumatic power except for the purposes of the Park, saving always in so far as regards the exceptions con- tained in paragra[)h 12 of this agreement. "10 — The Company undertake to begin the works hereby licensed to be constructed by them on or before the first of May, 1897; and to have proceeded so far with the said works on or before the first of November, 1898, that they will have completed water connections for the development of 25,000 horse power and have actually ready for use supply and transmission 10,000 developed horse power by the said last mentioned day." "II — The Company whenever required shall from the electricity or pneumatic power generated under this agree- ment supply the same in Canada (to the extent of any quantity not less than one-half the quantity generated) at prices not to exceed the prices charged to cities, towns, and consumers in the United States at similar distances from the Falls of Niagara for equal amounts of power and for similar uses, and shall whenever required by the Lieutenant-Gover- nor in Council make a return of prices charged for such elec- tricity or power, verified under oath by any chief officer of the company, and if- any question or dispute arises involving the non-supply or prices of electricity or power for consump- tion in Canada, the High Court of Justice of Ontario shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine the same and enforce i I) .he facilities to l.c given or the prices to ..,. ol.arsed," electricity or pneumatic power as here,;; l' CtT"""'' l«>i>-. unless hindered ky unavoidable aecide , .h . "°"" -Oovernorin Council „.a, then an.l ^^ 1 tro'^t ^^uhorit :.,rr~t:;r' T'--' •;— "-- -^ u.ciLO) ^^raiitcd am evcrv of thr>m f« k r r . . and thenceforth ,he san.e shall reas. and IT "^ "tterly void and „r no effect .hat"." '""" "'" '" 1 i < • -^ •r:ccI." lines coiitinu- ly to generate by the corn- the Lieuten- nccforth de- powers and be forfeited line and be I Niagara Falls Power, Letter Irorn Air. A. I). Shaw, President of the Co, mSrORY OF THE con PAN Y. Heaaoiib Why an Extension of Time is Asked -Anewfirs to tliosc Who arc Opposing the Application Cogent Reasons Why Delay in Development was Necessary. (To the Editor of the Toronto Glebe-.) Sirr-Considcrablc discussion and correspondence has , a()pcaicti in the press in reference to the so-called monopoly ol ihe Nia^nira Falls power, and an agitation is attempted lo be raised against the previous grant lo the Canadian Nia- gara Power Company, and in any event against any extension of time named under such agreement for the development of power in the Niagara Falls Park. I think it is proper that ihe public should be made aware of the real facts in regard to the matter, and should appreciate what is at the bottom of what is apparently a popular uprising in the Niagara peninsula. In April, 1892, the Canadian Niagara Power company was incorporated by an act of the Provincial Legislature, and given the right to develop power in an inconspicuous manner in the Niagara Falls Park for transmission and use beyond the park limits upon terms and conditions which preserved the natural beauty of the park, gave the commissioners judicious control of the development, and for which Sir Oliver Movvat, s i) then attorneygeneral. ex-acted the very handsome rcnta. of Zjtl ' T' ""°"""'"« '" «35,ooo fron, the ;wcnt,eth year. ,It ,s to be observed that on the An,cr can ,,e a simHar franchise .a. .ranted .itho!: ' ciolJar beiiiP- charo-cd hv thr^ r • I , , '^ -^^^ ^y the Government. He nko provided that "The romnpnv i ^iiL rompany whenever reciiiired : :'.' 'T J" ^''^"■'■"■'^ " P— '- power ! atec, under th.s agreemen: supply the same in Canada CZ extent of any quantity not less than one-half th ,1 ' generated) at prices not to exceed the prices charged o H i.om the Fads of Niagara for equal amounts of power and for s,m,!ar uses, and shall whenever required by ho 1 ut n . ant^governor in council make a return of prices'^chrr. d o,' such elcctr,c.ty or power, verified under oath by a"; thtf officer of t e company, and if any question or d.spu e a e, mvolv.ng the non-supply or prices of elcctricity'or po for eonsumpfon in Canada the Ifigh Court of Justi.^^ Ont.r,o shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine th^ sarne and enforce the facilities to be given or the prices to be RKASONS FOR DELAY. So advantageous tothe Province were the-Mermscon s^ed that the act Of incorporation of the compan,:::: result of a conditional cont ac wh eh had b^""""' ""^ ''^ the Park Commissioners wit ' mv o fo \ '"''"=' '^' United States Consul at Toronto hi ' '""'™' ^' V'anraap r„i t , 7 '°ronto, i then rei>rcs,-nting Lord V.antage, Col. Lake, the famous electncian Fcrranti all of I i. I >mc rental of ith year at the ooo from the ^n the Amer- ^ without a ■) He also '* required •owcr gener- finada (to the the quantity I'k^cd to cities, ilar distances power, and tho h'euten- charo;cd for ^ any chief spute arises V or power f Justice cff -ermine the trices to be ' terms con- [lany, con- in tioduccd slativc As- i V'iih the nt was the 3cuted by csident as ing Lord iti, all of London, England, and some Canadian Iriends. A payment on account of the franchise had been made by my English associates, but they were not prepared to go on. There was no outlook for the use of the developed power in the neigh- borhood of the Falls. The then state of electrical art did not warrant the expenditure of money in the hope of realizing profits from long-distance tiansmission. I turned to the com- pany which was commencing the development upon the American side of the river. They joined us, and today they have the majority of stock in the Canadian Niagara Power compan)^, although my English and ('anadian associates still own a very large interest in the company. The development of power in large units from such a body of water as pa.sscs over the Niagara Falls and also the generation of large units and transmission for long distances f electricity were entirely new experiments, and it was ab-' ilutely necessary that the greatest care should be used in inc introduction of untried machinery in such a colossal un- dertaking in order to prevent the loss of an immense amount of Hioney, and when the company was negotiating the agree- ment the officers explained to the Government that their in- tention \\-as to wait the experiment on the American side, and so soon as those works were completed and long-distance transmission commercially proved, then to duplicate them on the Canadian side. The completion of the works on the American side has been delayed by difficulties which always beset and are inseparable from great and novel undertakings. The 'ompany could only a.ssurc itself that it was securing the most useful machinery by the fullest inquiry and the most careful experiment. Some idea of this may be obtained when the public are informed that $25,000 were offered as prizes for the be.st set of hydraulic and electrical plans, and the services of Lord Kelvin (the greatest living British lO \) c,c t,s were obtained as the chain.an of a commission to adjud,catc npon the various proposals that were pntWd and upon t.,c selection of >.hich the sav.ng or losin, of sueh a arse amount of capital depended. A mistake i„' the me hod m,ght unolve the loss of the whole capital oit l^ and, therefore, great care and attention to dotad •. ere neccs ■sary, with the result that the works on the American side are" stdl somewhat a, the experimental sta,.e as to lon^-ng-distance ' expended This i^reat indertaking ick of the ■dian coni- tensioii of bcg^inning that when th the ut- xperiencc - machin- khnl so i^ible rate, sment to - greater /of the that the transmit- vith the nmercial :ransmit- s of 50 miles. The company was fully aware of the transmission from Tivoli to Rome and at Telluride, Colorado, but the Niagara undertaking is on much larger and entirely different lines, Surely it is not an unreasonable request in view of the fact that the Canadian company have already paid the Government $100,000, and are consequently most anxious to push development, so that they may get some return for this money and the enormous rental they have to pay per year, and some return for the great expenditure that is necessarily involved within the next three years before they can hope to earn a dollar upon their capital. As I have pointed out, the company are only asking an extension of the time under the agreement for eighteen months, and are only asking this so that they may be assured they are going ahead in the right direction once they begin. ■" OBJECTIONS URGED. Under the terms of agreement the company undertook to begin work on May i, 1897, and to have proceeded so far with the said works on or before the ist of November, 1898, that they will have completed water connections for the de- velopment of 25,000 horse-power, and have actually ready for use, supply and transmission 10,000 developed horsepower by the said last mentioned date. The cry is raised that the Legis- lature should not_have granted this monopoly, as it is called. Surely it has become apparent, where an expenditure of millions is necessary in order to obtain a result, that unless the control of the undertaking is given to some person or company capital cannot be induced to come m, and one reason why industries have so progressed in the United States is that capital is welcomed to make an investment, the public appieciating that nature's resources will be unde- veloped without this encouragement ot capital. If the power f 12 i) of tl,c Falls ,vas to be di,klc.d up a,no„g l.alf a clo.c, „,• more people no one would put in the ueccsary plant fo,- the development or tran.s.nission of electricitv, if the latter can now e .said to he feasible. The e„or„,o'ns e..pense I'c- , to such an undertaking makes it absolutely important that some franchise should be granted before capital can be in' duced to venture upon such an enter] )rise. The ne.xt objection that has been taken is, tha^ the Am ad,an. It has already been pointed out that u,,on the An, er,can s,de son,e five millions have b...n e.vpendcd " capual account, and, until this autumn, without any urn and, w, h the exception of two n,anufactories n^^SZl he coal regions, no manufacturers from outside place, have been mduced to eonre to the" An.erican side. On he' C n ad.an s,de no bona fiears, ,s it not idle to talk abotit manufactories th t .^ nave sprung up ? "oiiki IMPORTANTE OK E.V|.KRl.M,iNT. The importance to Canada and to the United >^m, ■ ■ the solution of the problem as to whet^e e Itrti^" '7 -ccessfully transmitted for long distance, ^^"'^^.Z^ -nt work was to be retarded beyond rea.son, or nlet: 11 il 13 a dozcii or more plant for the ' the latter can x'pense incident im]K)rtant that ital can be in- ', that the Am- ise of the Can- upon the Am- cxpcnded on It any return ; ■^ moved from e places have On the Can- 3 horse-power las only been I'c referred to, nches. This ncnt with the urplus power Government between our le depression -he past few ' that would d States is in icity can be the develop- er not com- pleted (in case of the inability to successfully transmit long distances), Hamilton, Toronto and other Ontario cities and towns might well be disappointed. If, however, all that is asked is a delay of eighteen months to properly demonstrate the successful operation of long distance transmission on the American side to Buffalo, a distance of 26 miles, so as to give Canadians the best possible results once the project is under way, are not these cities the gainers ? If the present company should retire from this enterprise it would mean that some other com.pany would have to begin experiments, and which would await the result of the experiment upon the other side. As it is, the cities of Hamilton and Toronto are assured of having a substantial company complete with the best possible machinery, with little likelihood of breakdowns or mishaps, and with an act which limits the price that can be charged to the same price as is charged on the American side. Appli- cations of a nebulous and indefinite character have been hinted at by visionary inventors representing products not yet produced commercially, and by anxious real estate brokers looking for "booms" and pretending to know of large manufactories anxious to use Canadian Niagara Power. The company has offered to commence work upon the satisfactory agreement of any reliable person or persons or corporations of financial responsibility to take in the aggre- gate and pay for 5,000 e'.f trical horse-power for local use for a definite period. THE company's REQUEST. In a word, I have pointed out the enormous advantage of having the present company, which has paid so much money into the public coffers, which it would have absolutely lost if the experiment proved a failure, being allowed to complete its experiments and assure itself of having the proper machinery, and then proceeding to push the work as rapidly as possible. The only request the company are mak- 14 I) ins i.s that they be given eighteen months fnrther time for completion of the work -iiiil It w f„ h„ i ' , ^ '™"^' '""' '' I'- 'n bo borne m mind that at the tmie the agreenien. was formed it ,>-as pointed ont that wh.le ,t was sapposd the time grante.l was long enough no "■ork would be eommenced ,u,til the experience of the Amer- .can company had proved whether electricity could be sue ccslully generated and transmitted or not, and it is only carrying out the original ,n,derstanding^ U is to be borne in m.nd that ,f the yearly ineome it has paid was not fort commg ,t wot,ld require a special yearly appropriatio, If pubhe moneys o. $.5,c»o. whieh is now received from the company, and which the con,pany has so far not receive.l one dollar s benefit for. The engineer, Mr. Jennings, who has written a letter perhaps .vould ,^t take the san,e view uere i, not that he las be n connected in the past u ith a rival eompa,.v. M Wdson, who talks airily of 6o,ax> horsepower to thj Ham' leon Board of Tr.ade, is well known in the United States'", .soneof,h„,,^,^„,^,,^^,, ,,,„ were admirably represen by the portrayal of the genial Col. Sellers in the Gilded' A-'e The indignation in and about the Niag,ara Falls itself" is bemo |„gely developed by one or two real estate investors who themselves are Americans and who are seeking to create a boom" on the Canadian side. Something has been sait received one itten a letter, lot that he has ^impai.y. Mr. to the Ilam- 2d States, and / represented ; Gilded .W. ^^1Ils itself is ite in\-estors, dug to create n-'^ not shar- LM-ities of the lie Canadian cstin^^ to as NIAGARA FALLS POWER. Some of the Reasons why an Extension of Time Should not be Granted the Canadian Niagara Falls Power Company. n Power Co. No question of such vast importance to Ontario has arisen in many years as that which is being discussed through- out the province today, namely : Shall the Canadian Niagara Falls Power company, who have for five long years tied up the power at the Canadian Niagara Falls, be granted the right to continue their monopoly for another term? The facts leading up to this question are too well known to need repeating here, and the writer will confine himself almost solely to answering statements made by Col. A. D. Shaw in a letter to the Globe of Saturday last. We will give facts that Col. Shaw or any member of the Cataract Company will not care to dispute. The Colonel says truly that the American government gave the franchise for nothing, while Ontario receives $25,- 000 per year for the same privileges on this side. True— and why? Because the Americans shrewdly saw far greater bene- fits in the development of power than from the revenue that would accrue from a mere rental. The Colonel speaks of the rental received from the Can- adian company as being so advantageous to the province, while the facts are that the American Cataract Construction 4 f i6 and bones. ^"^ Canadian concern body -"ed on Dec. ,5 last, .hich sats '"""•"^'™> -'"Pany, Ami the other S372 ^^; >,.„,„ . power after Jan„arv , , SnS „ L -''^^' electrical horse- Canadian ri jus a,;d .;j ^ri' o :,r'^^'™' ^- ''- -" f°^ '^■''cco.o„e,.prl„ci,nr *""'"' °^'^°"^^-" begin «.orK. on Can'adi:' ^ ^ ^t " l:^"^ °' '""^ '" n„ss,-o„ of power wa,, still i„ ,,1 '""^-^''-'ce trans- . :"■" ''-■"'"-in. to again Z^ f^ r:r:i"^'-'' -■••^-" 't ■ssued only a few weeks a-m !^ directors' report, ' the experimental tat wh' t, ",' "'"■'' " "^'^ '" ^^ - 'o . been passed or not:- '" ""•" ''"^•-^'"'S l-"t has dynaZtearric:::;::' rr""'"" ^°™-- «"- '•escrvation impossible and'th ■""' '''''■'' ■"''"''^ »"eh '5,825 electrical horse power "f ' "'"■'"'^' ™'''l<^ f"'- ""'.'he actual eapaCtT 't.™ rir :^', ''' """'--■ med.ate extension w th . ' ^'"''' "'''"'"' '""■ profitable employmint ^'^ ^"'"^'^' "^ P'°'"l'<^ and aet c^rr:™-::;^;!:; ;:\""' - ■•--- '•- "^^ cata. '- than par; „otwithsCdi;'r;:a: for^"'^^" -'" ^- and other influences deterrinLhe esthl K "'"""'' ^™'=^' dustries requiring pow, r Ton ^! ''.''*'''''^'^"«^nt "f "ew in- ''nown adverse c^o.^! ions co^clr^i ""'= ^'™<-'^'" ^^l -" I f I money into the II concern bod}' 1 the report of :tion company 'cctriccil hor.se- >r the rent for >f" bonds." on of time to listance trans- fil stage." It ■ctors' report, * to say as to "g point has Pn^^.^ three f M-hich one i made such '3^ made for 'le prudent, require im- >rompt and the Catar- n sold for cial crises, >f new in- al and well ts life, the ■d, and, as If support. W experi- i i f 17 mental character of the work, it would huvc been folly at any earlier date to seek to provide for an installation larger than necessary to demonstrate that this enterprise can accomplish real work and promise real i)rofits, such as can now be ex- pected aftf^r January 1st, 1898. ■'This promise is based upon the proposed completion of the installation ui) to the i)oint at which it will be possible to develop at Niagara for commercial recpiirements 35,000 avail- able electrical horse-power from eight dynamos, each of 5,000 horse-power, (one being kept in reserve,) and to complete the Buffalo transmission line so that it will be sufficient to deliver in Buffalo 10,000 electrical horse-power, as required by the municipal franchise." There you see that the Cataract Construction company has so far passed beyond the experimental stage that after having expended five millions of dollars it is prepared to go on and spend another two millions: and is prepared to go on and duplicate at an enormous cost the very m.achinery that the Canadian government is told is yet in its experimental stage. The present capacity of 15,000 horse-power is tia be at once increased to 35,000 horse-power, and yet the Colonel tries to stuff Canadians with the bosh, that his company is only cxi)erimenting ! Would any sane (not to say shrewd) company of business men add millions to an already large outlay unless experiment had been passed and success achieved? It is true that changes will be made in electrical machinery, and they will be made twenty years hence as well, but that is no reason why Canadian power should lie dormant while American po gathers in all the benefits that follow the development of Niagara Falls Power. Another ]:)lea of Col. Shaw's is that there is no important demand for power on the Canadian side. His own communi* cation proves the falsity of this by saying that two companies will establish branches on this side as soon as power can be furnished for them. Besides, power when once developed 18 "T "'■""""'■' " ''""^ ^"''""'^ '° 'h- '■"-tain hca^ Ami " th,s connection, Col. Sha«M„ak-c.s ,-, .senous m,C; ■a^ara i .ui», N. Y„ hy the |>ouer thc-e ^ • • • • -So Jniffalo Street Ry. Co f^-'milo^f.-n.. • ^ (From November ,5, ilsor. I '''^"•^'"'^■^""^ • '-Ooo Acetylene L.^jht, Heat & Pouer Co (From Februnrv 1,1807^... (From March i ; 1 807) > >^^^ (P>om deh'very, say Nov' *i * i^A- \ ''°°° Matl,ieson AuJi Xv},;Ct'>C T f 1 1 J ,. -^UMMARy. ^'"-^ lotal hydraulic power .sold-Ni-io-nrn Total electric power sold- Nia'^i ^''"^ Total electric power sold-B^/Tr. ! '. [ \ [ \ [V: 'f^^ 21 2''C All- • , o ADDITIONAL "•' Albr,.ht & Wilson, Ltd. (elecfoichemicals ... 400 1896 -Grand total " 25,625 4i «!.■ » 1S>m»»K'M>.t^^i-_ 19 '1 licad. Arifl niisstatcmcnt been attracted '^'t-'Iopcd. Let tlic Klcctrical II. V. ' • ' 7,200 3.050 1 ,000 '.075 500 500 400 250 ^50 1,000 cal ' • • of 1,000 1,000 2,000 2,000 1,000 3.CXX) 25,225 7,200 13,025 5,000 Dobbic & Stuart's foundry has also been located, and the Smith bicycle factory will be an applicant for power very soon. Nearly all of which is an out-rowth of the develop- ment of power at Niagara Falls, N. Y. Mr. Rankin and Col. Shaw should have compared notes before the latter rushes into print with the real facts. And these statements are not made at random. They arc verified over the signature of Wm. H. Kankine, secretary of the Cataract Construction Comi)any. Although the idea in the first instance in estab- lishing this great work was to create i)owcr to transmit to Buffalo and other American cities, there is no doubt that the formation of the Cataract Company was based solely on trans- mitting power to take the place of existing steam power in ' adjacent cities. The true state of affairs is that the American side is being developed at the expense of the Canadians, whose power is tied up by the very company that is expending millions to build up the American side. We feel confident that the government of Ontario will not permit this injustice to be perpetrated upon her people. As to long distance transmission, just read what the General Electric Company alone is doing on this continent, from the Electrical World of Jan. 22, 1897:— 25,625 M LOCATION. II. P. Sonora, Cal 1,466 Trenton, Can 823 Bakcr.sfield, Cal 3,420 Lachinc Rapids, Can. 12,000 Ogden, Utah, 11,050 Hook-sct, N. II 3,000 Minneapolis, Minn... 12,000 Redlands, Cal 1,170 Portland, Ore 4,600 Sacramento, Cal. 10,982 VOLTAGE OF LINE. 10,000 11,000 10,000 4,400 15,000 V 2 5, 000 J 10,000 6,000 10,000 6,000 DISTANCE. 8 miles. 12 miles. 10 miles. 9 miles. 40 miles. 10 miles. 8 miles. 21 miles. 14 miles. 11,000 22>^ miles. 20 1 [.oucll, Mass ,^y-,. Sa t Lake City, Vuh 6,S, o 5.500 1 1. ()()() lo.ooo .3.300 '5 miles. 35 niilcs. '3 Miiics. 3/j in lies. It is . ' , M ':'''^ '■•■•.ns.nission is i„ its i„f„,,, , '■'lie in tl,c i,„„ ,,,,, ' ,f J ■•" "'"''^ "'"■ I'""-" '■■< l^^^i'l ""II .^i.isp 01 this monster iiioiioDolv A„.i .1 "y, too, that C-anaclians arc .Mnru,t..,.,l '■^' funiishcl Canadian factonVs .t '"'"■"■ "'" '"-' tn«-„s and cities o(T T "■"" '"'' "' '^'"'^ "^ "'--■ only costs onctenth the .non • o , ,;lr;''7!'" T'"'" '■' tre,ne„.^.,s ioser ,, this phase ^r the':;:: „t.^ """ '^ '^ VVith such advantages in favor of f.n- i • 'I .such were t se ' , '''^'"'"'^"^'' ^^^'^^ ? Oh no . and if, as aH^ed ^Z^^T' " ''"" "'^- "'^'' for the power there c, ,1,1 ? "'^'^'^ '"""■•"•l<"0'-de,„a„d by a shlter line ;,:;: t ' .rC' 7'' 'V'' "'f "' '"" u-orks? ' '^'^'^ ^'""^ t'^^'"- American -- p ^i^irrth::::,;:- r .n?-; "^ - ^vhcn ho urote the Jettcr nf < I 'ntercsted -y not have had t,j:;:t:,::,:'Ltt^ port for their i„for„,ation we a.aln n,„. ^ ^ t'^' -' Such installation it is isti,„atc\\'cr is IiL'Id And they vcr will he 'O'^e of the hoiiki Can. ns, wIkmi it ■mada is a wer, \vh\' ioij ? Is it Oh no ? '■-"nipany the cost, rflemand ffalo, and \nierican ■t of the itcrested c public ficial rc- or two: t, and is '>oo,ooo, 450,000 probable dividend fund sufficent for five per cent, upon the .stock, and all the vast remaining; lands, properties and ri^dU" of the company for future development. ••The proposed extension involves doubling the present capacity of the transmission line to Buffalo which is now de- li'vering 1,000 electrical horse-power; the extension of the wheel-pit for its full length so as to have a capacity in all for ten 5,000 horse power turbines and dynamos . the installation of seven 5.000 horse-power turbines and dynamos, in addition to the three lunv in operation ; and the extension of the power house to cover the new installation. Such an extension of the wheel-pit is about one-third completed; the right of way from Niagara Falls to Buffalo is complete ; the poledinc already erected has a pole and cross-arm capacity of 20,000 electrical horse-power with copper conductors in place for 5,oooe lectrical horse power. Upon definite proposals already received, the entire installation above described can be pro- gressively completed before April i, 1898, with the proceeds of the subscription of $2,000,000 now invited and already largely taken." Let Col. Shaw no longer talk of the experimental stage until the company rescinds such statements as the above. Col. Shaw handles the visionary invenloi in a slighting man- ner when Canadian power is the question, but does not hesi- tate to negotiate with this same "visionary inventor" for 5,000 American horse-power to manufacture carbide. Millions for the United States not one dollar for Canada, is Col. Shaw's too-trasparent motto, and the trend of the Watertown gentle- men's article is all on the same line— belittling the Canadian claims and making himself a special pleader for the Cataract Company. He tries to make capital by referring to real es- tate dealers. It would make interesting reading if the Colonel would iurnish us with a history of some of the early real ■^Li..' ■ i estate transactions of othcrs-to wl,ich ■. .: n,ay refer later. Whvdi.l the company IHirehase the right of way along tl,e Canadian side fron> Chipiv.va to Fort Eric unless they intended the power to he first sent to Bnffalo, ,f .lejeW- If they intended Canadian cities to have an ecp.al chance .vith American cities, why did the>- not at the same tnne bny ri.ht of way to St. Catl,arines and Hamilton ? 1 e>l,aps tol. Shaw can tell us. Or, is this line purchased as a duphcate to their American line? The government should and will remcnd,er that the Cataract Construction Company's own official rep<,rt places the .•experimental stage" as a thing of the past, and records a,, orde' being placed for thousands of dollars -;""; >" ^ ' j , machinery-while Canada's clahns are asked to be set as de until the Americans secureU- fasten their grasp "1>"" ;-":;■ benefits that can be got from the "harncssmg of N.aga.a The fact IS that the Cataract Company base th.e assurance ( a fabulous future income on the strength of ownu,g all Nia..ara's power, to be develo,.ed b;- them for then' own profit. "And here, too, is a n,atter that should be of paranumnt importance in arranging a new agreement, namely: If the Government should feel justified in granting a short e.xtensmn of the franchise, one of the prime conditions of this extensu.n should be to allow other responsible companies to discharge water through or unour readers niay reali/x- the enormous value of the l)owcr under (jucstion, we quote from the speech of Sir Wil- liam Siemens before the Iron and Steel institute of Great Britain in 1877. He said: "The force of the principal or Canadian falls is estimated at i6,tSoo,ooo horse-power. In other words, all the coal raised throuohout the world would barely suffice to i)roduce the amount of power that continu- ally runs to waste at this j^^reat falls." The Globe of November 19, 1896, says. "What this means will be better understood by the statement that all the power used in Toronto for street cars, electfic lighting, pump- ing of water and operation of factories is a trifle over 16,000 horse-power ! The compan)- (meaning the Cataract Con- struction compaii}-) already in operation at the Falls has' therefore, charter rights to de\elop power enough to do all the work of twent\--eight cities as large as Toronto." That Col. Shaw is now filling the role of special leader for the company is nowhere better e\idenced than in the fact thiit while the gallant colonel is champ-ioning the experi- mental-stage idea for his American friends, the latter are duplicating machinery that w;is made tico years ago. The ex- perimental stage will never pass, so long as it is to the interests of the American ca])italists to keep the Canadian power out of the market. As an evidence of Col. Shaw's mission as a special agent for .the Construction company, we find him chaperoning the editors of leading Canadian jour- n;ils at tiie VwW^ no later than Tuesday of this week. Is this specicd trip in the interests of Canada, Colonel, or is it a part 24 o- of the Construction company's plan to perpetuate -its moii polistic grip upon our franchise ? The people of Ontario look to the provincial government for fair play in this vital matter, and rest their case in their hands with full confidence in their verdict of the people's representatives. Your obedient servant, H. C. SYMMES, M. C. S. C. E. Niagara Falls South, Ont., Feb. 4, 1897. i^^m^u'^i ,:^g^ra|M»' 25 NIAGARA Falls power. Editor World:— From Mr. Albert D. Shaw's letter published in your issue of the 30th, he would make it appear that the people o Niagara Falls and vicinity are asking the government to be severe with and push the terms of the contract with the Canadian Niagara Power Company to the utmost and that we did not wish to deal fairly with the Power Company. This is not the inte^ition. If the Power Company should com- mence their works and by any misfortune be not able to complete the work within the specified time' there would be no objection to any reasonable extension. The company have had the contract since April 14th, 1892, five years nearly. Have they purchased any land on which to locate any works ? Nothing beyond about five acres above Duffer- in Islands and a strip 30 feet wide along the Michigan Central Railway from Chippawa to Fort Erie, about 12 or 15 miles. On the American side they purchased, at or before the time they started their tunnel, from 1500 to 2000 acres. They have still until November 1898 to construct their power here, If they mean to do so, why not commence as per agreement', and then if they cannot finish ask for a fair extension anc no one would object. Prominent citizens here nearly all feel that the Power Company do not intend to build at all on this side and are only paying the rental to enable them to lease all their land on the American side and then drop the Canada lease. They have been over a year attempting to arrange with the Electric 26 Railway to supply electrical power and up-to-date have not yet completed the transaction. The Town of Niagara b\all.s cannot get power to run an electric light plant to light their town. Surely we are not unreasonable in asking the Govern- ment to give us a chance to utilize some of the immense power running to waste. While our American neighbors are using from 50 to 70 thousand horse power and arranging to quadruple that amount, we are only allowed about 100 or 200 horse oower to pump a little water for the town, and while new uses for electricity are bemg discovered daily, wc have to sit idly by, a secluded quiet country village, and allow an immense foreign monopoly to thwart every effort wc make to secure a small share of our legitimate rights that should be obtained owing to our favored location. « As to Mr. Shaw's statement that the Power Company will start as soon as ihey can secure a contract for 5,000 hore power, if he will stipulate the price he will charge for the power and the approximate time he will have it ready, there will be little difficulty in getting the contract, if price is in proportion to cost of construction and maintenance of the power here. He further says they pay nothing on the Amer- ican side. He forgets that Mr. Stetson stated in Buffalo that the building of the work was so much cheaper on the Canada side that it was far better and much cheaper to pay that amount than it was to build on the American side where they pay no rent. R. P. SLATER, Niagara Falls, Ont. 'SfBifWW'^HaWHK 27 NIAGARA FALLS POWER. To THE Editor of The Globe:— Sir,— Kcfcring to the recent protests from the Council and Board of Trade of this city against the granting by the Ontario Government of any extension of time for the com- mencing of operations by the Canadian Niagara Power Com- pany, would you allow me space to say that although every aspect of this question might seem to have been fully dis- cussed in the press, as well as elsewhere, there are yet many who do not understand the subject nor its importance. Pub- lished statements are so often tinged with political, personal or local sentiment, that it is difficult for the general reader to get unbiased information from which to form a definite opin- ion. There is, however, one potent reason that everyone can understand why this extension of time should not be granted, which is, that this franchise or charter for loo years is novJ .shown by the experience and knowledge gained during its first five years to be eminently unfair to the people of this Province. The simple facts are these:— Ontario receives $25,- 000, to be increased in ten years to $35,000 per annum, for this monopoly (equal to about one cent, per year for each in- habitant) during the pleasure of the company, who alone have the privilege of cancelling the charter any time up to 100 years. The power can be produced much cheaper from the Canadian side, yet nothing has been done to develop the power on this side during these first five years, and when it is developed we Canadians who own the Canadian falls must pay the same price for power as is charged on the American 2«' Side, and cannot command more than 5,000 horsepower for 100 years, unless it suits the company to supply more. The rental mentioned bears no proportion whatever to the value of the franchise, with all the acknowledged possibility of electric science in the future, as it may prove to be worth millions instead of thousands of dollars. Let us look back on the progress of the past century and consider whether we dare predict the position or value of any such privileges dur- ing the next 100 years. Take any monopoly that was given by any country a century ago and imagine what its condition or influence would be at the present time, had it received its franchise fot 100 years. Patent rights are only another form of franchise or monopoly, but what country to-day would oranta patent for 100 years? What would have been the effect on manufacturing and trade had James Watt's patent or monopoly on the steam engine been given for 100 years? The Niagara Falls in the light of present electrical knowledge forms a sort of valuable birthright to this Province, not measureablc by a money rental, when such rental means the entire loss of its control by the people or Government of the Province for a possible 100 years. The argument, there- fore, that the Government should not lose the present com- pany's rental until "another company" is prepared to take its place, is scarcely worthy of an independent people. Who would take the trouble to get up "another company," and what capitalists would waste their time listening to the "ifs and buts" of promoters of a new company to take the place of the present one while it has possession of the monopoly and has not made known any intention whatever of giving it up? Is it, therefore, business-like or reasonable to expect that any new company could be formed to rent the use of the Canadian falls water-power for the benefit of the Province, as well as its own shareholders, while such privilege is already tied up for a possible 100 years ? It may yet be demon- 29^ strated in the event of the cancellation of the present fran. chise that it would pay the Province much better to give the franchise entirely free under Government control for manu* factoring and other purposes to its own inhabitants as an in- centive to increased population and foreign trade in the Pro- vince, for the results of such a wonderful power can be limited only in proportion to the progress of electrical science W. A. ROBINSON, President Hamilton Board of Trade. Hamilton, Feb. 9. '•'^•^^^ 30 RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION OF THE TOWN OF NIAGARA FALLS DEC. 7th, 1896. I'OWKR COMPANY. Whereas it has conic to the notice of this council that an appHcation for an extension of time in which to connnencc operations for the huildint,^ of a certain power tunnel to be constructed by the Canadian Niagara Power company, who hold certain privileges more fully set forth in the agreement between said company and the Queen Victoria Niagara Vi\\h Park Commissioners, has been made by said company to the Government of Ontario. And whereas this council are aware that such extension, if granted, is not in the best interest of this locality and the country in general, for the following and other reasons .—That said company hold very valuable ex- clusive privileges, and have had, in this council's opinion, sufficient time wherein to mature their plans, and as the con- struction of the proposed tunnel will take some long time to complete, to delay commencement not only means the lapse of the term asked, but the additional term or time necessary for constructing, thereby delaying progress, and the opening of one of the greatest powers on this continent. That not- with.standing the annual rental now being paid by said com pany, is not of sufficient consequence compared with the benefit that would arise from a speedy development or utili zation of the waters of the Niagara. That a dangerous rival is being perfected in the adjoining country, and to further delay, only gives to this rival greater opportunities to conclude long leases for power with the adjoining cities and corporations, to the disadvantage of this country. That many corporations have expressed their desire for power and the establishing of manufacturies in the vicinity, where power is obtainable. We therefore petition your honorable body to refuse the applica- of the said company. \ \