Well, right about now, if my "plant" last week was worded right, a few people are thinking well, they didn't have to worry too much. Johnny Phelps' dad was footing the bill.

    If you think that, then you are wrong. It's just one more sample of how wrong you can be just judging by outward appearances. Mr. Phelps put his life's savings into the project, true; but it was still necessary to raise more and that is why the Yukon Hydro is today an incorporated company with all Yukonite shareholders. Even with this help there was not enough money. It was still necessary to float a mortgage to see it through. They might have sold the diesel plant but this equipment must be held in reserve as stand-by for emergencies.

    Ordinarily, once money is raised for a business venture the battle is just about over. In this case it was just beginning. There was no data at hand to refer to giving information on the operation of a plant with such a high "head," small water volume, and under such extreme climatic conditions.

    That is why it was decided to build a small pilot plant of 500 h.p. capacity at the present site to be operated for at least five years until data could be gathered on the operation of such a plant in extreme cold.

    When the actual work began, the project ran into perma-frost. There are a lot of "experts" around will tell you that when you run into perma-frost you're beat. It took a lot of scraping, and the cats had to be hauled out of the gumbo a lot of times before this problem was beat.

    The project ran into seepage. Scott had to take a crew out in ten-below weather to thaw gravel and mend one particularly bad spot. They had to shove approximately 150,000 cubic yards of gravel across a depression at the top of Jackson Lake to stop another particularly troublesome spot. Even then they were not totally successful until fate intervened and sent down enough silt to almost completely stop up the leaks.

    This silt, by the way, is in itself a problem. It forms sandbars and ripple spots across the ditches. Regularly, the ditches must be cleared of silt and rocks to keep the water running smoothly.

    It took months to complete that gate you see leading out of Fish Lake. Looks simple, doesn't it? That's because you can't see the work that lies buried underneath the sod or estimate the amount of time required to drive foundation logs or forget that a cat couldn't be brought in acrossthe muskeg.

    The tremor that shook the Whitehorse area loosened up the 1,800 feet of wood stave pipe and twisted it like a corkscrew. It took a great deal of slithering, calking and hauling before it was set right.

    I could go on like for two more columns, but it might get too boring for the person who says "Okay, so they went to a lot o trouble huilding a plant. They've got the thing going now. All they have to do is sit back and let the wheels turn."

    I'll admit that that was my own personal reaction also. As always, in this instance too, things are not what they seem to be outwardly.

    In order to meet present and future demands the plant must expand. This is going to mean that by 1954 the plant will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $250,000,

    This expansion will necessitate new transformers, new transmission lines, a larger plant building, etc. The wood stave pipe must be replaced with steel. The turbine must be custom built as it must match the water supply. This item alone, which must come from England, will cost $15,000. Add to this the cost of labor and general upkeep and I think you will agree that bearing all the previously mentioned factors in mind the company has played it square with the people of Whitehorse in managing to reduce their prices from an average of 16.5 cents per kw. eleven years ago to an average of 7.7 cents in 1951.

    Conversations with the chief organizers in the Yukon Hydro, Mr. John Phelps and Mr. John Scott, reveals that these people hope that by 1955 they will be able to supply electricity at a rate that will stop all sniping (including that done by this column) at the Yukon Hydro.

    In fact, Mr. Scott told me that if they could get the assurance they want of protection against unfair competition the rates would drop shortly afterwards since they would not have to be in the same frantic rush to meet their obligations before someone lowered the boom.

    And space forces me to stop here once more. If anybody is still interested in learning more about the Yukon Hydro there will be a concluding installment in next week's issue.

---

    The third and final column about Yukon Hydro in this series begins with a response to fellow Star columnist "Pack Rat," who stated in last week's issue that The Sideliner "is a bit of a shady character" and questions his motives for building up Yukon Hydro. He ends with "So now I have the idea that he bought out the company and is just making sure about those intangible assets. Anyway you cay see that the "Sideliner" is a confirmed capitalist and a business man and cannot under any circumstances jeopardize his swindling career."

---

The Whitehorse Star (Whitehorse, Yukon Territory), Friday, October 31, 1952

Dear Pack Rat:

    You know, up until last week I had always thought a "capitalist" was a person who attended a certain chain of theatres. I realized, though, after a quick perusal of your column to see what they are doing on the other side of the tracks that I was wrong.

    In my dictionary on Page 57, I found it. A capitalist - person whose money and property are used in carrying on business. A wealthy person. I read no more but picked up the paper and screeched down to the Bank of What's-its-name to make one more try at that $50.00 loan I mhave been trying to get for the last six months.

    I roared into the inner sanctum and upset a six-foot stack of thousand-dollar bills being deposited by the Yukon Hydro. "Look," I told the impressario, "here's all the endorsement I need."

    Then, Pack Rat, you rat, I showed him your column. Mr. What's-'is-name read it carefully and before I left the bank I had to lend HIM $50.00! I think I am going to drop in at your place right at supper-time with my kids.

    But wait. I'm not through yet. You insinuate that I am getting paid for that little bit of public relations work I am doing for the Yukon Hydro. What a mercenary sort of character you must he. Don't you realize there are more important things than money? In recognition of my efforts Mr. Phelps says I may now call him JOHNNY.

        Cordially,
                    Aloysius B. Roppalopalous.

    Now that the Pack Raw has been disposed of - it's back to the Yukon Hydro. I had figured on continuing the story of how the Yukon Hydro came into being. However, on checking back I think any further words on the subject would be just anti-climatic. By nature of an appendix there now follows instead a few of the figures and facts released by the Yukon Hydro.

    Yukon Hydro incorporated in 1949. Placed in operation in 1950. Total production up to September 30, 1952 - 3½ million kwh.

    Average cost to plant to produce one kilowatt in 1951 - 7.4 cents. Average cost to consumer for one kilowatt 1n 1951 — 7.7 cents. (When improvements presently planned are completed these figures will spiral downward still further.)

    Expected cost of plant by 1954 - $250,000. Expected capacity of plant by 1954 - 1,200 h.p.

    A 940 h.p. turbine from England and 875 kva. generator from Westinghouse to be delivered by 1954.

    No help obtained from either the Federal or Territorial Government in the construction of the plant.

    In July, 1951, an electrical engineer of international reputation, Mr. Warren DuBois, was hired to set rates for the district. Mr. DuBois was hired by the Saskatchewan Government to set their rates and has been called in to settle disputes in most of the provinces of Canada. The present rates are by far the lowest in the Yukon Territory - lower than 95 percent of the plants in Alaska, and compare favorably with any plant in Canada of similar size, having regard for the comparable cost of wages and fuel in the Whitehorse district.

    Special difficulties due to location: Whitehorse has no industries to form backlog of power demand. Residences use power only during certain hour, thus making "peaks" the bane of all power companies. This condition is aggravated by two factors which are peculiar to its location.

    (A) The cold weather in December and January which causes a two-month demand far in excess of the remaining ten months.

    (B) The long hours of darkness in December and January. These two factors mean that capital investment of generating and distribution equipment has to be installed for the loads of these two months and one-half of this investment lies idle for the remainder of the year.

    Random figures: 1,246 meters installed at a cost of $27,000. Fifty-nine transformers - $30,000. Five miles of distribution line - over $15,000 per mile.

    And so you now have a few of the pertinent facts relating to the Yukon Hydro. If there is any further information on the subject desired by anyone I am sure they will be given a most cordial reply by the personnel of the Yukon Hydro - or, if you prefer to write this column I will get it for you.