TIDAL AND WAVE POWER [To the Editor of the Spac-r.roa.]
Sea,--In reply to the letter in your issue of November 28th, by your correspondent, Mr. Myles A. Abram, the problem of tidal power has been a favourite one to happy-thought per- sons, who without the necessary technical knowledge tell one what can and what cannot be done. Having closely studied the subject for many years, both from a scientific and con-. mercial basis, I can say that wave power is neitherscientifically `nor commercially possible. No useful power can be got from the waves either by your correspondent's or any other known method, even at fifty times -tha-oest of powelfroin the Half- Tic19 ?..717.- tem..
It is a hasty conclusion that the Half-Tide system is too costly to be commercially practicable. The article from The Engineer which I enclose fully indicates its commercial value. All the great and useful pioneer work of the past has been done by private individuals, but tidal power is beyond a one man's job ; it is a national question. The greatest hope of success would be a Government guarantee to a private corn! pany. One half the money now spent by the Government on a single useless air-ship would demonstrate the tidal power problem. I have no axe to grind, but I do claim a know- ledge of the subject and would like to see it put to a practical
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