TRANSMISSION OF TELEGRAMS

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21580, 17 September 1935, Page 9

TRANSMISSION OF TELEGRAMS

IMPROVED SYSTEM FOR MASTERTON A PROGRESSIVE DEPARTMENT IPBES3 AB6OCUTIOH TBUQaAK.I WELLINGTON, September 16. The first commercial use of the machine printing telegraph at Masterton was marked to-day by an interesting gathering in th~ instrument room of the post office to see the dispatch of the first messages. The Hon. S. G. Smith, Minister for Education and for Employment, represented the Postmaster-General (the Hon. A. Hamilton), and he was accompanied by Mr G. McNamara, Director-General. Mr G. R. Sykes, M.P., of Masterton, in introducing the Minister, referred to his own early experiences as a telegraphist, and made some vivid contrasts between the methods of those days and the modern installation which the gathering was about to inspect. Mr Smith, who apologised for the unavoidable absence of the Post-master-General, expressed his pleasure at being able to take part in a ceremony marking another milestone in the progress of Masterton, which, through the installation of modern machine-printing equipment, would in future enjoy facilities enabling telegraph traffic to be dealt with more expeditiously and also with ample provision for the expansion of business. An important feature of this improved method of transmission was, he explained, that as the message reproduced at the receiving end in typewritten form was exactly as it was transmitted, the liability to human error was substantially lessened. Telephone Communication The Minister mentioned that arrangements were now in hand for the perfection of telephone communication between Masterton and Palmerston North by means of what is known as the carrier-current system, which had led to such a great improvement in long distance telephony in the Dominion. He paid a high tribute to the progressive policy followed by the Director-General of the Department, and congratulated Masterton on the progress shown in postal and telegraphic business in respect to which he made some interesting contrasts, showing that in the year 1894 about 40u0 letters were posted at Masterton. but in 1934 this number had increased to 1,200,000. The advance in other branches of the post office had been in like ratio, savings bank deposits naving increased from 1700 to 14,000 in the same period." Masterton. he reminded the gathering, was the % first telephone exchange in the Dominion to be cut over to wholly automatic working, and the function could be regarded as a sure indication that the aim of the department was to make use of every modern device and improvement which would enable it to give the best and most efficient service to the public. In acknowledgment, Mr McNamara, the Director-General, expressed his pleasure that the department had been justified by the progress of business at Masterton in introducing this modern telegraphic facility, and he gave an assurance that the department's policy was always to keep not only abreast of requirements, but to anticipate the future needs of the community- . I Telegrams Exchanged

While the gathering was in progress an exchange of telegrams was taking place over the machine printing telegraph between Mr Smith and the Prime Minister (.the Rt. Hon. G. W Forbes), who asked the gathering to note the speed and accuracy with which the creed instrument transmitted the first inward message; Mr Sykes and the Postmaster-General; Mr T Jordan, Mayor of Masterton, and Mr W. H. Bennett, Deputy-Mayor of Wellington; Mr C. R. P. Armstrong, chairman of the Masterton County Council, and Mr D. R. Hoggard, chairman of the Hutt County Council; Mr, D. M. Graham, manager-editor of the Wairarapa "Daily Times" and Mr J. Parker, editor of the "Evening Post," ! Wellington, and Mr W. A. Michel, editor of the Wairarapa "Age," and Mr J. H. Hall, editor of the "Dominion." The teleprinter system installed at Masterton provides in each direction a single channel operating at the speed of 66 words a minute, and the apparatus is capable of handling approximately 350 to 400 messages an hour, i Three teleprinter circuits already in I use have proved their suitability for New Zealnad requirements, and it is proposed immediately to provide them

on 21 other circuits, and it is probable that in the course of time tO« whole Dominion will, wtih fee exception of the smaller places, be Unkea up by this means of rapid ana accurate telegraphic coinmimication.