THE TELEPRINTER

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21745, 30 March 1936, Page 12

THE TELEPRINTER

REPLACEMENT OP MORSE KEY

POST OFFICE ENTERPRISE

Replacement of the old-time Morse key by the machine-printing telegraph system is making rapid progress in New Zealand. Several months ago the Post Office announced a programme of proposed installations of the Creed telegraph printer to link up many towns with the four chief centres, and to-day this modern tone-saving process is being used between the -allowing places:—Gisborne-Wellington, Ilastings-Wellington, Master ton-Wei- ’ lington, Palmerston North-Wellington; W hangarei-Auckland, Rotorua-Auck-land, Hamilton-Auckland (two); Blen-heim-Wellington, Nelson-Wellington; Westport-Christchurch, GreymouthCluistchurcb, TimarU-Christchurch, Invercargill - Christchurch, OamaruChristchurch; Invercargill-Dunedln. A fairly extensive programme of building alterations has had to be taken into consideration in completing the Creed installations; but the South

Island programme for the installation of printing telegraphs will he completed when the Ashburton-Christ-church and Gore-Dunedin circuits are in operation. Circuits still to be completed in the North Island are Danne-virke-Wellington, Hawera-Welllngton, Marton-Wellington, Stratford-Welling-ton, and Thames-Auckland. On the busiest telegraph routes car,rymg a very heavy volume of traffic the multiplex is used with four channels of simultaneous communication eaeh way, and for communication between centres where the traffic-does not demand the great capacity of the multiplex, the department is rapidly extending the use of the Creed teleprinter. a British instrument which transmits at the rate of 66 words a minute in each direction. The transmitting officer, instead of using the Morse key, operates a typewriter which perforates a paper strip and the Creed machines will reproduce the message in printed characters at the , distant end of the circuit without attention by a receiving Operator. The Post and Telegraph Department has been conducting in Wellington special courses of training for the machine-printing telegraph, which the telegraph mechanics will be required to maintain in perfect order. The course of instruction lasts about three weeks, and includes a thorough grounding in the details of the equipment and a final week’s experience of practical adjustment of Creed instruments installed in Wellington on commercial circuits. The mechanics wherever possible are employed on the actual installation of printing telegraphs in districts where they are permanently stationed.