TELEGRAPHIC ADVANCES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 572, 29 July 1909, Page 6

TELEGRAPHIC ADVANCES.

MR. ROBERTSON'S TRIP. Mr. D. Robertson,-Secretary of tho . Poet Office, who, in company with Mrs. Robert--son, -has been on a visit to. Amerioa, Engla.nd, and the Continent, returned to Wellington yesterday by tiho steamer. Manapouri. Mr. Robertson visited many foreign and British post offices and made inquiries which will form the subject' of if report to bo submitted to tlio I'ostmaßter-General. Mr. Robertson informed a representative of Tun Dominion t'hat ho had not -failed to keep iii touch with postal, telegraphic, and telnplionio matters, but in'view'of tho fact' that ho had .-to submit an official report to tho. I'oKtmasler-Oonora], ho could say abso-, lutely. nothing about his ■investigations for piiMicatioJi at Uio present time. Tho trip had been, a most enjoyable one, -During a m>>tor.tpur.tlirou(»h Scotland ho had beon greatly impressed by , the, old abbeys, such I as Molrosc, Dryborough, and Gedborougli, and :ho had also had Uio opiwrtunity of looking ovor Sir. Walter Scott's rosidenco, Abbc-tsfonl. -Whilo •in "Gennany snow. cov- , ered tho streets, and ho,was unable to get into tlio country, hut ho saw a good deal of tlio life of tho cities. Both in Germany a-nd London'a good deal of profitable time (ras ftporit, . . ' . ■■.'■. THE GELL PERFORATOR. During iiis stay,in London Mr..Robertson ca-ino into toiich with a New.Zealand invon'tion which excited a good deal of interest in' Wellington some time ago; This was tlio invention of Mr, J. Gcll, and known as' the "13ell Perforator," a device which, is said to simplify the telegraphic. operator's work to such an extent that something like double tho, work can bo performed ; by one n:an by moans of the invention, as.against the. pre-, sbnt system, and, 'further, ( the sender of the words need only be a typist.and. not 'an ex-, pert telegraph opera-tor. Thc : perforator ( is a species of typewriter keyboard, and -has already, 'been fully." described. '"After what Mr. Robertson had seen of the development of, the invention .during his tour-he felt safe in ; saying ~bhat .it. , was proving, a :success. Only a few days previous to his leaving London a largo order for. Mr. Gell's , machines, had been received froni the British Post Office. . ■■; - : '; ' '/THE TELEWRITER. ,:i' .' ; One of the many modern -devices into which Mr. Robertson .inquired .during ~ his trip was a now instniment :knowri . as , the telewriter, an instrument; which enables anyone to'transmit over.iuiy distance a reproduction of one's own 1 handwriting, figures, sketches,, etc. Tho ■instrument is still "being perfected, and although Mr. Robert-son'does mot father the following, Wgive it'as a description of-the telewriter:—. : , ■::.■ -.v!: , .- The; complete instrument consists of ; . the transmitter and recoiver associated together, so that, messages 'may be. sent;to.'either end of the' line, ;or received , ; .from", either .erid.' ; The instruments; iilsffj'are connected to the ordinary telephone Ijno' without interference with the• telephone service,- or ■ alteration 'to it. ,Tho: whole. mechanism is being so arranged that- , electrical, currents, regu-' lated 'by the .• sender's pencil, are .'sent; overthe; connecting , wire?, :. putting - .the' receiver pen , in syiichronpus". moyemqnt ..with, tho transmittmg pencil,,.'. Its. promoters'-claim for' the machine mahy.^advantages./ It .can bo by.'aayone tl who, can ,write,'and- r t makes,"' in .one', operation, .two' facsimile, , records,' 'one for'.' tho" sender' and, one. for", the person addressed. . . ~ 'V ' "'/ -.'• ■■".. :ATlio-.'inventors' 'make it clear that .thei'telewriter will\not'supplant the t-bleplipno, but will'be.supplemcn-faryto.'it. As long-as'two pebple' ; want to talkto one anotherjthei telephone will always be in requisition. But there, are thousands of'instances'where the written, word ovor.-.t-hei telephone/Avire. is 'bf infinitely .greater'advantage, than the spoken' word. .For. example,; in.transmitting orders involving numbers .an'df. prices, mistakes, occur, oven after the'-greatest , care' -lias been exercised: But. a ■ w.ritton'-.order, duly: signed through;.the ■.tcjewtntetijussa commercial .decument removing all doubt either!-as to -.accuracy or responsibilitv. _._.,... r In England" the rostniaster-General, has arranged.-jrithi ;the:'.promoters' ; of■'tli<J itelowriter to supply the -requisite lines for theii 'service upon., terms.;.,jTKo ilicensjs/includos .'• the '* transmission^. of" 'parffamentMry, sportirigi'-'Stocl:- Exchange,''arid' general news to all registered: clubs and other persons so 'qualified.".-,'Further}..-.'ordinary; telegrams-can be.sent through- the .-telewriter"to.'tho'impor-taiit-post .ofh'cos'.for.,transmission; ■::■'■ ; "' , '