TELEGRAPH METHODS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 234, 15 September 1934, Page 13

TELEGRAPH METHODS

The Murray Multiplex NAPIER DEMONSTRATION Under the auspices of tho Hawke’s Bay branch of tho Royal Society, an instructive address was delivered at Napier on Thursday evening by Mr W. O’Connell, of the staff of the Post and Telegraph Department, Napier, his subject being the Murray Multiplex Telegraph Printing Machine. It was intended that the -address should be given at the Athenaeum Hall, but at the suggestion of the speaker, those present adjourned to the instrument room al the Napier Post Office, where Mr O’Connell was able to illustrate his address by means of actual demonstration of the machine at work. Though his subject was necessarily highly technical, Mr O’Connell gave a lucid description of the operation of tho Murray telegraph system, which proved of absorbing interest even to the layman. The system, explained Mr o 'Council, though apparently involved, was simplicity itself in operation. The sender merely types tho message on to a machine resembling an ordinary typewriter. This sends out electrical impulses of varying combinations, which arc picked up at the receiving station, and there re-converted by tho printing machine into letters and figures. The message actually arrives already printed on a long strip of paper, and all that the receiving telegraphist has to do is to cut the paper into strips which ■are then pasted direct to 'the telegraph form. Unlike older systems of telegraphy, the Murray system permits of receiving and sending simultaneously, and any number of messages, up to a limit of 320 words a minute, may be sent either way over the same wire at the same time. Although the Murray system is installed only at the four centres and at Napier and Wanganui, said Mr O’Connell, it accounted for a considerable part of Post and Telegraph expenditure, and for that reason was not likely to be scrapped for many years to come. A further reason was that it was peculiarly suited to the geographical lay-out of New Zealand, and had proved to be extremely efficient. Tn fact, tho inventor, Mr Murray, had on a recent visit to New Zealand, stated that tho system operated more efficiently in this country 'than in any other part of the world. . . T An interesting sidelight was that the Murray system had actually been improved by the New Zealand Post, and Telegraph Department. Originally a duplex, or two-way, circuit, the department’s engineers had developed it into a quadruple* system. Napier, Wellington Auckland and Gisborne are al! on tho one circuit with Napier as the controlling point. Napier is thus the only town in Ike world where this quadruple system is in operation. At tho conclusion of his address, the speaker was accorded a hearty vote ot thanks on tho motion of tho chairman, Mr H. V. West.