SIGNALLING THE TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18838, 13 October 1924, Page 9

SIGNALLING THE TIME.

POWER DISTRICT SCHEME. PROPOSAL NOT PRACTICABLE. [BI TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] MOREINSVTLLE. Saturday. A suggestion that the time could be signalled to all consumers of electric current in the Thames Valley Electric Power Board's district was made at the last meeting of the board. It was stated that in some places in America a signal was given by means of the lights in the whole of a district being lowered exactly at eight o'clock each evening, so that the consumers In isolated parts would have the correct time each day. It was suggested that the engineer should give the matter consideration and report at the next meeting. However, the engineer stated that they could answer the question immediately. The districts in which this system of signalling the time was carried out were small ones, and where consumers of the industrial load would not be affected. In the Thames Valley district there was at least one instance, that of a goldmining company, which would suffer by the lowering of the voltago in order to give the necessary signal. This lowering of the voltage would throw the machinery out of order, and a complete stoppage would mean an entire cessation of work for about two hours. In any case the board could not operate such signals. This would have to be done by the Public Works Department at Horahora.