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Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 49

SHORTHAND BY MACHINERY.

typed, arxl ready for the principal's signature. No longer, too, need the reporter stay to transcribe his notes, but can send them to the office for transcription, or to the compositors direct. 'lbs new shorthand is not based upon phonetics. Its units are not single sounds, but syllables, many of which are formed by on© touch upon the machine. As it issues from the machine a letter lool«> something like the dot and dash of the iUoiise code.

methods of pencil shorthand. With equai facility and speed the stenotyper takes dictation in all European languages, even .Esperanto offering no greater difficulty, for . instance, than Italian, French, or Dutch. For use in business houses, as soon as the principal has finished dictating the letter, the stenotypist tears off his or her notes, sends them into the typewriting room, and almost before the second letter has been dictated the first n 's returned,

folded as in the full glare of light. This enables the stenotyper to concentrate his full attention upon what the speaker is saying. The chief feature* of the shorthand machine are its extreme simplicity, both in the operation and construction ; the signs, being printed, absolute accuracy and ease is experienced in deciphering them. These notes can be read by anyone conversant with the system, thus at once claiming an advantage over existing

and assistance ; the paper, being selffeeding, is inserted into the machine in roll form, and ie automatic in acton. During a demonstration the other day cix languages in succession were taken upon the etenotyper machine, all being accurately and immediately transcribed. One can learn the system and the use of the machine in six weeks, and sight is by no means indispensable, for it is quite as easy for the operator to use the machine in a darkened room or blind-

alphabet is contained on the six keys of tlm machine, from which, by permutations ami combinations, a complete alphabet is built up. 'lhe " stenotyper " is something lilc-e a typewriter in shape, but with its six ksjs it looks simpler, and it is far lighter. Itis weight is only a few pounds, and it is worked upon the knee of the operator. The machine is noiseless and rapid in beginning and finishing each line of shorthand without the opeivator's knowledge

a completely effective shorthand machine, which would make it possible for every stenographer everywhere to read the notes of another stenographer, and which would eliminate entirely all possbility of error through faulty note-taking. A wonderful little machine which seems to fulfil these conditions has now been perfected. It does not reproduce any of the standard shorthand systems, and the operator must learn a special alphabet before he con practise ; but this

Among the many branches of commerce where science has been able to lessen the load of human drudgery by the introduction of labour-saving appliances there ie one field that has hitherto defied efforts to find a solution. For years (says the Daily Mail) inventors have been endeavouring to budld up