The National tribune., 1907-10-24
TELEGRAPH OR TELEPHONES

VIZ
An animated discussion is going on
as to whether the telephone or tele-
graph is the safer for the transmission
of train orders. The telephone method
suggested is:
In the first place, in using the tele-
phone the conductor should go to the
telephone, receive the order from the
dispatcher, write down what he hears
on an automatic triplicator, and repeat
back to the dispatcher what he has
written; the dispatcher then giving him
an O. X, conductor signs his name and
goes on car or train, then the engineer
or motorman goes Immediately to the
telephone, and reads what the con-
ductor has written back to the dis
patcher. Again, upon receiving com
plete' from the dispatcher he signs
the order. takes the original for
himself. hands the duplicate to the con-
ductor. and leaves the triplicate copy
locked up in the machine for the man
agement.
Itelegraphing, because:
l. When the dispatcher is speaking
direct to the train crew, as he is with
the telephone, he is communicating di-
rect with the men whose lives may de-
pend on the proper understanding and
execution of the order, whereas with
the telegraph the dispatcher is giving
the order to a third person.
2. A mistake is much less apt to be
made if you give an order to a person
direct, as you do with the telephone.
instead of giving it thru a third per-
son. to be repeated by him to some one
else who is to execute the order, as Is
done with the telegraph. The greater
the number of hands thru which an
order has to be passed the more liable
the order is to be misinterpreted or
misunderstood.
3. The telegraph is a more or less
slow and cum berSome means of trans
mitting message, and orders must
be reduced to the least possible words.
Very often, however, the addition of
single word may enable the person re-
ceiving the order to better understand
it. This additional word can be given
over the telephone without causing any
delay.
very lively three-cornered fight is
going on in North Dakota for Senator
Hansbroughs seat. H. C. Hansbrough
was first elected in 1891. and reelected
in 1897 and in 1903 His term will ex-
pire March 3, 1909, and he is making
fight for his political life. State Sem
ator Little is one of his competitors,
and has large following. as we'll as
Dean Bruce, of the State Law School.
All three of these candidates profess to
be Roosevelt men, and of higher classi-
fication than the others, and therefore
entitled to preference by the Roosevelt
element, which seems to be the whole
Republican Party in North Dakota. Mr..
Little has behind him the Republican
National Committee, and his opponents
charge that he is entirely too near
"Jim's HiIl'' and the Northern Pacific
Railroad, but Mr.. Little assures the
people that he is the only one that can
be relied upon at all times to vote for
railroad regulation according to the true
Toilette Republican, who says that he
is not only in favor of all that Roose-
welt advocates, but wants to go still
farther than the President has yet
spoken. Senator Hansbrough says in
his own interest that not only was he
the Presidents policies. but that he was
the author of the irrigation act, and
fought the free alcohol bill thru the
Senate against Aldrich. He produces
the pen which the President gave with
which the free alcohol bill was signed,
and he also has to his credit that he
secured the change of the name of Bat
tleship No. 20 from New York to North
Dakota. There are fears of the en-
trance of another candidate, Represen-
tative Gronna, who has behind him the
very powerful Scandinavian element.