The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-07-10
Electric Time Bali Watch System
Boosted to Regulate American Time

Clncrrs seem 20 think Of heavy drops
In voltage when told about the time
hall hut Vhe thing might look easter
II they could see how imperceptiblc
II is. However, The public utility on
< nc"r becomes conservative toward
novelties Of this sort. which are con-
stantly being suggested, and which
would interfere with his service.
As an example, during church
movement some years ago eager
promoters were grieved because
telephone engineers could not zoe
their way to call up every subscrib-
er Sunday morning and ask. "Will
YOU 20 to church today ON ON
occasion tho technical man yielded
10 the commercial man, cutting off
the entire electrical service OF Den
yer for two or three minutes several
years ago as demonstration of the
part electricity has come to play in
everyday life, This might seem a
simple matter of switching off cir
cults. but the public had TO be told
repeatedly in advance and arrange
ments made to keep the lights on
in hospitals and like palces.
At the recent national convention
OF electrical men much attention
p"ers have been so absorbed in
their technical problems that plain
human relations have suffered. This
Is materializing In resentment In
matters Of rates ana service, az we'll
as In the pressure put upon utility
companies by regulatory commits
slona The engineer feels that he IL
mtsunderSt and wants to tell the
publlC more about the mysteries and
complexities of elcCtricity-how IL
is made, distributed and measured
out by meters. what IL costs, what
II VIII do and what IL wont.
How can we be more friendly
with the public?" was the outaand-
Ing thought at this convention, and
the commercial men answer. "By
rendering such friendly services as
TINS OF the electric time ball"
The Idea Is interesting to manu-
facturers OF timepieces, az well as
jewelers. who repair them. They be-
iIeN" that wider 4 'stribution Of cor
rect time will call the publics at
tention to inaccuracies in clocks and
watches and create demand for
moro precise timepieces Cheap ma
chine-made clocks and watches
have given Americans a certain
pride in the inexpensiveness OF the
contrivances by which they tell
time. The finer products Of the
horologicai industry are neglected.
The first conference OF the Uoro-
logical institute of America was re-
Gently held In Washington to take
steps toward creating helpful pub
TIC opinion concerning the eco
nomical value to the nation of cor
rect tlmokc"pinE and to promote
the science or tlmck"oping and the
matchmaking industry. American
watch and clock factories have
trained, skilled employees. but the
jewelers. repairman has not kent
pace. To secure better repa!rmen
and more of them the Matchmaker
jewellers are establishing schools
where repair work and horological
science can be taught. Between the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and the retail
merchant who simply sells jewelry
and plate there is distinction
which they feel should be made
more definite - the watchmaker-
JeWeler is an expert in the repair
and regulation OF timepieces, and
believes he is thereby entitled to
certain public confidence.
New York will shortly enjoy a
new electric timckecpiug device
which is already operating in 40
odd New England cities. This is the
warren alternating E-currcnt clock,
an invention of some suhtilitv
There are two kinds Of electric cur
rent-direct and alternating. Di-
rect current flows in one direction.
Alternating current is divided into
infinitesimal halves as II issues from
the generator. each alternating half
flowing In an opposite direction.