Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-02-24
CHIEF JAMES F. MCLAUGHLIN
On Electricity In Running a City

LNLECTRlClTi plays tremendous part
IL in the physical administration Of
great city and Of those branches Of the
science which are used most the wireless is
ultimately destined to play the biggest part.
according to Chief James +. Mclaughlin,
Of the Electrical Bureau.
Electricity. and especially wireless
work" said Chief Mclaughlin, sis one Of
the most serious sciences In the world. we
have seen in comparatively short space of
time what miracles have been accomplished
through electricity, and / would hesitate to
predict what we shall see in the next twenty
years. in the CITY of Philadelphia we are
constantly experimenting with the possibi!-
ties Of the wireless. and l believe that am
safe in saying that II the work we are now
conducting goes well and the results turn out
Philadelphia will be the first city in the
Union to have practical system of wire
less in operation.
The possibilities of the wireless in the
use Of the city are unlimited and its ad-
vantages are manifest. AS things now
stand the transmission of messages depends
to q large extent upon the physical condi-
tion Of the wires and the equipment. When
the wires go down. or the equipment gets
out of order, It Is impossible to send mes
sages over them, and all matters, whether
they are important or not, must wait.
Wireless COrreCtS IhiS
"But the use of wireless system would
correct all this. The great departments Of
the city would no longer be ut the mercy
OF q set Of wires. which may at any time be
rendered useless by q big tire or other event
beyond human control.
.'In the use Of the wireless technical con-
siderations often enter. For example, there
are some places where it Is impossible to
get messages from the air But there is no
more impoStant branch Of the city govern
ment than the E!ectl ical Bureau, and none
in which greater care must be exercised in
the correctness of the apparatus. The other
departments are entirely dependent upon us
for the correct transmission of their mes
sages and signals. and it is of the utmost
Importance that these be correctly and un-
failingy transmitted. Therefore, the wire
less will not be installed for use until we
are positively certain that 1t can be de-
pended upon every time and all OF the time.
The Important Questions
'Tbere are several important matters in
regard to the wireless situation. One Of
these Is the matter Of transmission. Re-
ceiving IL easy and any one with u wireless
receiver can pick up what is going through
the air, provided the instrument Is tuned in'
TO the wave length of the instrument send
ing the message or the agency transmitting
the sound.
'But sending is another matter, and this
Is the hardest Of the problems which we
have to solve at present. Experiments are
being made all the time, and l believe that
we shall ultimately achieve the results
which We ere seeking. In receiving, as l
have said, 1t is simply matter Of tuning
in and then listening to what comes over
the wires. Sometimes the listener can get
II and at other times he cannot. and this
Ia something which must be thoroughly con-
uuered before the wireless will serve it's
ultimate ends in municipal service. We must
have instruments which can be depended on
ali Of the tme both in sending and In re.
cciving.
Wireless in Police Work
"a good deal has been said and written
about the wireless In police work 1t is
true that there are limitless possibilities in
this direction il we can overcome certain
difficulties now existing. But in police and
fire rnntters there cannot be any mistakes.
zone Of the great troubles about the
wireless now Is the fact that there Is no
secrecy about IT. There will be some day,
beyond any doubt. but at the present time
any one can listen in. The disadvantage Of
this is clear. There is nothing TO prevent
clever crooks from installing their own
wireless apparatus and listening to what.
ever plans are made for their capture, IL
these are transmitted by. wireless.
'"The really dangerous crook IL q pretty
sharp kind Of fellow, and It would not be
long before he would have his own wire.
less In operation under the present system.
This feature. therefore, must b eliminated