POST OFFICE CLOCK.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16726, 8 January 1920, Page 6

POST OFFICE CLOCK.

QUESTION OF RELIABILITY. One morning this week a Rontlenintl while in Cathedral square, glanced up at the Post Office clock to seo wlmt the honr was. IDs glance took in another dial, and. to his surprise, lie noticed a difference in the time showing on the two dinla of a quarter of an hour. On making enquiries lie learned that neither was correct. As it seemed rather strange that the one clock should .show two different hours at the sum* moment, a 'Tress" reporter had a conversation with .Mr K. K. Stark, City Electrical Engineer, under whose con trol the clock is. -Mr Mark, alter making enquiries of his M.itf, stated that his information was to the effect that there was no difference whatever as had been alleged. Ihe Post Otliee clock, he explained, and that at tho .lubilee Chick j Tower in Manchester strtvt. together 'with numivr of smaller ones at the i City Council Chambers, were synchr-m----i.-i\l from a master clock at the chambers. The Post Office deck was pretty reliable, "its fluctuation 111 twentv-four hour* being no more than four si-iv•ltd-. The clock in the Clock Tower, however, was not trustworthy, because it was now waiting to be repaired. Its chime--, too. hail been Mopped for some time for the reason that some of the partwere rather worn. This clock might vary half a minute in twenty-four hours. On the morning in question the clock at the Post Office was discovered shortly after S o'clock to l>e almut three minutes out, owing to a defection in the battery power, this being quickly rectified. Both dials. however, are stated to have been registering tin; same hour, and the explanation is given that- if it appeared otherwise, the deception was due to the angle from which the gentleman was looking. Probably had he shifted his position a l'ttle he would have observed that both dials synchronised, although they worn both wrong. The dock in the tramwnv shelter in Cathedral square, which is often at variance with that of the Post Office, is under separate control.