VERTICAL WRITING.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 May 1926, Page 3

VERTICAL WRITING.

(By Science Service). Chinese, oldest of languages, is commonly thought of as the most difficult. But this is an error, if the difficulty of a language is measured by the speed with which it may be read. Prof. AValter R. Aides, of the Department of Experimental Phychology of Poland Stanford University, and Eugene Slqui, a graduate- student, ill a series of comprehensive tests, have learned that Chinese may he read more rapidly than English, and that type set vertically is more efficient and causes less eye strain than type set as is this.

In arriving at these conclusions Hr Wiles made use of 11 Chinese students, all of whom were born in China, and were brought up on ‘'vertical newspapers,” that is, on Chinese print reading up and down. He photographed their eyes, measuring their movements, and noting how long each rested ou a single group of words and calculating from that their speed in reading the two classes of selections. While the entire eye was illuminated and photographed, it was the cornea, or white of the eye, that presented the opportunity for study. The eoinea, being illuminated, changed its angle of reflection during each movement. The scientists found that the eye is

never absolutely still, for when pliotograhping a member fixed on a single spot, its edges left a hazy outline on the negative. The selections read were in Iwtli English and Chinese, taken from a magazine- article. The Chinese was set both horizontally and vertically for various experiments. It was found tlff.it at each reading pause the eye perceived a greater number of words of vertical type than of horizontal, while a greater number of vertical words were read each second than were horizontal words.

The vertical reading mutter, which Dr Aides found to be more efficient, if applied to newspaper and magazine columns in tho United States would bring about this change. A'ou undid commence reading at the upper righthand corner of the columns or page and rend down, progressing by columns from right to left. Each succeeding letter of a word would be set. beneath its predecessor rather than alongside. Punctuation marks to indicate pauses, sentences and paragraphs would be used as Mt present.

It has been a, popular idea of long standing that horizontal reading matter may he perceived and understood with less strain to the eye, and in fact, iiViny Chinese papers have changed over to this style of type-setting during the last few years. But Dr Allies’ analysis of his investigations indicate this to ho an erroneous impression. Investigations subsequent to those he has already reported upon bear out the earlier conclusions.