INVENTOR OF THE TELEPHONE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 293, 10 September 1910, Page 2

INVENTOR OF THE TELEPHONE.

Dr Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, accompanied by Mrs Bell and'MrandMrs F. H. Baldwin, the latter having acquired fame in aerial circles in America, is making a tour of Australia and New Zealand. They are visiting Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, Rotorua and Auckland, leaving Wellington again in time to catch the boat sailing from Sydney on October sth, for the Philippines. In an interview Dr Bell explained that the trip was purely a pleasure one, but in Australia and Tasmania he had recognised as a penalty of being the inventor of the telephone that it was only right and proper for him to give advice when asked for it. He had, therefore, when in Melbourne given evidence on the telephone system before the Postal Commission. Possibly before leaving New Zealand he would have an opportunity of inspecting the system in the Dominion, but time did not permit him to visit the Invercargill Exchange. He had been somewhat disappointed with the system in Australia, but he had nothing but praise for that in Tasmania. He stated that Captain Scott in his Polar expedition intended to try to use the telephone in those regions. He proposed to lay wires along the ice so as to keep the various sledge parties in communication with the base of supplies. That appealed to him not only in regard to his connection with the telephone, but owing to the memories it brought back of the ill-fated Jeanette expedition under the leadership of his friend, Lieutenant De Long. The lieutenant had pressed him very hard to go with him, but, being married, he declined. It was the lieutenant's idea to use the telephone in the same manner as proposed by Captain Scott, and he (Dr Bell) presented him with a complete telephonic outfit, but the lieutenant never had a chance of using it. The Jeanette went down, crushed by ice, and only one boat managed to get away, that one being under the command of Engineer (now Admiral) Melville. Lieutenant De Long's opinion was that a good deal of the failure of expeditions was due to men losing courage as they got further afield, but with the telephone, which they would always be able to use, they would not get a deserted feeiing with only ice and snow around them. Captain Scott's sledge parties would be able to talk to their comrades, and the telephone would be put to a use. beyond the dreams of days gone by. On the question of wireless telephones, Dr Bell remarked that they were moving in America, and so far they were able to operate at a distance of fourteen miles, although the system was only in an experimental stage. Thirty-six years ago the telephone was unknown. He invented it in 1874, and made the first instrument in 1875, which was exhibited in 1876, and the first company was formed in 1877. Dr Bell also remarked that he was exceedingly interested in aerial locomotion, and Mr Baldwin was the first man to fly in America. During his stay in New Zealand, said Dr Bell, he intended to make a point of studying the social legislation of the Dominion, which he had beep fold set a pattern to the world, and he desired to iearn whether that reputation was borne out by facts.