Page:The life and letters of Sir John Henniker Heaton bt. (IA lifelettersofsi00port).pdf/276

 With the advent of Mr Herbert Samuel to the Post Office the "Deferred Message" System was introduced, by which plain language telegrams to British oversea Dominions and the United States were reduced by one-half, subject to deferment of not more than twenty-four hours. Other facilities were granted for sending long messages known as "Weekend letters" at a fifth and a quarter the usual rate. From time to time, other reductions have followed and, although the dream of penny-a-word telegram is still unrealized, the day may not be far distant when we shall speak as easily to Australia and New Zealand as we do to Ireland.

H. H.'s faith in Wireless Telegraphy never wavered from the time of his first coming into contact with Marconi and his invention. His heart was set upon bringing the various units of this great Empire into closer contact with each other, and he regarded Wireless Telegraphy as the means which would, combined with cheapened and accelerated postal communications, do more to effect that end than any other possible human agency.

H. H. was a firm believer in the future of ether-wave transmission from the point of view of the interests of this country and the world at large. He looked with admiration and approval at the work which Marconi had already effected, and placed unquenchable faith in that which he was destined yet to achieve. Whenever a new invention or development of a former one had reached a stage suitable for investigation, H. H. was always one of the first to be consulted and his sympathetic attention never failed.

His interest was enlisted in an invention of Marconi's