Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1890 — VOTING BY ELECTRICITY. [ARTICLE]

VOTING BY ELECTRICITY.

The Man Proposed to be Used in the French Chanier. The plan of voting in assemblies by means of the electric current, and thus avoiding the time lost in making divisions, has been before the French chamber of diiputies and a report on the subject was presented by M. Montant last November. In that report the advisability of employing a machine which would ihdicate not only the total votes “pour” or “centre” a measure—that is to say the ■ “ayes” and ‘ ‘noes”—but also the number of voluntary abstentions from voting, as distinct from the number o‘s jabsentees was considered. Such an apparatus has been devised by M. le Goaziou. On every desk in front of a member is placed a 'small box fitted with two handles, which the member works when registering his vote. The right handle registers hia “aye,-’’ the left his “no,” and both moved simultaneously indicate his abstention from voting. Thb results are printed by means of electro-magnets in a, receiver and are visible at a glance. Provision is made for a member to recaii and correct his vote during the time allowed forthe purpose.

Steam Heating For Car*. This whole matter of steam heating is still,in a somewhat crude state, and it does not seem desirable to force it by legislation. It baa been demonstrated that it is the cheapest way of heating trains, and the moat easily regulated; and has become a good advertisement to attract passengers. Consequently the whola subject may be safely left in the hands of the railroad companies, and allowed to develop itself naturally in a business way. There is not yet any system of continuous heating so perfected that a railroad company could without' hardship be compelled to adopt it'for all its naasen'mr equipment.