In the first place, they said, the speed at which the messages could be transmitted was too slow to insure that the system would pay. Mr. Marconi replied that there had been a time when one word per minute was considered a good working rate across the Atlantic cable; whereas he had already sent twenty-two words per minute over very long distances. A further increase of speed was only a matter of time. The second objection raised centred on the lack of secrecy resulting from signals being let loose into space to strike any instrument within their range; and also on the confusion that must arise when the ether was traversed by many sets of electric waves. The young Italian inventor had been throughout his experiments aware of these defects and sought means to remedy them. In his earliest attempts we find him using parabolic metal screens to project his waves in any required direction and prevent their going in any other. He also employed strips of metal in conjunction with the coherer, the strips or “wings” being of such a size as to respond most readily to waves of a certain length. The electric oscillations coming from the aerial wires carried on poles, kites, &c., were of great power, but their energy dispersed very quickly into space in a series of rapidly diminishing vibrations. This fact made them affect to a greater or less degree any receiver they might encounter on their wanderings. If you go into a room where there is a piano and make a loud noise near the instrument a jangle of notes results. But if you take a tuning-fork and after striking it place it near the strings, only one string will respond, _i.e._ that of the same pitch as the fork. What is required in wireless telegraphy is a system corresponding to the use of the tuning-fork. Unfortunately, it has been discovered that the syntony or tuning of transmitter and receiver reduces the distance over which they are effective. An electric “noise” is more far-reaching than an electric “note.” Mr. Marconi has, however, made considerable advances towards combining the sympathy and secrecy of the tuning system with the power of the “noise” system. By means of delicately adjusted “wings” and coils he has brought it about that a series of waves having small individual strength, but great regularity, shall produce on the receiver a _cumulative_ effect, storing, as it were, electricity on the surface of the receiver “wings” until it is of sufficient power to overcome the resistance of the coherer.