Fred Locke's discussion of the combination insulator

INSULATORS FOR HIGHER POTENTIALS

To the Editor:

Sir: -- I have read with interest the leading article in the May number of the Journal upon the Riverside transmission and also note in the same issue the editorial regarding insulators for extremely high potential use, in which you state that the only thing lacking to transmit very high potential is a perfect insulator.

I would like to say that in my opinion it is not very difficult to make an insulator of sufficient strength mechanically and electrically, to meet the requirements, but a commercial difficulty stands in the way in the matter of cost. With the principle involved in my new two-part insulators, I can make them to carry any potential that is practicable to use, but the cost involved in the manufacture of such insulators is considerable and on long transmission lines it will make the insulation cost so much that it is sometimes impracticable to use them because the power may be worth no more after being transmitted 100 miles than though it were transmitted 10 miles.

I have the insulator to meet the requirements and am working hard every minute to reduce the cost of manufacture to allow its adoption for all classes of work.

FRED M. LOCKE

Victor, N. Y.