e touch was a distinct step in advance for it
enabled the organist by means of a light touch to move only the manual
registers and by means of a very much heavier touch on the combination
pedal or piston to operate also his Pedal stops and couplers. Most
large organs now built are furnished with a pedal for reversing the
position of the Great to Pedal coupler. Though to a certain extent
useful when no better means of control is provided, this is but a
makeshift.

Thomas Casson, of Denbigh, Wales, introduced an artistic, though
somewhat cumbersome, arrangement. He duplicated the draw-knobs
controlling the Pedal stops and couplers and located one set of these
with the Great organ stops, another set with the Swell organ stops and
a third with the Choir. He placed in the key slip below each manual
what he called a "Pedal Help." When playing on the Great organ, he
would, by touching the "Pedal Help," switch into action the group of
Pedal stops and coupler knobs located in the Great department,
switching out of action all the other groups of Pedal stops and
couplers. Upon touching the "Pedal Help" under the Swell organ keys,
the Great organ group of Pedal stops and couplers would be rendered
inoperative and the Swell group would be brought into action. By this
means it was easy to prepare in advance groups of Pedal stops and
couplers suited to the combination of stops sounding upon each manual
and by touching a Pedal Help, to call the right group of Pedal stops
into action at any moment. The combination pedals affecting the Great
stop-knobs moved also the Pedal stop-knobs belonging to the proper
group. The Swell and Choir groups were similarly treated.

But the simplest and best means of helping the organist to control his
Pedal department is the automatic "Suitable Bass" arrangement patented
by Hope-Jones in 1891 and subsequently. According to his plan a
"Suitable Bass" tablet is provided just above the rear end of the black
keys on each manual.

Each of these tablets has a double touch. On pressing it with ordinary
force it moves the Pedal stop keys and couplers, so as to provide an
appropriate bass to the combination of stops in use on that manual at
the moment. On pressing it with much greater force it becomes locked
down and remains in that position until released by the depression of
the suitable bass tablet belonging to another manual, or by touching
any of the Pedal stop-knobs or stop-keys.

When the