THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 234, 3 October 1934, Page 6

THE WAY OF THE WORLD.

ENGLAND'S RADIO EXHIBITION

REGULATION OF TRAFFIC.

(By NEL-L-E M. SCANIiAST.)

LONDON, August 25

Radiolympia, as the -annual radio exhibition at Olympia has bwomc known, closed its doors yesterday after nine days' brisk business. It is anticipated that as a result o£ the tremendous trade done at the show this year the 7,000,000 mark will be passed, in listeners' licenses. Nearly a quarter of a million people attended the exhibition, which shows t/he keen personal interest in wireless development, and it is estimated that the business resulting will be about £30,000,000. This should keep a few people employed for the rest of the year.

The orders can be divided into six categories: All main receivers, £8,300,000; battery receivers, £7,684,000; radiograms, £2,347,000; valves, £3,203,000; batteries and accumulators, £4,12-8,000; components and accessories, £3,549,000. During the exhibition 100,000 people paid for admission to the 8.8.C. variety theatre in the building. As soon as the doors closed an army of workmen began to dismantle the exhibition, working throughout the night. Five goods trains liad been chartered to take the •exhibition —lock, stock and barrel—to Glasgow, where it will be reassembled for the opening of t)he exhibition in Scotland on Friday. After that, it goes on to Manchester.

Despite this great increase in radio, it was significant this summer that even with doors and windows, open few loud-speakers were to be heard, lu fact there was a notable silence. Many people have commented upon the fact that whereas a few years ago, from every door and window, a wireless set was to be heard, there was a distinct diminution in this nuisance this year. In view of the fact that tho number of wireless licenses, has greatly increased, it can only be inferred that, having dkhauetcd tho novelty of radio, when it was turned on, irrespective of tho programme, and remained unchecked throughout the evening, now people are becoming more discriminating. They look up the programme, decide what they wish to hear, note the time, turn on the radio, listen, then turn it off again. If this is tho happy explanation, we shall be spared from what was threatening to he one of tho worst phases of the noise nuisance. Anti-Noise Movement. Tho Anti-Noise League is a very real organisation in London, and one which has tho support of tho majority of people. In many parte of tlie town and in the suburbs life has become intolerable. Day and night the one-time peace of lovely residential areas, as well as. tho main highways, is shattered with tho noiee of traffic. To live, on a hilly road, or ono with a slight gradient; to be near a junction or dangerous corner was to be constantly aware of the rush of traflic and the tooting of horns. It was bad enough during the day, but the belated reveller, or that guy young spark with a ten-pound sports relic who was courting down the road, and never left before midnight—and then with a fifteen minutes of violent engine explosions to start the engine—-that was the final straw. Now Mr. Hore-Belisha, the Minister of Transport, has brought in a regulation prohibiting t.ho use, of horns within five miles of Charing Cross, between 11.30 p.m. and 7 a.m. It begine to-night.

There is a suggestion to silence all striking clocks and diurcli" bells also. Of course, there are always people who oppose any change or regulation <in principle. What must a motorist do at midnight if he is faced with the alternative of running over some dreamy pedestrian, or blowing his horn to warn him? We are told that the regulation will be enforced with a basking of common sense.

In the early days of motoring drivers were enjoined to blow their horns at every crossroad and corner, at every curve and bend of (he road, and wherever and whenever in doubt. The modern motorist, with three times ('lie speed at his command, is urged to go silently about his business; to observe the rule of the road, to obey the policenian'e signal, or (ho changing lights; always to keep on the right side, and if slowly moving, to the. very kerb; not to cross the white lines that divide the roads at dangerous curves, not to cut in, to give correct signals of 3iis intention, to keep strictly solver, have his license always ready for inspection, his car insured with a third party risk . . . and just a few other things, and he may then safely drive without blowing his horn.

As I write a strange aeroplane is hovering in the skv outside my window. Tt lias a cluinev body, and a huge windmill is whirling above' it. This is the police autogyro, which does the. aerial heat in the sky, loitering over the city, observing where there is congestion of traffic, sending a wireless to headquarters, noting where improvements may bo made in speeding up. Thie 'piano can descend almost vertically, and can potter around, as it were, fairly- low, and get a real bird's-eyo view.

Winds and Hats. The holiday season is drawing to a close in England. The drought of early summer broke in August, but it was not until to-day, the end of the holidays in sight, that the Water Board consented to the filling of the children's paddling pools in the parks around London. Now it is almost too late. August has been an uncertain month, with more wind and gales than I can remember in an English summer. It has tested, the new elaborate berets which are the iirst choice among autumn hats. These cling on with a tenacious grip, and the lopping brim in front protects the eyes. But the very flat, pancake hats, with a fligiity disposition, have failed to stay the course, as you would say in sporting circles, even with the aid of elastic under the hair, so we see the return of the hatpin. Several of the new ones have a coral or jade hatpin with which you wear earrings and bracelets to match. These new hatpins are much shorter than the ferocious weapons that our mothers knew. If the wind persists, a number of new fashions may be launched, which will be more acceptable overseas, wih-ere the breeze is more consistent than human affection.

Mr. Bernard Shaw is not saying much these days. He is still out of breath after all he said in New Zealand.

POST BOY TO AIR MAIL

Thursday, August 2, was the 150 th anniversary of the mail coach (says "The Times"). On August 2, a century and a half ago, His Majesty's mail was first carried by stage coach instead of by the post boy on horseback. So we progress. After the mail coach the mail train; after the mail train the air mail. On this very "Thursday it was, announced that two days'later there would be a weekly air parcel service to Ceylon by the England-India-Malaya air mail service. The post boy travelled with his letters at an average speed of four miles an hour; the new homo air mails which are to be inaugurated, this month will rca-ch Birmingham 50 minutes after leaving Groydon and will go <vn to Manchester in 30 minutes.