RADIO RECORD

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 May 1935, Page 4

RADIO RECORD

NOTES FOR LISTENERS-IN

(By

“Reception”)

8.8. C. TEST. . ' PUBLICS GENERAL KNOWLEDGE. The British Broadcasting Corporation recently appointed a special commissioner to tost the general knowledge of various classes of its listeners. A series of simple questions was put to them, and the official organ ot the 8.8. C., the “Listener,” professed “some admiration’’ for the degree of knowledge, indicated by the replies. Possibly it had more answers before it than those which it publishes as a first instalment from a tailor, a guardsman, a colonel’s wife, a schoolboy (aged 14), a daily general maid, an assistant storekeeper, a steex worker, a Scottish shepherd, a blacksmith, a barmaid, a fruitgrower, a fitter, a stonemason, a taxicab washer, a charwoman, and a small holder. The ouestions were as follow: — Why did British troops go into the Saar? Does Mr Winston Churchill support or oppose the Government of India Bill s What is Roosevelt’s New Deal? What is the peace ballot, and what do you think of it? Does Manchuku'o belong to China or Japan? ' ' Is Germany friendly to England?

Why has Abyssinia been in the news lately? How does our Government propose to make us safe in the air? Are the unemployed better off in Britain than elsewhere? Who is Mr Hore Belisha, and what has he done? Who was Handel? What did he do? Can diamonds be made artificially? Would you rather live in a flat or a house, and why? What does the National Trust do? Who invented Mickey Mouse. The question about the most-talked-of member of the Government was perhaps the on emost accurately answered. Still, the charwoman was left 1 guessing even about Mr Hore Belisha. Her reply was: “I can’t think.” The tailor was facetious: “Hore Belisha is the bloke what has put steel studs in the rbad, so that the ladies fall in front of cars in wearing their high heels.’ The colonel’s wife says: “Beaconite. He has certainly made a fool of himself. Very full of his own importance. I think signs futile.” Probably the best replies all through the questionnaire are those of the Scottish shepherd and the schoolboy., The latter answers this particular question in copybook fashion: “Minister of Transport. He’s

been making a valiant attempt to save a few more lives. He's stuck .up a lot of beacons and given rise to some funny jokes.” The other replies were generally appreciative of the Minister of Transport’s campaign. If Mr Hore Belisha’s activities are within the range of knowledge of most of those questioned, foreign affairs are not their strong point. The small holder dismissed Mr Roosevelt’s New Deal With the phrase, “Know nothing about it. America’s a long way off.” Of Manchukuo he says: “Haven’t followed that.” And of Abyssinia: “It’s nothing to me.” Most of them are on rather surer ground in regard to the Saar expeditionary force, and even the tailor knows: ‘They were ordered to go there to watch what would come off.” But the colonel’s wife is unblushingly vague.” “Gone completely out of my head,” she confesses. The isolationist small holder will not go further than to admit that he was “interested at the time, but didn’t understand much about it. It doesn’t interest me really,” Of the sixteen replies given to the question of where Mr Churchill stands in regard to the Government of India Bill seven pleaded ignorance, two (to their shame) said Winston was in favour of this “surrender' of Empire,” and. the others answered correctly. The schoolboy is in no doubt as to whether Germany is friendly towards England. “Good heavens, no!” he replied. “Nobody’s friendly to anybody nowadays.” The Scottish shepherd, who made some excellent replies, showed his nationality when in answer to the question, “Who invented Mickey Mouse?’ he replied: Not Robbie Burns, anyway; he invented sleekit mousie.” Most people preferred a (house to a flat, the comment of the colonel’s wife being: House, because you have more comfort and a garden, and you feel a bit more of a bloated capitalist.” The stonemason complains that in a flat a T. ? Se i S U ! J the 3tail ’case,” and the Scottish shepherd says they always 3 °aP suds - This might well deter the charwoman, but her pathetic comment is: “I’d sooner have a ld bave a nice bath - . e haven ’t got in our np th And ” trae to his exclusiveaess, the small holder says: “House mvsSr ’’ lll m \ t 0 keep myself to himself tn a . nde , does uot commend w”ite L? } le bannaid - "He didn’t w.ite any decent stuff.” And the blacksmith, evidently not the IXI ” ‘‘Th 6 ° ne i ha u “ neVer heard of "vsth S h • . ly ba,ld les I know,” ” ICa washer ’ “is on me

8.8. C. PROFITS. The 8.8. C. customary reserve fn r SI P ™ gramrae Policy is set aside “ /i- 1 r. Corporation’s first Annual (publjshed last month), which X ’ °\ U ] e usuUl Year Book “ vi , tei declaring that the 8.8. C pro- <’ mJ'i p,alfor . m ! or entertainment in- .. * n a and v, ews without having << gospel to preach on its own account , ’'Annual discusses “misconceptions sorship/’’ 0 ,IIC Pl ’ raSC ‘ BBC - c en"It is no more open to the Cornorth s n di?p.H fUS ” Bs ’’csponsibilities in would >p f° n * ? Statcd ’ “ tl,an il oJ I L I™ 5 ' im P artlal assessor dispute.” amS ° f ° ne party t 0 a brJn V™ 1 l,U ‘ char « e of bias has! cen made by exponents of diametricalb opposed views, both political and fam?liarecharge. answcr lo the

The percentage of foreign artists iunployed remains so ]ow that lh ’ i 1 B B.C. claims to have acted as a patron of the arts m this country. The number of contracts made wiJn individual ■y hosts and small combinations dur- 1 Illg 1931. was 1.751. I Profits on publications, which in.' Idol amounted to £317,707. take the place that capital occupies in a commercial concern, declares the Annual. J The Corporation has n>> <•••«i,»i>;• J. ‘

WIRELESS AND DISEASE. AMAZING POSSIBILITIES. Cooking an egg by wireless is an achievement that now seems to be a little naive. It is like last year’s model motor-car which lacks the refinements of this year’s. Ultra-short wireless’ 5 waves are being employed to cook the yolk of an egg and leave the white untouched. We may imagine a transmitting set in the suburbs in the future cooking all the breakfast eggs in Che neighbourhood simultaneously as part of the “early morning session.’’ The significance of the new achievement is the subject of an interesting discussoin in “Radio Round the World,” by A. W. Haslett. The cooking of the yolk of an egg while leaving the white intact indicates that wireless waves Jiave passed through the - white without having been absorbed, and that most of the energy of the wave has been retained until it meets the yolk, a different kind of substance. That energy then produces a hard-boiled yolk. This possibility opens a new chapter in medicine. Ultra-short waves may be destined to introduce revolutionary changes such as occurred after the practical application of Xrays. Ultrashort waves produce heat. • Thus if their energy is absorbed by any internal organ the effect is equivalent to the application of an internal hot poultice. The underlying assumption that every kind of matter will absorb or emit its own wavelengths has been known to scientists for some time, but it is only recently that its significance has been explored by experiments in ultra-short waves.

PIONEERING WORK. Dr. Erwin Schliehake, a young German doctor, is the scientist whose pioneering work in this "field is beginning to bear fruit: For thfee years he s experimented upon animals, but for the last seven years he has worked upon human beings. He found that the heat produced by wireless waves differed from the effect obtained by diathermy—a process of heating the body by the passing of high-frequency currents through it. Fatty layers of the body absorb much of the energy of ordinary electric currents, so that relatively little heat is available for internal use. But it is obvious that if the yolk of an egg can be heated while the white remains practically unaffected, then the use of ultra-short waves will not be handicapped in this way. In practice this was found to be true. It is possible to heat the blood corpuscles ' while the, surrounding serum remained at a much lower temperature.

Dr. Schliephake’s researches began in attempts to cure himself of a furuncle, or type of boil, which caused him to suffer from a stiff neck. This worried him so much that his necessity became the mother, if not of invention, then of ingenuity. He cured himself by using ultra-short waves to apply a “hot poultice” to the deepseated furuncle.' Hundreds of similar affections in various parts of the body have since been treated successfully. Serious diseases have responded re-markably-to, wireless wave treatment. Dr. Schliephake announced some time ago that at least twenty cases of lung abscess and kindred complaints had been cured without an operation.

CURE OF ULCERS. Unless a surgical operation were performed the mortality rate by the use of older methods in these cases would be between 65 per cent, and 75 per cent., Even after operation the rate would be 40 per cent. Many persons who had recovered had remained chronic invalids. Other diseases which have been treated successfully .with short waves include pyorrhoea, a disease of the gums which affects about 80 per cent, of adults, as well as rheumatism and various kinds of arthritis. Investigations suggest the possibility of duodenal ulcers being cured without an operation, while asthma, migraine (headaches of unknown origin) and -nasal inflammations are other promising fields of treatment. Probably the most spectacular aspect of the new treatment is its application to the, general paralysis of the

insane. Treatment usually adopted in such cases has been to produce an artificial fever, such as giving a patient an artificially produced attack of malaria. The merit of ultra-short waves in this treatment is that they can be used to control the temperature exactly, while this is obviously not possible in an artificial fever. The disadvantages are that expensive apparatus is necessary for the treatment, and it is severe on the patient. In the application of wireless waves to other forms of disease the patient feels only a pleasant warmth. Medical observers are hopeful of remarkable results in the near future. At least three London hospitals are experimenting in the use of ultra-short waves. ♦

RADIO AND PIGEONS

It is reported that an interesting experiment was made recently in the south of France to discover whether carrier pigeons were affected by radiations from a transmitting aerial. Several gioups of pigeons were released from baskets placed near the foot of one of the aerial masts of a broadcasting station while tha transmitter was in action. For (he first group very small power was used, Lot this was gradually increased until when the last birds were set free the plant was working at its full output rating. It appears that so long as the power was low the birds be-

haved normally, rising as they usually do, to a. considerable height, circling once or twice, and then making a beepine for home. But as the power was I raised the birds took longer and longer to make up their minds about the right direction. Finally, when the iransmitter was going all out the last group of birds was completely

hauled. On being released they reached no great height, and after dying round aimlessly a few times, they returned lo the baskets. E R AI A X PROG R A M M ES. The sales organiser of the German vadio Industry. Dr. Georgii. has taken epulis of Up. likes ;U p| dislikes of I

large circle of German “wireless fans.”

German broadcast programmes are composed, in accordance with the Nazi principle, whereby broadcasting is an integral part of the Party-State propaganda system, of about equal parts of music, nQn-musical entertainment, and political news and speeches. On eventful days the speeches predominate.

“Light , music,” including dance music, was, states Reuter, the first choice of 43 per cent of unskilled workers, and of 38.7 per cent of unskilled workers. National songs were given first place by only 5.5 per cent. and 2.0 per cent, respectively; speeches and lectures received less than 1 per cent, in each case; the “Children’s Hour” was the first choice of 5.6 per cent, of unskilled and of 7.1 per cent, of skilled workers, and only 3.3 per cent, of working-class women voted for the “Women’s Corner.”

RADIO INTERFERENCE. The opinion that the Board would never get rid of radio interference was expressed by the engineer of the South Canterbury Power Board (Mr G. W. Morrison) in reply to a question by Mr C. E. Kerr. Mr Morrison said that on an average the Board received two or three complaints a month and the Board’s men went out with the radio engineer to investigate. It was found that when the interference was located and remedied in one spot it crept in about a week later at another place. Some of the causes of interference were that spiders spun their webs inside pole fuses and high tension fuse boxes and these caused trouble on foggy nights. Salt was sprayed from the sea and interfered 'With contacts, causing them to spark and give trouble to radio listeners. We will never get rid of interference,” said the engineer, "the only filing to do being to keep it down to the best of our ability.’’

TO-DAY’S I’ROG BAM ME. IA A, AUCKLAND, 650 Kilocycles. 5.0; Children’s hour. 6.0: Dinner music. 7.0: News and reports, soConcert programme. “Continuity Hour.’ “Round the Family. Hearth." 9.0: Weather report and station notices. 9.5: Talk, Miss Briar Gardner “Spinners and Weavers: The Master Spinner." 9.20; Band programme, featuring some of England’s famous brass bands. 9.32: Mr. Frank Perrin “A Few Laughs.” 9.17: Creswell Coll’ieiw. The Woodgreen Excelsior. Edmonton Silver and Camberwell Silver Bands. 10.0: Dance music. 11.0; Close down. Alternative programme, IYX, SSO kilocycles.

-YA. WELLINGTON, 570 kilocycles. 0.0: Children's session. 6.0; Dinner music, 7.0: News and reports. 7.30: Time signals from Dominion Oservntory, 7.31: Talk. Mr. Stanley w. p.

Blow, *Feeding Birds.” 8.0: Chimes. The Alfredo Campoli Grand Orchestra. 8.8: “Music Round the Campfire,” introducing (a) “In My Old Sod Shanty”; -(b) “Mellow Mountain Moon”; (c) “San Antone.” 8.23: A further incident in the lives of the Japanese houseboy and his employer, “In Accents Sweet.” 8.37: Barnabas von Geczy and his orchestra. 8.40: Talk. Mr. W. D. Charlton, “More Villains of Dickens.” 9.0: Weather report and station notices. 9.5: A recital programme, featuring the leading Australian baritone, Clement Williams, Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, and Alfred Cortot, pianist. A recital of Schumann’s, songs by the Australian light baritone, Clement Williams, “Four Love Songs.” (a) “Month of May”; (b) “Love’s Tears”; (c) “Rose and the Lily”; (d) “I Will not Grieve.” 9.20: A iiecital by Yehudi Menuhin, violinist, “Tzigane”; Caprice No. 24. 9.34: Miliza Korjus, soprano. 9.42: A recital by the French pianist, Alfred Cortot. 10.0: Music, mirth and melody. 11.0: Close down. Alternative programme, 2YC, 840 kilocycles.

3YA, CH.CH., 720 Kilocycles

5.0: Children’s hour. 6.0: Dinner music. 7.0: News and reports. 7.30: Time signal from the Dominion Observatory. 8.0: Chimes. Recording. 8.6: Studio presentation of the one-act sketch, “Once a Gentleman,” by the Zenith Players. 8.16: Recording. 8.22: “The Diamond Medallion,” one of a series of dramas about famous diamonds. 8.37: Record. 8.40: Studio presentation of one-act dramatic sketch, "The Winning Hand,” by the Zenith Players. 5.55: Recording. 9.0. Weather forecast and station notices 9.5: Talk, Mr. Leicester Webb, “World Affairs.” 9.20: Dance music. 11.0: Close down. Alternative programme, 3YL, 1200 kilocycles.

•I YA, DUNEDIN. 790 Kilocycles. 5.0: Children’s hour. 6.0: Dinner music. 7.0: News and reports. 7.30: Talk. Our Motor Expert. “Helpful Hints to Motorists." S.O: Chimes. Concert by Paris Symphony Orchestra. 8.17: "The Causes of War." a talk delivered by Mr. Aidotts Huxley and ore of a series specially recorded by the British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 2: Weather report and station notices. 9.7: Recordings. 10.1: Music, mirth, and melody. 11.0: Close down. Alternative programme. 4YO, 11 lo kii’ccj c’A.