The Hawera Star FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1924. MODERN MARVELS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 24 October 1924, Page 4

The Hawera Star

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1924. MODERN MARVELS.

Delivered every evening by 5 o'clock In Hawera, Manaia, Nonnauby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Pateu, Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata.

The efforts to communicate with far distant places, by wireless have been crowned with success, and a New Zealand citizen has the distinction of being the first to‘talk' with London by means of the modern marvel of science, thus establishing another world’s record. The distance is probably more than 12,000 miles, or halfway round the earth, so that a greater distance for wireless communication does not seem to be possible, unless it be communication with planets, and there is much doubt as to whether or not they are inhabited. The record indicates that the theories of those who have held that people would some day talk halfway across the world have proved correct, and no doubt before long such communications will become very frequent. One recalls that it is only a few years ago that wireless telephone conversations over a distance of fifty miles were referred to in the cable messages, but there has been wonderful progress since then, and communication between New Zealand and Australia and America takes place every night, the words or music being received very clearly. A few weeks ago the American fliers completed their task of circling the earth, a feat which Northern Hemisphere papers regarded as very important; in a few weeks’ time a great liner (the

Aorangi) will sail from the Old l Country for the Pacific to enter the Aus-tralian-New Zealand-American trade. This fine vessel will be driven by internal combustion engines, • and engineers and shipbuilders are keenly awaiting the results, before building other liners of a similar type. The progress in the construction and the perfection of the internal combustion engine have enabled means of propelling machines to advance very rapidly, so rapidly, in fact, that people seldom stop to think of the wonderful powers of science. The motor ear, the aeroplane, and the motor ship which are now in common use may well be termed modern marvels. Each year some progress is recorded, and there seems to be no limit to the discoveries which the human brain will make. In their various departments of science men and women are constantly devoting their thoughts and energies towards new discoveries or adding to the knowledge already gained, but the fields of study and experiment, instead of diminishing, appear to be growing larger. Scientists never seem to arrive at the point at which they can say that the limit has been reached. For example, coal has been one of mankind’s most useful servants for centuries past, and from coal have been extracted many very valuable properties in addition to its common use for heating. Yet scientists say that the world makes but a minimum use of the powers which coal contains. Similarly with regard to electricity. Electric power is put to a great many uses, but science has not nearly exhausted the possibilities of its successful employment. Electricity was known to the ancient Greeks, but in spite of tbe experiments and. their long association with electricity scientists cannot say exactly what it is. Wireless has opened up .a great field for experiment, and has shown that electricity has wonderful powers, the full extent of which is not nearly known. It has been found that it travels at the same speed as light, and the time which it would take Mr Bell’s voice to reach London from Waihemo would be just about a sixteenth of a second. Such a marvellous achievement should give everyone food for thought upon the wonderful age in which we live, and those with imagination can well paint mental pictures of the future. * But unfortunately, though science has made such wonderful progress, human nature is still much the same as in the earliest periods of the'world’s history. People still spoil the beauties of life by selfishness and jealousy, and by acts o J unkindness and bitterness one towards another. Surely the modern marvels of science should teach that life can be made much broader and much happier than many people make it. May the record to which our messages have referred lead people to think more widely and to take broader views of life and of their duties to their friends and neighbours. Let them learn from the scientists, who must have vision and boardmindedness, otherwise they would never succeed.