MESSAGES ON WAX.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18565, 24 November 1923, Page 13

MESSAGES ON WAX.

GRAMOPHONE RECORDS.

ME. MASSEY TO MAKE ONE.

[from our own correspondent.] ' LONDON. Oct. 19. Following the recent example of , the King and Queen, the New Zealand Prime Minister has promised to make a gramophone record. It is not the easiest thing in the world to produce a perfect record at a first attempt, but Mr. Massey says ha has passed through this ordeal already in America, and he does not contemplate any difficulty in making an equally good record in London. Apart from the nervousness which attacks many speaker!! and singers on these occasions, their discomfort is intensified by the atmosphere of the room, for a somewhat high temperature has to be attained before the wax is sufficiently pliable to make a satisfactory reproduction. When the records of the speeches of the King and Queen are . worn, they will be replaced by others, for at the moment, stored away in the British Museum in specially-sealed drums, are duplicates. It is intended that these seals shall remain intact for at least another 50 years, perhaps some will remain unbroken for a century. The children of generations yet unborn will thus enjoy the privilege of hearing the natural voices of King and Queen Mary speaking to them of the high ideals of Empire. They will also be able to listen in the years to come to the voices of eminent politicians, singers, musicians, and speakers of this generation, because similar sealed sets are lodged in the British Museum, and these will remain unbroken for anothter 50 years. ' No doubt Mr. Massey's record will be similarly preserved. It is interesting to note that he will be the pioneer of the Dominion Prime -Ministers in this respect, because, so far, none of the others has been asked to imprint his message on the wax. • ' -i" v .