NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20570, 22 May 1930, Page 3

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

A new draft Austrian Electricity Act contains clauses for the protection o'f radio listeners against interference caused by electrical apparatus. It is also intended to have included a c'aase which will make •it imperative for apparatus already in use which is interfering with radio reception to be fitted with protective devices. The.British Post Office seems to have had a record year, for in tho year 1928-29 it made a profit of nino million pounds. The cash received for wireless licences totalled £1,358,187, and the percentage credited, to the Post Office for expenses of management and other costs in connection with the issuing of licences, etc.. came to £178,686, leaving a balance of £1,179,50], The sum paid to the 8.8.C. was £887,616, leaving a balance accruing to the exchequer of £291,885, roughly an increase of £47,000. During 1929, over 39,800 patents were applied for'in Great Britain. Among the subjects which appeared to be the most popular for inventors there has been, and still is, considerable activity in "talkies." in synchronisation of sound pictures, colour cinematography, loud-speakers, and television What happens to all these television patents that are applied for ? It would be interesting to know.

Criticisms of the 8.8.C.'s policy, and programmes were made at the Cambridge Union Society's debate recently, the motion being that the 8.8.C. does not justify its existence. One speaker lamented the fact that broadcasting was killing individualism. "No one sings in his bath to-day," he said. "He takes with him a portable wireless set." Tho motion, it is interesting to note, was rejected by 161 votes to 25.

Kubelik, the world-famous violinist, has a great dislike of wireless. "I simply refuse to have- a wireless set' in my house," ho stated recently. "I did have one onco for a few hours, but I sent it back, because 1 was afraid.it would ruin my children's musical taste. However good the instrument may be, tho reproduction .is far from perfect, and unless absolutely forced, as I was in Russia, I would never broadcast." Kreisler, another world-famous violinist, has a rather good opinion of broadcasting.

"Brigade Exchange," a German war play, which should make an interesting comparison with "Journey's End," was recently . broadcast from London. It was specially written for the microphone by Mr, Ernst Johannsen, a well-known author who is devoting much of his time to radio work. The play has been broadfcast with conspicuous success from several German stations. Most of the story of the-play is told in telephone,conversation which takes place in a dug-oufc telephone exchange.