What of the Future?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22741, 29 May 1937, Page 9 (Supplement)

What of the Future?

Auckland Boys Dream Reading a Book By

Mr. H. G. Wells

By JOHN HUTTON

(Copyright)

HALF hidden by the long grass that grew right Up to the cliff edge, a boy lay reading. He was lulled by the dull roar of the surf far below, and before long his book slipped from his fingers, and he slept. ] The book, "The Shape of Things to Come," by H. G. Wells, lay neglected, y«t the boy, inspired by the wonders of which he had been reading, was in his dreams still with the author, and able to see for a moment some of the things the future may hold. Auckland in the year 2937 A.D. lay spread before his eyes, a great city so different from the one he knew that he could ecarcsly recognise it. Tuning in to Electric Power Outside his home, a fantastic structure of opaque glass that permitted the health-giving rays of the sun -to enter, stood his aerocar, a cheap combination motor-car-aeroplane that was as common in the city, apparently, as motor-cycles art to-day. Built of an alloy lighter than aluminium yet as strong as the toughest steel, it was gracefully streamlined, the wings folding into the slim body when the machine was in use for ground work. Sliding open the long door, the boy took his place behind the controls. There was no engine in his aerocar, it was driven by electricity generated at

the vast civic power centre, and transmitted by wireless to all who required power or heat or light. Adjusting a couple of large dials on the instrumentpanel, he tuned in to the power, and the airscrew began to revolve The Auckland-Wellington highway, constructed to a design copied from that in use on the planet Mars, was in tiers. Ramps led from ground level to the various sections of the highway, the top tier being for high-speed traffic travelling long distances, the middle' one for people content to run at a modest 60 miles an hour, and the bot-

torn one for drivers intent merely on travelling a few blocks at low speed. Collisions were practically impossible on this highway. There was only oneway traffic, and to minimise the danger of running into the aerocar in front, each vehicle was equipped with a device, something like a stop-light of to-day, that glowed the moment speed was reduced, warning following drivers. Steering his aerocar on to the middle level, the boy pressed gently on the accelerator, and slid along in" complete silence for a mile or so, before turning off one of the' downward ramps and on to a vast flying field. City of Glass Gripping a lever by his side, the boy pulled it smartly hack. From each side of the body of his aerocar, a slim'wing extended gradually, and was snapped into place by automatic locks. Tuning in again to the power supply, he sent the aerocar into wind, and in 30 yards lifted it into the air. Rising steadily in a series of climbing turns, the machine soon left the earth far below, and at 10,000 feet the- lad set a course that would take him back over the city, although well away from the routes of the international airliners, and the rocket-ships that came screaming off on their journeys to Mars.

Eelow, the city of glass glittered under the rays of a summer sun. Cleanliness, with never a smudge of dirt or smoke to mar the scene, was the chief impression gained of . the wonder city. Although he had _ seen the view so many times before, as' he was a keen flier and belonged to the Air Scouts, he never tired of looking down on the newAuckland that had been built on the site of the original City on the shores of the Waitemata Gone were the stone and brick buildings, and the wharves and narrow streets. Vast palaces of glass were the strongholds of commerce, and snowwhite concrete patches showed whers the landing-fields for aircraft vera located. The tiered highways were invisible, being roofed. Skyways Express On the screen of the televisor in front of him suddenly appeared the head man, one of the many announcers of the Skyways Express Service. "Calling all aircraft, calling all aircraft,'' ho repeated monotonously, and then, in a moment: "Keep clear of sky-lane No. 78 for the Farth-bound rocketplane." The boy made sure that liis. course was clear of the giant machinethat was rushing through the stratosphere at 1000 miles an hour, and then circled to watch the arrival of the greal ship. Screaming down came the 'plane from Mars. As it neared the Earth the pilot extended the retractable wings, and the boy saw the huge craft>skim in to a landing on the Skyways Field. Passengers transferred into the company's smaller machines to be flown to their homes in the outlying parts of the city, and a host of mechanics descended on . the rocket-plane to check every part before it commenced the return flight. In Touch With Home The boy glanced at the electric clock on the instrument panel in front of him. It was later than he had thought, and he twirled one of his televisor controls. His mother's image appeared on the screen, and he explained to her that he had been Hying and would be a little late. Down in a tight spiral, the little aerocar dropped earthward a't nigh speed. The boy levelled off, and closed the throttle, but to his horror it jammed. He could not. possibly pull out of his steep dive, although he tugged at the controls until his arms ached. The glaring white of the fiying-field seemed to rush toward him at express speed, and he knew that in spite, of the wonders of science, something had broken and he was going to crash. Parachute Leap Desperately he released the doorcatch, and flung himself sideways, hauling on the rip-cord of his parachute. The whirling roar of the airscrew of his doomed machine filled his ears, and he could feel himself falling helplessly. With a start, the sleeping boy woko. For a moment he could not collect his thoughts, and wondered if he had I crashed or if his parachute had opened, ? He looked about him and realised -. where he was, but somehow the droning of motors was still in his ears. Looking. up, the boy sat still in wonderment, realising that after all his dream ;«*jnot as fantastic as it had sceme ■ Wheeling in out of the sunset r Pan-American Southern Cross U'Pr- • four days out from San Fraucisc on time to the minute after over half the world.