THIS NEW NOISY WORLD

Waipa Post, Volume 32, Issue 1928, 30 October 1926, Page 2

THIS NEW NOISY WORLD

“ It was a profound isaying of one of the Victorian philosophers—H. Spencer, I Ithink —who •declared that you might gaugkl a man’s in'tjel'lectiial capacity by |thia 'degree of his intolerance of unnecessary noises ” (writes Dr Leonard Williams in the (London Daily Chronicle). “ The pith of the saying is in the word ‘'Unnecessary.’ A noiisie! however unpleasant, which is recognised Ty the sukconsicious as necessary or inevitable, is immediately accented and discounted; whei's'as a nois'e which is unnccessalry or impertinent is reflected 'by the subconscio|u's, and immediately becomes an irrijtantof the most superlative d'egy'sie. “ If noise were to increase as muck in th-(\next ten (years as i|c. has in the past ten years, i't would become a plague and a n^naoe 1 . Doctors fell us that already the almost ceaseless noise of city streets is a 'fruitful causie of nervous \v\eakn}s!ss —that it wears down even those 'who have ceased Ito be conscious of it ” (says the London Evening Newis). “'Formerly there was refuge in the country, and one could 'eiscajp.e from the w|:e,ri'Some sounds of the city to long, restorative silences among the hits and meadows or by th esea. But now escape is difii'U|ui|t. The thud of the open exhaust i's heard even in our Icnhliest lanest “ Everywhere thejre are those who like noise, sometimes out of mere high spirits, sonreitiimes 'because it is the quiokisp.t way to attract aitbemftion.

Such must be kept in check, for all of uis need rest, and miany tofu 4 would rather have our purse stolen than our silence.”