EDISON’S TRIUMPH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 3777, 12 November 1907, Page 2

EDISON’S TRIUMPH.

The report of Edison’s triumph, after years of effort to perfect the electric storage battery, is quite the most important announcement for many a day. If “ The Wizard” is not too sanguine—and his past career has shown him as a cool, practical . genius, instead of a dreamer—the result of his labors will have a far-reaching effect on methods of locomotion and the employment of power for manufacturing and other purposes. Not only will the new battery as it stand revolutionise present methods but it is safe to say that it is but the forerunner of many other improvements in the appliance of electricity, for the field in that direction is still vast. To be able to purchase 'electricity in as it were, like any other commodity, will he a wonderful step, but ere long that will be to a certain extent eclipsed by the discovery of means by which electricity will be obtained direct from coal instead of by the present round-about, wasteful, and, therefore, costly process. Edison’s prophecy that shortly horses will not be needed except for pleasure, is not farfetched, and it apparently will only be a little while when even the farmer will not require the equine. The machine will do all the “ donkey work,” and all the feed lie grows will be available for sheep, cattle, etc. Only the other day a remarkable demonstration was given on a large farm in Lincolnshire, England, of the use of motors, when, by means of petrol, grain was cut, threshed and milled, and bread was made from the corn in the space of four hours! An acre of ground was also ploughed, cultivated, drilled, and sown with a new crop in seven hours and a half.