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Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9017, 2 January 1908, Page 4

Lecturing- before a scientific so" ciety at Carnegie I-lall, Mr Thomas Edison, the well-known inventor, stated that he had now perfected the electric storage hatterery for use in electrically-driven vehicles. Some five years ago Mr Edison started | working on this problem, and once or twice he has been very near its completion. Now he announces that he has been atile to obtain the result aimed at, and has produced a storage battery which will be of practical use for vehicles. Heretofore batteries for this purpose have been so bulky and of such small power as to be suitable for short distances only. The new battery, says Mr Edison, is compact, and of practically unlimited capacity, and will bring motor-cars within the reach of thousands who cannot now afford them. If the new battery is all that Mr Edison claims for it, it should revolutionise the present motor-car business, as if it is cheap it will doubtless be adopted

as the motive power for all binds of vehicles. "From calculations which I have made durinsg my stay in Africa," Mr J. B. Robinson is reported as saying, "1 have ascertained that something like a million millions worth of gold still remains to be taken out of the mines of the Rand. This you will admit is a colossal figure, and shows the intrinsic value of the mining properties in the country." The remark which we have quoted is, also, evidence of the colossal character of the British Empire, and of the tremendous importance and duty devolving upon our Motherland, and each of the children in the union, to make every possible effort to ensure the safety and permanency of the great British race. One could wish that the Home Government was more sympathetic towards the policy of reciprocity—the only practical principle upon which the Empire can be welded together.