The Chit-Chat Club— Points from Papers Put "Over the Air."

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 13, 14 October 1927, Page 3

The Chit-Chat Club— Points from Papers Put "Over the Air."

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"In the spring," said Blinks sententiously, "a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of...." — ‘Damned: nonsense," interposed the oldest member fiercely. ; ‘T was going to say physical culture," said Blinks mildly. "It’s one and the same thing," affirmed the oldest member. "In my young day, sir, physical culture was unknown. If we wanted to ‘knees tend’ we went a twenty-mile walk. What can you flabby young fellows expect when you’re all the time running round in these infernal benzine chewers?" _ "Surely that’s the very reason why we should take up physical culture, to make up for the lack of exercise," said Wishart. | Blinks and Wishart.had just arrived at the X club, and on retiring to their favourite corner to talk over wireless matters, had been joined by the oldest member. The conversation had just touched on the physical culture question, when Brenton, the great outdoor enthusiast, entered the room. "You’re quite right, Wishie,’"’ he said. "If only the old sinner here would take up physical culture, he’d live to be a hundred." | "I’ve no time for new fangled notions at my time of life, sir," said the oldest member disdainfully, "and even if I had, physical culture’s the last I'd tackle." | "You could do a great deal worse," said Brenton decidedly. "At this time of the year physical culture is. especially valuable. It doesn’t matter whether you’re eight, eighteen or eighty, it will benefit you. I heard a stunning address on physical culture from 1YA last week, given by Norman Kerr. It’s easily the best he’s given so far, and was seasonable." "Yes-dealt with spring," said ‘Blinks, "and showed us how we ought to treat our bodies during the time the lambs are gambolling in the paddocks, and the veterans refighting . their old battles over five gallon bar-

rels,"" "He was right," said Brenton. "Tt’s only too true that we shut out the sunshine and air from our bodies, eat the wrong foods at the wrong times, and do not get sufficient sleep or exercise. How can we expect good health? Look what physical culture can do fora man, Why, there’s Winton here, only tried it for a couple of months and I’ll bet he’s lost a stone already." "Just over," said Thribs, the successful and somewhat corpulent business man who was bent on regaining some of his lost youth, and who was doing it through strenuous exercise daily. ‘Tt is, as he said, easier to get up in the mornings, and the race to the office isn’t the hardship it was a month or two ago. We feel we want to be out of doors, whether it’s gardening, or walking, and, as Norman .Kerr said, if we add physical culture to our other activities, we further improve our general health." "A cheerful mind’s the great thing,’’ said Blinks, "‘and physical culture will give you that." "Damn it all," said the oldest inember irascibly, "you can get it without that." "Yes, I know," said Blinks with a twinkle. "Out of a bottle, but it costs more, and isn’t as good for you. Try physical culture instead." "Tf everyone drank just as much as I do,’’ retorted the oldest member properly roused, "the...." "Publicans would be able to retirs at forty," concluded Blinks, "Tll be...." "Happiness is the great thing,’ interposed Brenton hurriedly, forestalling a further outbreak on the part of the oldest member, "and happiness comes only through a sound digestive system. ‘Eliminate’ was the ad vice given by Mr. Kerr in his last address. To do that you have to keep your skin in good order, and then, in order to exercise the abdominal muscles, you should leugh."

"But that makes you grow fat," said Thribs in a serious tone. "Quite a fallacy," said Brenton. "Mr. Kerr’s idea is that we should practise artificial laughter. Then tiere’s the lungs. Plenty of deep breathing for them, and plenty of : ding exercises for the abdominal muscles." "Diet’s another important thing, isn’t it?" queried Thribs. "Yes, especially at this time of the year," agreed Brenton. "Plenty of green vegetables andraw fruit are the things at this time of the year. tea, meat and white bread in combination are about the worst things you can take, and that’s what hundreds of people have day after day. Bad diet nearly always leads to digestive troubles and these in their turn, to nervous diseases. Through properly directed exercise, scientific breathing and physical culture gener. ally, we increase the amount of oxrygen taken into the body, and thus make it possible to keep the fires burning brightly. Exercise and deep breathing are the things we need most." "Well, just to show the old ‘un here that we don't entirely disagree with his principles," said Blinks. "let’s have a drop of something." Glasses filled, the talk drifted round on various topics connected with wireless, all the "wireless bugs’’ taking a keen interest in the question of getting at the unlicensed sets. ° "Only rotters would accept everything, and pay nothing," said Blinks, "and as for saying the programmes aren’t worth paying for, that’s pure bunk. Many a night I’ve switched on to one of the Australian stations and then returned to 1YA or 2YA because they had a_ better programme." "Funnily enough," said Thribs, "‘it’s the fellows who aren’t paying who kick up the most fuss. There’s a chap I know with an unlicensed set, and he’s forever complaining about the type of programme. I told him

the other day that it’d be a pretty poor programme if everyone contributed the same amount that he did towards the cost." "It’s amusing to hear a chap with an unlicensed set complaining about fading," said Wishart, "but I know one who is always eriticising the stations, and who hasn’t a license," "Talking of fading," said Drexter, who went by the well-earned nickname of "Silent George,"’ "I wonder how that fading investigation is getting on." "Pretty well," said Blinks. "I know ‘Megohm,’ the technical expert, who is go’ ig to collate the results, and he says that there are plenty. from every district. Possibly some valuable data will be unearthed." "JT think some rotten sets will be unearthed," said Brenton. ‘"That’s my opinion. Didn’t you see what Baume, city editor of the Sydney ‘Guardian,’ said about New Zealani station? His set gets them all the time, without any fading at all, I don’t think the fault lies with the sending at all." "Did any of you chaps hear that address of Mr. W. R. B. Oliver’s on ‘Birds and the Forest’?" queried Larton, who had just arrived. "Yes," said Drexter, "I did-and a jolly good one it was, too. It would be a bad look-out for us without the birds." "Infernal pests," said the oldest member irritably. "Wat all the crops and the fruit-shooting’s too good for them."’ "Wrong again," said Larton. "We simply couldn’t do without them. They have a wonderful effect on forest life, and are partly responsihle for the beauty of our New Zealand forests." "How does that come about?" said Blinks. "Mr. Oliver explained that a tree, like a living being, was constantly undergoing growth and change. It only lasts a certain time, and if

the forest is to endure it must be re. placed. The successful transferenca, of pollen and seeds depends on the help of insects and birds. Birds perform three valuable functions in the forest, They destroy injurious insects, carry pollen from tree to tree, and distribute tree seeds." "But insects don’t ‘greatly harm trees,"’ said Brenton. = "Oh, yes, they do. They bore inte the wood and do a lot of damage. You can’t check them by control measures, so the birds are invaluable, Self fertilised plants never grow as, well as those that are cross-fertilised, and that’s where the birds come in." "Funnily enough, the flowers that, are fertilised by birds are generallx. red or yellow. The rata, pohutue: kawa, puriri and rewarewa all have. red flowers, and the kowhai is a conspicuous example of the yellowflowered tree that has been pollinated by the birds." "What birds "o the work?" asked’ Blinks. "The tui is one of the best. Watch him feeding on a rata or a flaxbush. and you will see that his forehead is yellow with pollen. The parrakeet. is another, but of course he’s fast disappearing from the more settled districts. The bell bird and the white eye are two others which assist in the good work, so you see there re. plenty of bush birds which help our. forests by cross fertilising the trees "’: "In scattering the seeds and making replacements, the birds do great work," interposed Drexter, who had also been tremendously taken with the address. ‘‘When trees are blown down or die, replacements have to be made,‘and these are brought about mainly through the agency of the, birds. It’s up to us to protect them,. since they work so much for our advantage." "And it’s up to us to get home te dinner now,’ said Blinks, "since it’s: well after six o’clock."’ : — ’