Opinions of Eminent Personalities

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 29, 1 February 1929, Page 24

Opinions of Eminent Personalities

Special Number of English W eekly.

THE Christmas season was marked in ’ England by the appearance of many issues of the radio magazines. Some of these are, in addition to being brim full. of the most useful of information made up in a most artistic and pleasing manner. "Popular Wireless" has produced a very fine magazine and the special. fssue, enclosed in a most handsome three-colour cover, -is a fitting production of a paper so well known. Hvidentty great pains have been taken to produce a number that will long be remembered. In a prominent page are the addresses of Christmas cheer of many of the leaders of English thought; these include the Governors of the British Broadeastjing Corporation, Senator Marconi, Sir Oliver. Lodge, and Dr. Flemming. In his greetings Senatore Marconi says "Much progress has been made in all branches of wireless during the past year, and many important developments for the year upon which we are now entering are foreshadowed." . Notable NOTHER unusual feature is an . article by that great English scientist, Sir Oliver Lodge. bearing on the topic of co-operation. His introductory thought has been quoted in another section of this paper. Sir Oliver considers that the ultimate destiny of mankind is goodwill among the nations. This can be attained not by bitter controver-sies-but only through mutual co-opera-tion. Radio is opening up a great means of attaining this aim. "Let us radio workers be thankful for the means that have now been put into our hands-far in advance of anything previously possible in the whole long history of the earth-and let each do his best and contibute -his or her quota to the divinely inspired and guided intenational effort in which statesmen of all countries are now cooperating." Sir John Reith, director-general of the British Broadcasting Corporation, has written .a special letter and after making apologies for not having written an article as was the request of the editor, discusses broadcasting in ‘an unusual maner. Certainly this is a letter, and something quite out of the usual for a wireless journal. It constitutes a break from the usual run of things and coming from a pen so elusive as that of the directing general of the B.B.C., provides more than interesting reading. Captain Eckersley, the chief engineer of the B.B.C., has presented an article, "Invention and Service." in which he considers the possibilities of wireless invention, tracing as a model the line of inventions that were the forerunners of. the modern petrol engine and then expresses his views on radio-vision. These are of no mean importance, so that they are reproduced elsewhere under the heading, "The Future of Television." Solving the Shopping Problem. UT "Popular Wireless" has not _ stopped at the production of master articles from master. pens and has ap-

plied itself to aiding the harassed reader to solve his shopping problem. Having considered the many radio presents possible, a series of photographs are reproduced, depicting very many of the attractive trade lines on the Hnglish market-sets, valves (screen-grids and pentodes at that), chokes, coils, speakers, condensers, in fact, every radio accessory anyone wishing to bestow a radio present could wish to consider as a suitable present. Novel ways of entertaining friends with a radio receiver form the basis of another article in this very interesting publication. Opinions of Outstanding Interest. NOTHER unusual feature (yes, the paper abounds in unusual features) is a collection of the opinions from famous men and women upon the subject of broadcasting. Included are those of the Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay Macdonald, Mr. Lloyd George, and the Home Secretary. Of broadcasting, Mr. Lloyd George, M.P., says: "I welcome the growth of broadcasting, because it is bringing happiness into millions of homes, and because it has great potentialities as an educative medium. I have watched its growth during the last few yearsboth in public popularity and in the renlm of scientific achievement, and when I think of the mighty strides that it is destined to make, I feel thankful for this scientific development. which is bringing happiness and knowledge daily within closer reach of an ever-growing number of people." Strong criticism is always attractive to a very large number of readers, and "Popular Wireless" has included within its cover such an article from the pen of the Hon. J. M. Kenworthy, R.N., M.P., "If I Were Post-master-General," the Hon. Kenworthy takes for his subject and introduces the question of wireless by, "Particnlarly would I do something drastic about wireless generally. I fear the present Postmaster-General, his political assistant and his department generally, haye not yet tumbled to the immense importance of wireless telegraphy and telephony generally, and broadcasting in particular." A license is strongly urged, gradnated on the basis of powers of reception and on the basis of interference with others, for it must be remembered that the character of the English sets differs greatly from that of the New Zealand receivers. Until recently the Enelish listener has had

to suffer the infliction of a very restrictive royalty, and with the multitiplicity of available stations, the receivers have been made to utilise a minimum of valves and a maximum of reaction. Under the circumstancss the interference nuisance is at a maximum, so, the suggested solution. The financial arrangements are strongly condemned, 2s. Gd. out of every 10s. license is too great’a tax, and the profits from this should be apportioned among the broadcasters themselves. and not be passed on to swell the coffers of the Treasury. Broadcasting, as urged by the editor, should be more free: "Free broadcasting in an age of Free Speech and a Free Press will be non-extine if

political parties claim the right to interfere." Likewise the urge is made that part of the Parliamentary proceedings should be broadcast. Concluding this article, the writer says :- "Just as the Press is spoken of as the Fourth Estate, so it is quite proper to speak of wireless to-day as the Fifth Estate;. and no limits can be set to its importance, usefulness and the profound influence it will have in the future."