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Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 11, 23 September 1932, Page 7

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SPARK

HE first of a series-"‘Great Personalities and Their Influence," by Mr. L, F. de Berry, from 3YA, was most beautifully told when a thumbnail biography of Leonardo de Vinei was delivered, Listeners should on no account miss the remainder of the series, Of all the versatile men who ever lived, he stands alone with his paintings as an architect, engineer and _ philosopher. Though known most widely possibly thigough his exquisite paintings, his scientific investigations were equally meéritorious and Mr. de Berry advoeates engineers claiming de Vinci as their patron saint. De Vinci anticipated Copernicus and the revolution

of the earth, Newton and the laws of gravitation, the undulatory theory of light and heat, and many other theories that have made later scientific investigators famous. He formulated the theory of the tides, and in his mechanical constructions employed cams, gears, worms and wheels, sprockets, levers and every device known to engineering. His brain conceived a steam-boat and a steam-pump, a "tank" and a_submarine, and to-day a_ stone-cutting machine is still in use in a: Carrara quarry that was designed by the incomparable Leonardo de Vinci. . . = £ s DDED «interest was given to the arresting series of lecturettes from 2YA, by Mr. C. A. L. Tread-well,-on "Famous British. Trials" when, last week, reference was made to a very strong rumour that Hare, the partner of Burke, lived within ten miles of Wellington after his release from custody. Two of the most despicable villains ever brought to trial were the two. murderers Burke and Hare, whose nefarious trade in bodies was made possible by the connivance, or criminal indifference, of an eminent member of the medical profession, Dr. Knox. In those days, as row, medical schools were always shert of the desired number of human bodies for dissection, and Dr. Knox entirely omitted to enquire whence came the bodies he bought from the two villainous-looking criminals. In all, Burke and Hare murdered sixteen human beings, although only three murders were included in the indictment. The crimes all took place in a slum area in Edinburgh, where, if ever cries were heard, very little notice would be taken of them. The female associates and partners ‘ of the chief actors were as hardened and brutal as it is possible to imagine, and when the whole story of the crimes was told, it caused a:revulsion of feeling that affécted the civilised world. Dr. Knox was one of the leading men in the medical profession and his contributions to scientific journals acauired a- world-wide’ repu-

tation. Body snatching had become so prevalent in Edinburgh that graves were enclosed by iron railings, so recourse to murder was made the more simple method of ‘procuring subjects, * 2 * THE first "shot" secured by Hare was an old pensioner who died owing Hare money, and his body was disposed of for £10. This led Burke and Hare to murderous design, and their subjects, after being lured to the criminals’ lodging-house, were smothered. After arrest, Hare was given the chance of. turning King’s evidence and gaining his freedom, and it was then that the whole pitiful story of callous and brutal horrors came to light. At the trial there were four judges on the bench, four counsel for the Crown, the Lord Advocate leading. There were four counsel for Burke, with the Dean of the Faculty leading, and four for Burke’s female partner. The great excitement prevailing in Edinburgh during the trial necessitated the calling to arms of two regiments of soldiers as a precaution in case of need. Burke was eventually: hanged in the presence of an infuriated and howling mob. Public fury later turned upon the doctors, and the blood of Dr. Knox was demanded. A medical committee investigated Knox’s part and weakly whitewashed him. The crowd threatened to lynch Hare, but it is known he left the country, and rumour has it that a bay near the city of Wellington was named after him. The most lasting thing about Burke is that his name is perpetuated as a verb in the English language, 4 verb which means "to stifle." * ® x ‘THE "Sea Shanty" programme from 1YA, with the male chorus of the Broadcasting Choir, and annotations and the recounting of episodes, by "Lee Fore Brace’ was a most entertaining one. The etymology of the word "shanty" is dubious, but, according to "Lee Fore Brace," it originated in the cotton fields of

the southern States of America, and has nothing to do with chant. British sailors trading to cotton ports brought the shanty into the mercantile marine, and the East Indiamen knew it not, nor was it heard in the Royal Navy, even when ships of the line were of oak and spread white wings. Particularly stirring was the story of three thousand sailor-men singing a shanty in Cape Town Bay during a howling north-wester, at the time of the South African War, when Table Mountain acted as a sound-board and ‘made the heavens ring. I also liked the story of ‘‘Lee Fore Brace" and his old salt friend when outside an Auckland school, where the scholars were singing a shanty. Naturally the two joined in lustily, and passers-by viewed them with disdain, but left them to their song and memories, when one disgusted old lady murmured: "Come away; they’re drunk." I’m more regretful than ever that Lee Fore Brace is leaving us. & 2B = I LIKED 2YA’s surprise item, which _ took the form of a visit to the Hutt Railway Shops, and I suppose most listeners would be glad to know that: the denizens were busy at 9 o’clock at night. That fact alone made the item a real gloom dispeller, for it must mean that the rolling stock has been, is, or expects to be, busily employed. There was a lot of whirring going on, and this could be easily recognised as wheels revolving continuously; but I. don’t suppose the occasional crash of iron plates, or bolts and nuts, or something, could be thought indicative of the Government stroke, bd * * [t is said that in modernizing the ‘works, and there cannot be any doubt that modern methods were needed, although it happened to be done during the period of excessive prices, a large amount of machinery was incorporated which will never earn interest, but such statements should be taken with a grain of salt. The narrator easily conveyed the im-

pression that the heating apparatus, and the dust exhaustion machinery made for efficiency and a cleanliness that is next to godliness, I remember the day when every railway passenger felt constrained to look at the engine, which shone with gold-leaf, : bright varnish and the fanciful decorations with a tallowed slurry, that expressed the artistic soul of the cleaner. Driver and passengers alike took pride in the engine, and that helped to make a journey more pleasant. To-day, one shudders to see the engine, which, unless it is brand new, looks positively heathen~ ish We were spared one shudder, however-the Garrett engines were not in the shop, apparently, and therefore couldn’t be described. Couldn’t the Department polish up, the iron horses a bit? : * Cd * VERY one of 1YA’s patrons would welcome Captain F. H. Billington’s return to the microphone, with his cheerful manner of description of Brazil. New Zealanders are great travellers, and are to be found everywhere, like the Chinaman and the Scotsman, and if every travel talk was given so refreshingly there would be more smitten with the wanderlust. Brazil occasionally excites the world’s attention through some petty and minor revolt, prosecuted in one tiny portion of the territory, much in the manner that New Zealand claims outside attention when an overseas correspondent makes the most of an earthquake or a riot. The casual traveller and reader knows of Brazil best by the capital of the Federated States, Rio de Janeiro, and knows that best by the beauty and eulogies of its wonderful harbour. Captain Billington said comparisons between the harbour of Rio, the Bay of Naples, the Golden Horn and Sydney Harbour was not possible, and that is verily so. Each is distinct in its type, but few would dispute the claim that Rio is easily first in the Western Hemisphere. Rio is unique, too, in that its setting has not been spoiled by man, as has Sydney’s harbour, with many dingy buildings and the giant excrescence, "The Bridge." I saw. enough of this skeleton of a scarecrow to know that it cannot be shut out of view, .and like the buildings with dry-rot in Constantinople, it adds not to beauty any more than Wellington’s destructor embellishes the landscape. The public buildings of Rio would grace any city, and they say much for the Brazilian who start. ed to rebuild his wonder city aftey the expulsion of a1. effete monarchy. | ® % * THE Republic of Brazil, covering an area greater than that of the United States of North America, has. always been a land of booms that.

Fundamental Electric Phenomena Dave and Joe had worked hard to perfect the set. Triumphantly they bore it into the room‘and adjusted the wires. Passing the phones to Dad, they stood by expectantly while the old man, after putting down his week-old paper, took up the ear-pieces and fitted them to his head. : Not for long did he listen, With dramatic emphasis he ‘dropped the phones and exclaimed !: "The darned thing’s no good. When I scratch my whiskers I can’t hear for static."-"Country Lad," Dunedin. . This par was awarded 5/- in "Spark's" weekly competition.

burst In turn, Brazil has had the ‘monopoly in sugar, cocoa, ‘cotton and rubber, and has derived immense sums from diamond and gold-fields. It ‘was. the latter which attracted so many New Zealanders from the Otago School of Mines, and Kia Ora was as familiar in.some areas as the Portuguese equivalent for "to-morrow." This itamense country is the only one of Latin America which does not have Spanish as the official language, and, unlike other Portuguese colonies, it has not suffered so greatly from miscegenation. Jt has the largest forests in the world, and yet the great plateau has open country in grass that may one day supply Europe with more. beef than all other countries combined. Some consider that the next booms will be in beef and timber, which will be called upon to_.assist the coffee trade in the payment of foreign loans. More than: half the population of South America is already in Brazil, and yet there is enough room for another 200,0t ),000 based upon present-day methods of production. Many areas of hundreds of square miles have never been trodden by civilised man, and the pressure of population in Japan may. find an easement in Brazil, where the Japanese are flocking in thousands. % ts a ' ESS Miss G. A. Havelaar (3YA) ‘ included the islands. of the Malay Archipelego in the term India, ‘when speaking of the strong tea with which Hollanders are so fond of re\galing visitors-if they don’t take igin-I think she may be wrong in calling it Indian tea. . Of course, the ‘Dutch refer to the Archipelego as the ‘Indies and have as much right to the iname as we have in calling Hindustan \India.. "I have imbibed bucketsful of ‘Java.tea in the Netherlands, and nothing can be more vile, unless it is China tea that has already been once through the pot, before being packed for the foreign market, chiefly Ameriean, Until the Hollander cultivated the tea bush in Java, the infusion was not avery popular beverage in HolJand, and even to-day comes behind coffee in the order of favouritism. ‘Miss Havelaar’s description of Holland and its people promises to be miost interesting, and I shall be eager to hear her talk on Haarlem. @ # % "THE ‘stories told by Mr. G. A. ‘ Thomas (1YA), when ‘speaking of pugilism were interesting. It ‘would be news to most of the "fancy" to learn that the closed fist was not

employed in fisticuffs until eomparatively recent times, and it would appear that the palm slapping of our comedy wrestlers has the warranty of tradition, Mr. Thomas’s comments upon the rules governing a fisticuffs bout by two doughty: wenches, implies that he is a true and chivalrous sport,. as were those who drew up the regulations. With a half-crown held in each hand, and the dropping of one involving disqualification, hair-pulling and scratching were effectually prevented, possibly without the ladies knowing why the half-dollars were introduced. : ® a a CAN anyone imagine a more joyful, life than one such as that of Jules Massenet, who was a lover of flowers, fair women and melody? These characteristics are reflected in his music, the operas especially, which are not quite as ordinary as the critic of the "Saturday Review" once wrote-‘sugar and water with sexual suggestiveness." ~ the Spanish epic of the eleventh cerry, "Le Cid," he found something to his taste, und he. not unnaturally embodied in the score a good deal of Spanish verve and rhythm, and in the ballet especially, he was notably successful in the fresh and melodious way i which he save us something cf the Southern atmosphere. He took some half-a-dozen national dances of the country for the purpose of this ballet and made them the basis of one of the happiest and most effective portions of his score. The inclusion of the ballet music from "Le Cid’ in this Frilay’s programme :¢ 2YA is an attractive feature. The orchestra is playing four of the numbers, Viz.% "Castillane,"’ "Andalouse," "Aubade" and "Aragonaise." The vivid music of Massenet’s masterpiece 1... first heard in Paris in November, 1885, and had for its original representation two such famous voices in the cast as those of Jean de Reszke and Pol Plancon, the greatest tenor and bass of their day. R m ¥ PoE CID, whose prowess has been told in story as well as in opera, was a gallant warrior in the old days when Spain was shaking off the yoke of the Moors. His standing is better appreciated when it is understood that he occupies in Spanish romance, the same position that Arthur does in English story, Charlemagne in French, ard Theodorick in German romance. His real name was Rodrique Diaz de Rivar, and it is said that he was born in Burgos, in 1080, and died in 1099. The facts of his career have been wrapped up by his admiring country~ men in such a haze of gloryfying myths thet it is scarcely ossible to detect them. The opera story reveals his love of a lady, Chimene, who fancies she is in love with him, but when Rodrique’s father quarrels with the father of the lady, there is a pretty how d’ye do." The Cid’s father is an old man, and when Gormas, Chimene’s parent, insults him, the son takes up his father’s cause and slays his opponent. The lady’s love turns to hate and she endeavours to infiuenee the king against her erstwhile lover. A new war breaks out, however, and the Cid has to lead the army. The lady’s mood again changes, She discovers that she really loves the Cid, but when he returns victorious there is a revulsion of feeling once more

and she demands his execution. The king replies that she herself must pronounce the sentence, but this she will not do. Rodrique thereupon offers to take his own life, but then Chimene refuses to accept the sacrifice, so that there is no other course left to her but to marry him, and this she does. Such is the opera plot of "Le Cid," a tale of duels, wars, hate, love and the continual conflict of two feelings in the heart of the heroine.