Snippets from Recent Talks

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 51, 30 June 1933, Page 9

Snippets from Recent Talks

PROFESSOR T. A. HUNTER (2YA). {z is unfortunate at this crisis 1 man’s history (the end of the ith century) it should so happen that bis avarice was intensely stimulated by the wealth of the Americans and the exaggerated tales told in regard to +t. Man having lost his old meusurim rods of human values seized on the new one that unhappy chance placed within his grasp, without reflecting ou some of the consequences to wealta and happinesss that were to follow. Getter far if man bad been able to follow the advice of Johnson: "Tyrn from the glittering bribe thy scornful eye; Nor gell for gold what gold could never buy." , "THE tulip was introduced into Wurope about the middle of the 16th century. Being rather a rare andl costly flower it became the fashion among the rich and early in the 17th century the bulb was tl.. centre of a vast money-making scheme. As the’ mania increased the pric... of bulbs were raised until the most ridiculous prices, thousands of florins, were paid for rare kinds, and the Dutch ordinary industry of the country was neglected. When the bubble burst the whole finances of the country were in dire difficul ties. NY object was sufficient to cause people, .ost in a fiood of covetous emotion, to part with their money. One company was promoted "to make deal boart out of saw dust." Another (for a million pounds) was for "a wheel of perpetual motion"; another, for the furnishing of funerals to any ye-+ of Britain; another (capital two million pounds) "for importing walnut trees for Virginia’; another for buying and fitting out ships to suppress pirates; and one that clearly showed the utter madness of the crowd, "a company for carrying on an undertaking of great advantage, but nobody to know what it is"! MR. PATRICK BELL SYER (3YA), "THE South African diamond business is controlled and administered by a combine known as the Consolidated Diamond Mines of South-West Africi which co-operates with the Government ef the Union. There is a special force of the C.I.D. attached to the Depart: ment cf Mines called the Diamond -Fields Branch. A detachment of the South-West African Police, mounted on camels, patrals the coast and the borders of the district and everything is most nrosaic and orderly. _MR, A. J. CAMPBELL (3YA). WHAT is viewed with more concern than Poland’s expressed wish for 4 free naval base in Gdynia is the diversion of trade through the new port at the expense of Danzig. Tn this seems to lie the real reason for its con- ; struction-avoidance of trade with Danzig and Germany. The Polisa determination to avoid business with Nanzig is further shown by the construction of an entirely new and costly railway from Gdynia, right’ through Poland to Upper Silesia, cs