HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Blyth Standard, 1930-05-29, Page 3What Are We
Coming To?
Sixteen -Hours Working Week
—and Family Planes
For All
Have you ever tried to visualize
what the world will be like In A.D.
2030? Lord Birkenhead has been do.
Ing this, and some of his forecasts of
the world of the future are described
below.
Imagine a world In which it is pos-
sible by tapping the atonic energy
of 50,000 tots of water—the amount
displaced by a large liner—to main,
tain the Polar regions at the tempera-
ture of the Sahara for a thousand
years!
A world 111 which tolevislen will en-
able political leaders to address every
elector on any vital Issue and then
for the whole electorate (instead of
its representatives) to vote for or
against the Government, and for those
millions of votes to be automatically
counted by mechanism installed In our
telephone exchanges so that the result
Is anuoutced twenty minutes after
the last speaker has addressed the
Hon.
Factories in the Fields
Or take a look at tho future of in-
d11stry, Picture a world in which
agriculture and coal -mining are ex-
tinct; our population fed on synthetic
foods made of cellulose gro-,vm in the
tropics and warmed by electricity
derived from man's mastery over the
energy stored in every drop of water,
In this world w0 are contemplating
there will be neither industrial cities
nor farms. The factories will no
longer need to crowd near coal or rail-
ways—they will he dotted over the
country and served by electric trains
transplanting their gods at low cost.
Tho worker in these factories will
have mastered the machines which
now threaten to enslave him. He
will work a sixteen -hour week. The
rest of Ids plays twill be leisur_ for use
as he will—in art, education, travel,
the jnurseit of health.
Whole Industries to Disappear
It all sounds like a world which has
710001' existed. And it hasn't—yet.
But that is what tw + aro coming to, if
IVO are to ble!eve Lord Birkenhead's
brilliant new book, "The World ho
2030".
And if we remember wireless or
those first aeroplanes of pre -War
days; the excitement when the Chan-
nel was flown by Biorlot; and remem-
her the mighty airmail liners of the
skies to -day, 1010 can doubt. that even
more amazing discoveries may—nay,
must—cone?
Nothing is sure but change. And
tho changes Lord Birkenhead fore-
sees will mean the disappearance of
whole Industries within the next cen-
tury,
In addition to agriculture, the rub-
ber and cotton industries will go,
"It Is already possible to eyathesise
rubber from isoprene In any ordin-
arily equipped chemical laboratory,"
writes Lord Birhenhet,d, "'Phe pro-
cess is 00 yetuneconomic, to' ayn-
thetic rubber costs anything up to
fifty times the price of the natural
product, It is certain, however, that
this will not long continue, and that
within a very few years synthetic rub-
ber will bo producei on an industrial
scale which will soon drive the na-
tural rubber off tate market"
The outlook for tho cotton industry,
already depressed, is equally black,
The Doom of Cotton
"Artificial sills is already an impor-
tance menace to the existence of cot-
ton spinning and weaving, It seems
to fulfil every function of cotton, and
to fulfil it as satisfactorily, Mate-
rials manufactured from this sub-
stance aro more pleasing to tho eye
and touch, more desired by Ironton,
and yet as durable as cotton goods.
Artificial silk, which can be Produced
as cheaply as cotton, will certainly
destroy the cotton industry.
"Intensive aclentific research has
already been flivanced, both in Lan-
cashire and the United States, with
the object of discovering a means
whereby cotton can successfully with-
stand the challenge of artificial silk,"
adds Lord Birkenhead. "There is
much discussion and promise of all
hinds of 110100ses for mercerizing cot-
ton thread, But I foresee all this
activity will have been in vain. Arti-
ficial silk has already shown its: tf the
ultimate victor. Cotton is obsoles-
cent."
Motor -cars as Toys
Tet another industry doomed to
eventual extinction is the manufac-
ture of motor -cars, Lord Birkenhead
expects the coining of the cheap, fast,
convenient family airplane to first
check and 0.011 destroy the prosperity
of motor -cm' manufacturers.
"13y 2030 motor -cars will probably
have passed their zenith of popular-
ity. A century later they will only
be used for shopping, picnics, and
the amusement of youth. They will,
01 fact, sink to the level now oc-
cupied by the bicycle."
With all these changes in prospect,
it is natural that some attempt should
be made to improve the human race
itself. This will be achieved by
eugenics—scientific breeding,
"During the next century," prop -
hosing Lord Birkenhead, "biology
promises definite and sweeping ad -
sauces, The secrets of human here-
dity will certainly receive elucidation;
the vague nonsense which now mas-
querades as 'eugenics' will be replac-
ed
eplaned by 00 exact science, Its experts
will claim, for example to predict
with accuracy the physical and mental
nature of the children born of any
particular marriage.
"Suppose that It 10 oetabllohed be-
yond doubt that the union of A with
13 1111101 inevitably produce children
of a typo 0, congenitally criminal and
mentally repulsive, then, no matter
what outcry is raised by the adher-
ents of various religious denontina-
tiots, the State will certainly legis•
late either to prohibit o: compulsorily
to sterilize such a marriage,
"Conversely, when the eug'eu1st can
predict that a marriage of 1) with E
must inevitably madam) offspring of
robust physique, endowed with first.
class Intelligence, that State will
pet'lslt which does not actively (amour -
age such 2011000 among its citizens."
Week -ends in Africa
"Such proposals," says Loi'd Birken-
head, "sound rcpngnau'., but in essence
they are reasonable and even roman-
tic, At present, by segregating them
in prisons during the major portions
of their adult life, we put an effective
brake upon the fecun.11ty of our incur -
aisle criminals. Our descendants will
adopt the more effective precaution
of preventing the birth of those who
must inevitably grow up with anti.
social proclivities, Prevention is bet-
ter Chau Breath -Liner."
Dirt and smoke will disappear, but
horse -racing will bo as popular a0
ever In 2030. Weec•euls in North–
ern Africa for the workers --carried
thither with their families in family
Mattes travelling at 400 miles an hour.
An inspiring and lhoughi.provoldng
picture of what our world may he
like in a Inmdred years hence, And
with Wren—mid women—living in a
world which changes from year to
year before our eyes, it, is not improb-
able that when the man of A.U. 2030
Prince Charming Returned by Air
reads this book, he may wonder at theva®vsm.n.
lnmwledgo revealed by Lord 13h•ken-
head in 1930. But somehow, I can- Striking photograph 04 Prince of links, tanned by African sum, boarding plume
mot help thinking that the future is mg,to Amnion from big game hunt of rho dark continent.
going to be even more greatly chang-
ed than any mind can visualize to -day.
Brighter Stamps for Britain
A new Idea 111 stamps has recently'
been put forward for the Postmaster -
General's consideration. It is that a
new series of postage stamps should
be prepared, specially for the pur-
pose of bringing home to us the
beauties of the countryside.
These stamps, it is suggested,
should' bear pictures of flowers and
animals and landscape.
It 15 true that we haven't made the
same use of our opportunities in the
natter of postage stamps as some
other nations, The new series would
certainly make for brighter British
sections fu our stamp albums, (spec.
(ally 15 new issues, with fresh sub-
jects, were made from time to time.
Prom tine publicity viewpoint, too,
the idea is a good one. Stamps,
bearing pictures of some of our love-
liest landscapes. would prove a pow-
erful aid to the "Coupe to Britain"
movement,
EVERY DAY HEROISM
We should all be heroic if our trials
were on a grand scale! Should we?
Heroism in the least is the only
pledge or heroism In the greatest, Un-
less 'ive take the smallest trials as
real trials of us and trifling tests as
real tests of us, we give promise of go-
ing down under great ones, Dignify
little troubles by the thought of the
divine purpose in them and great trims
Iles will have dignified treatment. Let
each mall annoyance or disappolnt-
meat bo one degree of heat in the fur-
nace for the steel's sake, one gritty
grain in the grindstone for the knife's
sake and the maiming of 110001010 is
here,
FLATTERY
Beware of flattery, 'tis a weed
Which oft offends the very idol—vice,
Whose shrine it would perfume.
—Fenton.
In the moral arena there is no nem
trality.—Harold Begblo.
at Miatseilles, France, return -
Glasgow Gets
Mercat Cross Back
After 300 Years
"I was pleased and interested to
hear of yew' project for the re -erection
of the Mercat Cross of Glasgow.
"These old crosses serve not only
as reminders of the past, but also as
emblems of the continuity of our civic
and national life, We shall alw050,
I hope, be a forward-looking people,
ready to face in an adventurous spirit
every new task that confronts 00; but
we muet never allow to wither those
roots, embedded ht our past, from
which we delve strength and stability:
"We have a great history, and the
more we treasure its memories, the
stronger will be our determination
that the chapter in it for which we
ourselves are responsible shall be a
worthy ono."—Mr. Ramsay MocDon-
old,
"Not for centuries have the citizens
of Glasgow witnessed a sceine of more
historical and romantic import than
that Aid) 1011 was presented undo' the
shadow of the old Tolbooth Steeple,
which has stood the test of time as
the symbol of the community's corpor-
ate existence," says the Glasgow Her-
ald.
"Tice Mercat Cross, the token of the
city's commerce, which has developed
from humble beginnings, was being re-
stored on almost exactly the same site
00 its predecessor, which, in the
phraseology of the period, was 'made
wall with the grand' in 1550."
Professor R, S. Rall, speaking on
the occasion, said:
"They might ask him to toll them
what meant we, what meant they, by
that Cross to which our remote an-
cestors attached great importance and
our nearer ancestors seemed to have
attached no importance at all? The
Cross in an ancient burgh, in Scotland
or elsewhere, served the purpose
which was served by the gate many
centuries earlier, in the cities of the
Israelites. They world 10meinber
how the aged prophet 1051 met big end
while administering justice in the
gate; a messenger brought evil 11005'0
Of dnsastnrs, both national and do-
100stic, and the old ratan fell back-
wards from his sea`.
The Centre of Justice
"And they could recollect how when
the match -making Naomi had safely
lauded `a rich suitr for the hand of
Rath, it was to the gate that Boaz
went, to arrange that strange bargain
for Naomi's parcel of land which legal-
ized his further declaration:—'Moro-
over, Ruth the Moahttess, the wife of
Mahlon, have I purcha100 to be my
wife, to raise up the name of the dead Each and every day,
05011 his inheritance.' And you've always played the gauge
"What tate gate was to ancient
Israel the Market. Cross was to our hi a kingly way;
forefathers. Justice, bargaining and Who can ever say that you
legal evidence of bargains — these
Failed to keep life's compass true?
three things constituted a largo part
When war's storm broke o'er your
bead
Courage 1100er slept;
When the empire mourned its dead,
With the sad you wept,
Ever hoping for that time
\Viten the bells of Peace should chime,
places, through the beneficence of Dr.
Blackie, that pulled down nearly, 300
years°ag0.
Twenty Years a King
(11.181, the Ting celebrated the
twentieth anniversary of his accession
to the Throne),
Klug of hearts as well as lands,
Not upon a throne,
But on you this Empire stands,
Yon, its corner -store;
Twenty years have proved your worth
To the farthest bounds of earth.
Helpfulness has been your alit
of the life of an early mercantile maim
tnunit days y, and i u d ys when the art of
writing was a rare accomplishment
Munn memory was helped by the cir-
cumstance that such things were done
at a fixed and recognized plane.
"So the Cross became tits scene of
almost everything that affected the
secular life of the community. Goods
for sale were exposed at at near thine
Cross. Royal proclamations were read
from it and legal not'.c05 were posted
of it,
"Perhaps nothing showed more
clearly the part played by the Market
Cross in the burghal life than the
fact that the Town Council which had
made It 'equal with the ground' con-
tinued to speak and act as if It were
still there.
"There were many references to it
in the printed records, and no reader
would guess that it had ceased to
exist. Everybody knew where it had
been, the name was retained in com-
mon use, and the egg and butte' mar-
ket, for example, continued to be held
at the Cross just as in the days when
an actual Crass stood there."
Glasgow's new Mercat Cross re -
Sailor Ring indeed you are,
Cheerful, hopeful, strong,
Kind in peace and (alai 01 war,
Hating strife and wrong,
Clinging close to home and wife,
Pattern of domestic life.
Never since the world began
Has there ever been
Sweeter woman, kinder man,
Than our King and Queen,
And, if this seem simple praise,
Let who cam name nobler traits,
—A. B. Cooper in Answers,
happiness comes far more from
withht than from without,—J, P,
Clarke,
The world is full of hope for the
man who has hopes for himself,—J.
Brierley.
New English Track Rec ord Set at Brookland
ENGLISH MANUFACTURERS CONTINUE TO EXPERIMENT WITH SPEED CARS
Capt, Birkin, English speed drive', at wheel of Hon Dorothy Pagent's car, when he set up new track record of 135.33 miles an hour, and beat Kaye Don's
record.
Thornton Expects
Recovery Shortly
C.N.R. Head Says Good Crop
This Year Will Retrieve
Most of 1.osses
PROGRESS IS NOTED
m,.,1(1 ciao olio 'I' ciao' oiaoi (stole
Ottawa—Sir Cleary 'fhorton said ru
really the outstanding facts of the
year's operation were so well known
00 1101 to require nnu•L further explan•
anion. The fust six months' 1)11010000
was splendid.
Then (mine a crop shortage and the
failure of the crop to be moved. This
remitted in very material reduction In
the revenues of the company. A
very considerable expense had been
incurred in preparing for a move
merit that failed to materialize. The
comp1uq', however, 'had taken steps
to Dee that no hardship was D10)0504
on the employee) by reason of the les-
sened traffic.
Much May Be Retrieved
Tho crop was commencing to move
and it would he expedited, With a
good crop this year Sir Henry ex-
pected to "retrieve a good part of
what has been lost."
The committee afterwards took up
the financial statement, The decrease
in revenue from grain shipments alone
was 515,000,000,
The stock market crash also had
been an adverse influence, Various
other details were glvea of items
which figure in the lessened passenger
and freight revetne0 of the past year
and which already have been pub•
lisped.
"A lair amount of the decline In
passenger traIDc 1s dim to higbwaY
competition," said Sir Henry, adding
"Mc tourist coming in by motor prob•
ably leaves more behind hint ,thm1 1f
he (.ones by train, It all amounts
5300,000,000 a year.
Policy to Fill Trains
"The object of the railway Is to fill
its trains and, the better the service,
the better the patronage," was Slr
Henry's reply to a query by R. B.
Ranson, as to why trains were being
speeded 1111 when the passenger traf-
fic is falling,
"Improved facilities;" he said, "un-
doubtedly increased business. Some
services, unprofitable at first, were
now very profitable; for example,
those from Canada to New York,
Washington and the south,"
Montreal Port Growing
The St, Lawrence route, Sir Henry
stated, is becoming more and more
popular and Montreal a very growing
port, Leine trait services undoubted-
ly bring to Canadian ports much Euro-
pean traffic orghtating in the United
States. Because 510,000,000 was lost
on passenger services, it did toot mean
that It was all lost. All the largo rail-
ways had the sante experience. Pas-
senge' services could not be dispensed
with and, "If they are not good, we
should not have them:' The most
profitable services really were the
suburban. It cost no more to have a
full trait than an empty one."
Col. Cantley wanted to know when
the 001115003' would be needing more
freight cars and Sir Henry said the'
system had inherited 8,000 old wood
et cars, which were being got rid of
as quickly as possible.
"Do you ever anticipate coming to
the end of your betterment program?"
asked Malcolm McLean, 11I.1',
"No, 00 railway or no individual,
ever does," Sir Henry answered,
Man Sought For 18 Years
Arrested When He Begs
Chicago,—"Big Charley," wanted for
18 years in connection with 0 5272,-000
safe -cracking in Canada, was held at
the Detective Bureau recently for the
authorities at New Westminster, B.C,
Charley," alias John \V, Harris,
alias J. P. Montague, alias William St,
Clair, 1h010 -up man, burglar and yegg,
is alleged to have been a member of
the bandit gang which raided tho Bank
of Montreal branch at New Westmin-
ster ha the 001 11111101' of 1912. Despite
a convincing police record, Charley
denied emphatically that he was a
versatile criminal. He said:
"The charges are ridiculous, Why,
son, I'm old enough to be your grand-
father. Do I look like a 'Pete Man?
They don't want ate in Canada, either,
That cop arrested me just because we
had an argument. Do I look tough?
Of course not, and you have to be
tough to do all the things they say I
014."
As Sergeant Thomas Connolly was
leaving his home, a Shabby man asked''
Minn for a dime to buy coffee. Connote
ly took hint to tine Detective Bureau,
where he gave his name as Joseph
Burgess, but 8100 identified as "Big
Charley,"
Montreal.—The Bank of Montreal
has no information, snot' have city de-
tectives, en "I3ig Charley."
Many Motorists-
-Don't give a hoot for pedestrians.
—Are content to lake life as It
comes.
—Meow all about the crawl of the
open road.
—Seem to enjoy running (1001 their
fellow -men.
—Like speed -hogging, but are keel
on saving their own bacon.
—Go crazy over a new car and finish
up by doing the 01110 thing under it.
—Discover that in addition to rho
cost 00 the car, niece 10 the upkeep
and very ofleu the turnover,