*
select committee of League
of Nations experts on haus- ing has been investigating the iniquity of noise.
So there may be no mistake about it, the committee has drawn up a scale of noises. The unit of measurement, it says, is general ly the decibel, although some countries (and experts) prefer the phon.
As it is essential for the or dinary individual, if he wishes to understand the problem of noise thoroughly, to get a good grasp from the outset of the difference between the phon and the decibel, the following table prepared by the 'experts and reproduced in the League of Nations monthly summary is appended: Decibels or phons.
0-Limit of audibility.
10- Slight rustling of leaves. 20-Whispering.
30-Very quiet street.
40 Average noise in dwellings. 50-Noise in commercial
mises.
60 Ordinary conversation. 70-Loud conversation.
80-Heavy urban trafic, loud
radio.
90-Proximity of
*
with silencer.
motorcycle
100 Very loud motor horn at
about 7 meters. 110-Metal worker's shop, proxi- Toad mity of pneumatic dill
To prove that he has thorough ly mastered this aspect of the noise problem, the ordinary dividual is recommended at this stage to work out the answer to the following exercise: How
THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT, OCTOBER
TIRED OF NOISE? LEAGUE STUDY
TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT
were
many decibels (or phons) consumed by the rude fore- fathers of the hamlet when cording to Thomas Gray)- "Along the cool sequestered vale
of life
"They kept the noiseless tenour of
their way?"
So far as the remedy for ex- cessive noise is concerned, the committee – doubtless remember ing the old French proverb which says, "I do not like noise unless I make it myself" recommends the cultivation of a public opin- on which in the use of power- ful radio sets and other sources of sound, takes into consideration neigh- "the feelings of one's bours."
This recommendation is one of several listed under the head of "measures involving minor ex- penditure." The others, accord- ing to the monthly summary, are as follows:
1. The use of the quietest rooms in the house as bedrooms -particularly for young chil
dren.
2. The use of suitable car sto
Bals whose
For the day
the dwelling before con- struction.
(b) The use of sound-absorb- ing wall and ceiling fluish- es to an extent depending the conditions. It must not: be forgotten that agreeable acoustic conditions inside a room are likely to result from the use of thick car- pets, heavy curtains and furnishing.
canvasTM
X
gue rts have of asures adar duction of noise among which are the
193
Use of silencers vehicles and road-breaking pner- matic hammers;
2. Increasing restriction of the use of motor horns by day night;
3. Restriction of the speed of trafic, in residential areas,
(4) Installation of quie tary appliances;
(5) Wearing
shoes
rubber heels;
resilient floor (6) Use coverings or thick carpets.
་
The insertion of hose or the like in ventilat- ing ducts, between the fan and the rooms concerned. The use of resilient sup- ports for such machinery as water pumps, compres sors, refrigerators and
air conditioners. The League experts definitely reject 0. (though tacitly) Henry's well-known dictum that little, old Noisyville-on-the- Subway is good enough for me," There should be, say the experts:
1 Town planning with a view monthly summary, to use to locating dwellings in quiet areas,
and as far as possible away from roads subjected to heavy traffic.
tion between local d industrialists in authorities and planning the lay out of noisy for example, transformer screened by may be buildings
So far as motor cars are conTM. cerned, the experts state that the legislation of certain countries already tends to make the appli- cation of technical remedies com- pulsory.
cularly
sleep during
station
3. Reduction of internal noise in a dwelling.
(a) Good internal planning of
3 Allowance of more time by local authorities for the
execu~
The experts also have a word of advice to builders who are en- joined, in the words of the
terials and...methods of
struction calculated to reduce the loudness level of the noise pene- trating a dwelling.” These in- clude-
(1) Double windows,
(2) External and partition walls affording a given standard of insulation;
floor
(3) Use of resilient coverings (foating floors) and suspended ceilings,
The one thing
I'm looking tremendously theatre party the Cartwrights tonight, darling....
no woman
can hide...
I've wet. I look
a kindred
always so tired
You're looking very attractive tought
Aren't you coming
Now them!
for a drink, darling –
DISLE EYES
HAIR
DRAWOS
•PINCHED- LOOK
AGEING LITTLE
Horlicks every night
TWO MONTHS LATE
you look
actions.
you wake g and looking tired Night Starvation. suggest Horlicks
arly at bedtime.
arlick
HORLICKS
guards against
Night Starvatioa
UNES