1934-02-09 — Page 7

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1934.

"WASTE: THE

OLD

SAVAGE"

LECTURE BY PROFESSOR

MIDDLETON SMITH

UTILISING THE SUN'S ENERGY

The may ways in which our ignorance leads us to wastage of the bounties of nature, were amply illustrated in a lecture delivered last night by Professor Middleton Smith, M.Sc., M.I. Mech. E. before the University Engi neering Society.

Waste: The Old The lecturer called his address, Savage in the New Civilisation." In the course of his talk he pointed out the tremendous changes that are now coming over the world and forecasted still more stupen dous changes when some of the power and energy that is allowed to go wasted to-day, are harnessed and put into

proper use.

PROGRESS OF APPLIED SCIENCE

the tropics, where plant life is so Juxuriant in its growth, as our great source of power alcohol.

The Aim of Sälence. There is so much evidence, in the materialistic world, of the re- sults of the coming of scientiac knowledge to Europe and America, that we are perhaps apt to over-. look the effect which it has had upon our mental outlook upon. life. Sclence has not only changed our day 3ite; it has effected in a tremendous manner, the ideals of mankind.

The growth of scientific know- ledge has influenced religion and it is silly for emotional people who feel deeply upon matters of a spiritual nature to attempt to hide from" themselves obvious facts.

Specialisation.

You must concentrate; not only in one of the major divisions of on one small engineering, but

section, yet you must also build up on wide foundations. Even in a highly organised country, no en- gineer can be absolutely sure at the class of work which he will do Therefore, in the years to come. .n any efficient centre of Univer- sity training, you are instructed in the general principles which and In millions of acres underlie civil, mechanical primitive met-electrical engineering. producing wheat.

A 60 horse power tractor, pulling twelve ploughs and seeding equip- ment, and, when the wheat has ripened, working a combined har- vester and thresher, leaves corn on the fleld in sacks.

Wasted Energy.

Wireless and Telephones. When Napoleon wanted to send a letter from Paris to Rome it took

him as long as it did Caesar 800 years" before. Contrast that with mechanism

Transport.

FERRY EARNINGS

LOWER

Question By Shareholder On Equalisation Of Dividend

INTERIM DIVIDEND DESIRED

"At the Annual Meeting of the Star Ferry Company, Limited, yesterday, over which the Hon. Mr. J. J. Pater son presided, it was indicated that the earnings of the company for the past year were 39,598 less than in the previous year.

Mr. J. H. Seth, a shareholder, suggested that in future, if the earnings of the company warranted it, that an interim dividend should be paid. He also moved that a sum of $50,000 earmarked for the Equalisation of Divi- dend Fund, should not be placed in that account, but that the sum should be carried to the profit and loss account.

FALLING

OFF IN TRAFFIC

the meeting. the i With regard to the amendment proposed by Mr. Seth, the Chair- man, said that perhaps he did not make it very clear in his speech but actually the Company was not doing as well as it had been. Taking it by and large, Public was in the Utility Companies were feeling Directors' mind to keep the divi- dend on a level keel as far as the draught, and

possible. The application of the

the Equalization

to ensure money to Dividend Fund WAS this.

Addressing Chairman said:

Gentlemen. With your permis- sion I will take the "Report and Accounts, with the Auditor's Re- port, which have been in" your hands for some time, as read.

The Ferry earnings for the past previous year. There was a con- year were $9,598 less than the for communicationing the latter part of 1033; this siderable falling off in traffic dur- that flashes news to every corner was not surprising in view of bust- the of the habitable globe.

ness conditions generally in Colony and the fact that there were fewer visitors to the Port.

Because of the falling of in revenue I have mentioned and because of the probability that your over this year at least, this diminuation will be continued

$50,000.00 to place prove, Directors have decided, if you ap- Equalization of Dividend account. Our pier leases. 'ns I told you last year, expire in 1949.

Professor Middleton Smith said revolution. in part:-

The map of ufe of every indivi-hods have disappeared. There are now factories on wheels to provide dual" varies as much as a map of

us with corn and to create leisure every country, or the plan of any

for workers on 'the land. city. During the last century the lives of millions of people, all over the world, have been affected pro- foundly by the progress made in applled science. The hills and the mountains and the valleys on each

The most fascinating and spec- Individual's map of life, represent-

un-tacular form of transport is me- ing the moments of high emotion

the rich It is recognised that some or of deep depression:

a minute, plains symbolient of the days of profitable expenditure of material, chanical fight. Incredible, speeds,

and even of energy. is inevitable exceeding seven miles labour when they sowed and re-

passengers each aped; the rivers made up of hours in all industrial processes. When have been experienced... Hundreds

we change the work energy of the of thousands of watered by the best in literature,

electric power there year race through the other. Ro- scenery; human nature and the engine into

when we utilise the mance and tragedy are recorded. but you are often safer in the air stirrings of imagination,-all of, is waste;

to light lamps these things would have shown electricity very differently on countless maps heat our rooms, to drive fans or than in the streets of a city oF of fe if there had been no steam other motors, there is loss. Man at sea,

must, however, continue to in- power and electricity.

prove his methods, and reduce the wastage of energy That must be the great endeavour if life is become, for the average family. more secure and on a higher plane."

Production of Leisure.

The outstanding feature of this age is the creation of leisure. For those who, if born, in the pre- tolled to power age must have survive, applied science has pro- binions of vided billions upon hours of leisure, even although it has stimulated demands for great- er comforts.

leisure.

The Power Age

The never ending pursuit for

greater efficiency is the key-note

or to

and material.

Windmill For Power

It is calculated that the sun's rays fall upon the earth and sup-

4,000,000 over

tails.

Government Control.

But

Brritan, en-

an.

a certain

of

sure they all realized He felt that, the management could never see eye-to-eye on an occasion like- this with shareholders, who, uot they could get, while on the other side the Directors would like the unnaturally, wanted all the money

money to keep things on the same

sald Simmons

that he Mr. level if possible. thought the amendment of Mr. were in-Seth was not very material.

to

large

Mr. Seth said he could not see the object of putting $50,000 in Equalization of Dividend Fund "There will

on the earnings of the Company when the dividend was only Two Dollars per share. have to be a very, very large drop before you will have to draw on

The amendment was put to the meeting and defeated.

Mackle. Mr. A. H., Compton, Mr. ported by Hon. Mr. C. Gordon (Chairman) presided and was sup-

I do not think the Accounts call H. H., H. Priestley, Mr. J. P. War- for. any, special comment and Iren, (Directors), and. Mr, F. H. now beg to propose the adoption Crapnell (Secretary). of the Report and Accounts as When this has been presented, done, I shall be pleased to answer any questions shareholders may wish to ask.

The following shareholders" were present: Messrs G. Castle, W. NI[ Groves, G. B. 8. Thomson, D. for A. J. David, J. D. Dandy, J. MacKenale, Frank Austin, attorney HL Seth, A. W. Heron, EG. Smith, J. F. Grose, P. S. Cassidy, W. F. Simmons, J. H. R. Hance.

Operating expenses In the industrial development creased, due to the acceleration of the service by extending the ten of any country the Government must have, not only an interest, minute service to midnight and but general powers of supervision, then every 15 minutes to 1 am. In Britain, during this century. These additional expenses, how- Government has become more and ever, were offset by a very favour-

ning costs low. During the last half century, and more active in encouraging deve-able coal contract which kept run-

content with

You will notice in the Accounts it. Once it gets into this account.

it may never come out.": electric grid over

Continuing. he said that the particularly during the last two lopment. Not

money was not likely to be cut decades, scientists have given very close attention to the elimination gineers advocate a national grid to that the cash at Bank is over amount to be tale but loans were cottage. Government now

The Chairman Issue pi capital. For the greatest production of waste. An example will flus supply pure water to every house eight lakhs. This is a

controls the British Broadcasting made during the year which were again unless there was a new this age of mass production has trate how "the public has benefi- and . been the production of leisure, ted by their successful efforts.

For many years after Murdoch | Corporation, the Centrar Electric- refunded before the 31st Decem- Sometimes it is unearned, more

$440,000 ond we have clients ready money into the Equalization of Dividend Account and to leave It often it is enforced as unemploy-produced coal-gas for street light-ty Board, the London Passenger ber. Payment of the dividend and assured Mr. Seth that the Direc-

Marketing Board. Tesidue was ment. There would be work and ing (1815) only gas and coke were Transport Board and the Milk bonus now proposed will absorbtors' intention was not to put the

It is not suggested that Govern- to take the balance on loan.

The Diesel Electric Ferry, which there for ever. re- ample leisure for everyone if there utilised. The tarry

ment would be successfully car- were a proper planning of human thrown away. To day that

With analine

a council consisting I told you at our last meeting was

The Chairman: Thank you Mr. life. And remember that leisure sidue' provides us

only of engineers. No modern then being bullt, was handed over

This Beth for making the meeting is not for idleness, but for a dyes, artificial fertilisers, material ried out by cultivation of the highest aims in for making.more perfect our roads,

amount of ing than usual life; we dare not abuse the gift of all sorts of chemical and many Government can function efficient by the Buiders in October and

other useful products. It is as fly without guidance from experts named the "Electric Star."

works There is

Other business included the re- public legislative affairs, Even with power at our disposal, diamonds have been manufactured with respect to fiscal, legal and vessel is quite up to expectations. rather mare intelligent and at us- bont; Paterson on the Board of Direc and all our material needs satis-out of the dust heaps that once and welfare, trade and other de- vibration due to the engines being

of the engineers complain rather more powerful than neces-election of the Hon Mr. J.3. tors and the re-election of Mr. C. hed, we cannot, remain altogether were wasted. The result has been

is running very that gas is the bye-product and

Bernard-Brown, as auditor. Idle, for history teaches us de-

We now havé a the past, all over the world Goy- otherwise she

One

Those Present finitely that idleness produces only heat and light can now be sold with reason that, at any rate in sary for the size

at a greatly reduced price.

ernment has grown to large pro- satisfactorily.

fleet of six modern vessels.

The Hon. Mr. J. J. Paterson degeneration and vice.

portions almost without design or

old ferry, the "Evening Star." plan There is room for more co- side Government employ, for the 18 past her useful life, is for dis- operation by technical men, out- which has seen good service bat of our modern industrial system ply energy at a maximum rate of

purpose of suggesting adjustments posal. horse-power per We want to eliminate waste. Not only should we strive to use the square mile. It is true that the which have been so successful in

The Untapped Energy. natural sources of energy and the average is but a fraction of that other lines of human activity. inorganic materials at our dis-

amount but the total energy is

I will say but little of subatomic we must

colossal. Crude experiments have posal more efficiently;

sun's energy, because I have doubts if been made to utilise the work to improve and, to conserve

not im- the world is ready for the great directly. It is energy human energy to direct it into

But the business of

Mr. Seth's Proposal productive and not into wasteful possite that some process will be secret of liberating such tremend- methods of expressing personality evolved by the chemist, physicist.ous forces.

de more atom-splitting goes merrily

have a Mr. J. E Seth said that before Our world of to-day runs on

or engineer which will

than In Massachusetts they practicable fuel For countless centuries just

commercially

Two machine to generate ten million the fesolution was put to the a few sticks kept the pot boiling. those hitherto attempted. or charcoal was good enough for thousand years ago primitive ex-volts; at Cambridge, England; they meeting there was one matter he being the proposal to place $50,000 the primitive tools made by the periments were made by Hero of have magnetic fields of undreamt would like to touch upon, that smith. Then, about 209 years ago. Alexandra with a steam turbine; power,

There is energy equivalent to an Equalization of Dividends Ac- of 200 count. Before making this alloca- the world of man was set ablaze, mankind had to wait for a Parsons and the heat of fuel was converted to carry the work, by scientific year's continuous supply

com- **Exto useful work. Thus

noticed that there was already menced the new era of mechantsa methods, to its "present state of horse-power in a single drop of tion, the Directors might have a similar amount in the General $275,000 in the Reserve Fund and Contingency Account. He thought that those two sums were ade-, In a large measure the trouble quate and the $50,000 added to them would make the total Re- modern the

serves six lakhs which was cer- come, not from in countries where it is developed. hub of civilisation may leave the and discomforts of the

but tainly in excess of normal re- of engineering,

Paris, February 7, Our aim in China is to put power grimy coal field. But as yet only age have a small fraction of the energy of rationality

Mr. Seth also suggested that the behind the worker. We want to

One. defect in the French Re- enough, to apply it intensively in

Company should in keeping with raise the standard of life all over the sun is utilised by means of from a failure to use it extensively quirements. the country; it can be done by water power.

or rational other Public Utility Companies publican Constitution, namely, the utilising efficiently the natural "We can imagine in the city of all directions. Not to the surren- "sources of energy available. It the future enormous buildings de- der of the planning

blamed as being the time canse can be accomplished only by those signed for offices, only, with quick, method do many of us seek for try and pay an interim dividend extreme difficulty of bringing who are trained in applied science. internal transport and raised some! achievements. We offer a method each year in about June or July, about a dissolution of the Cham

That the Balance Sheet at of the present political crisis.

Only once since 1871, has the founded on planning and built up, ameridment to the resolution: will be And therefore the urgent need in six or eight hundred feet high, and equipment essentially rational, Herbosed then the following ber of Deputies Is frequently

December 31, 1933 and Proft China to-day-is an army of en- with flat roofs. There

landing places; gyro-planes will not on chancy guess work, but on

and Loss Account for the year President of the French Republic gineers.

ended December 31, 1933 as made use of his prerogative to The transformation, not only of drop vertically. And huge wind- unshakeable facts. For no task- of large operations can be under-

presented, be adopted, and that declare Parliament dissolved. It China, but of Asia is inevitable and mills may be on top to generate economic or aesthetic or moral

dividend of Two Dolls and 18, therefore, interesting to leára taken on a basis of uninformed, indeed is taking place before our power.

bánus of $3.50 per share be paid that when M Chautemps' Cabinet de Paris, eyes. The power age is here. The

method of uncoordinated instincts, or a my There is another

to all shareholders on the Re- fell ex-Président Domergue, aç- long silence of the jungle and the

Tremendous Awakening.

gister or January 31, 1934; and cording to the Echo desert has been shattered by the using the sun's energy in a clean- sterious higher will

The twentieth century has been

that the sum of $38,537.64 be declined the invitation of Presi- drone of engines in the sky. Asla er fashion than by coal, viz, me

carried forward to the 1934 Pro-dent Lebrun to form a

Ministry, not as was supposed st is beginning to listen in to the alcohol engine. It is a pleasan-

-At & Loss Account. swelling torrent of words and new też prospect to imagine the cultivaa tremendous awakening of the

Mr. J. F." Gross seconded the the time because of his great age would not but because Lebrun ideas that wireless masts in many tion of hundreds of square milea social conscience, an impulse to- stations in many countries are of land by tractors for thus pro wards helping the underdog, and

than the rescuing from despair those in amendment. motive' power

The Chairman said that so far fulfi the two conditions imposed aefiding swirling into space. Will ducing

understand the other as the interim dividend was con- by M, Doumergue, namely, 1, to they stir the youth of China to a present method of mining. You desperate circumstances. sense of responsibility beyond that may be surprised at the idea of Try to due to the family to a splendid using alcohol as fuel but that is fellow's point of view. Hatred is cerned, he could sce no very valid dissolve the Chamber, forthwith; only because you associate it with a terrible waste of energy. It is reason for it, nor could he see 2, to postpone the general election the worst type of friction; it wears any strong reason against it. And for at least six months. Lebrin sense of social service?

drinking. Saving Toil and Time. We read a great deal of the in- The busses in Paris run on a out and appreciably reduces the that was a matter which was to declined to accept these condi ma- made a little more work for the strengthens the case of those who dustrial revolution but the primary half-and-half -mixture of alcohol efficiency of that remarkable piece be considered by the Directors It Lions. The incident, however,

care of Company, but he had no feeling demand need of mankind is food. There and petrol. Power alcohol-can be of mechanism, the human

either way. has been in recent years avast made of any surgary of starchy chine. You must take and almost unnoticed agricultural substance: Bomeday we shall use that prime mover.

tion.

Alm In China.

development.

water. If you were to liberate the The phenomenal growth, in a power latent in a lump of sugar could blow sky-high all quarter of a century, of power you

The Planning Process.

The result of all of this power production at Niagara, in Africa, Hongkong. production has been to raise, en- Russia, Japan and in other parts of living of the world shows us that the ormously, the standard

1

Alcohol.

THE FRENCH CONSTITUTION

One Serious Defect

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