THE PROBLEM OF NOISE.
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On Wednesday last, before the Royal Society of Arts, a paper, entitled "The Problem of Noise," was read by Sir Henry Richards, C.B., LL.D., chairman of thc executive committee of the AntiNoise League. The author prefaced his remarks by saying that the campaign against noise dated from several centuries inc. He auoted a denunciation of noise as "the enemy of thought and the grave of culture." As causes of modern noise, the internal-combustion. engine, the gearbox, the motor horn and the pneumatic drill all came in for blame. Sketching the various undesirable effects of noise, thee' author described it as hannful to the insensitive, torture to the sensitive and possibly fatal to the sick. In connection
with education, the loss for which noise was responsible, he thought, must be enormous.
He drew attention to the Noise Abatement Exhibition to be held at the Science Museum, South Kensington, next June, at which experiments in sound abatement by constructive methods would be demonstrated. Examples included exhaust silencers, a noiseless motorcycle and a silenced road breaker. As opposed to these methods, he spoke of legislation as a suppressive rather than a constructive remedy. Nevertheless, be claimed that the establishment of silence zones in London by "the very courageous and enlightened Minister of Transport" was not unconnected with the League's activities. MORE OIL FROM COAL.
The following quantities of oil are estimated to have been produced from coal by various processes in the United Kingdom, during the past three years :-1932, 39,000,000 gallons of crude benzole and other spirit, and 115,000,000 gallons of creosote ; 1933; 49,000,000 gallons of crude benzole, etc., and •65,000,000 gallons of creosote: 1934, 55,000,000456,000,000 gallons of crude benzoic, etc., and 80,000,000 gallons of creosote.
The figures for .1924 are provisional. The tonnage of coal consumed in the high and low-temperature carboniza • tion processes, from which the above products mere obtained, was, in 1032, 30,200,000, and in 1933, 30,400,000. The 1934 figures are not yet available.