There will be varied opinions as to the entertainment value of new species of itinerant musician that is rapidly increasing in London, This is the "busker", who can be ier male or female, They board crowded trains bearing. tired city. workers to their suburban homes and "entertain" them by. singing the latest popular songs-to the accompaniment of the accordion or saxophone. Then a collection i taken, and a large proportion of the: passengers usually contribute, The trains have to be chosen carefully, however, for some guards and port ers frown on what they probably rightly regard as disturbers of the public peace. This lack of sympathy may perhaps explain why the music ceases immediately the trains enters a station, only to be resumed when the train moves on again.
One can well imagine a tired business man, who has had racking day and whose musical do not run to the latest] popular successes, being driven! well-nigh frantic' by the noise, which he has mo option but to endure. With the amazing growth of gramophones, loud-speakers and all other kinds of music, it is getting more and more difficult to secure any peace at all in a town, Boredom in Industry The Industrial Fatigue Research Board has just made a preliminary inquiry into: the effects of monotony in work, and its report contains the following striking AS an influence important than fatigue", A. clare relation between boredom and talking was suggested by the investiga. tions. 'The decrease in output on days' when talking was allowed!
from 4 to 16 per cent, The effect talking on productive ficiency is almost negligible in some cases, but in others it amount. ed to a decrease of 20 per cent. in output. In spite of this; however, the report urges that there should be a reasonable amount of talking lowed. Tt states that it is more wholesome than day-dreaming is a more important factor tends to make repetitive conditions found inferior telligence seemed to like repetitive employment, others of superior intelligence were misfits and of the 49 operatives concerned only 13. were able to deny boredom, Park Sun Bathe We may have sun-baths in Hyde Park. Mr. George Lansbury, First Commissioner of Works, has consented to receive a deputation, headed by Dr. C. W. Salecby, to Giscuss the extension of facilities for sun-bathing, especially for children, in this park, Sir Richard. Paget, a member of the deputation, submitting a detailed scheme which will add greatly to the dignity' and beauty of the Serpentine in chitectural sense, and at the sonic time provide all necessary accontmodation for large numbers of young people and children of both Sexes. He suggests that facilities should be afforded for. mixed bath. ing and accommodation provided for about 1,500 bathers at a fee of 2d. each, which would probably cover the ' overhead expenses. Another suggestion is that there should be permanent arehitectual bathing} colonnade on the west bank of th Serpentine. vMr. Lansbory promised to. consider' the proposals, although he. thought that the fundamental aspect of the problem was the provision of better sunlight facilities" in' the homes. He added:—"We are 50 humanitarian that we are mined to provide plenty of fresh all in mental homes; in prisons insist that there shall be 80 many ccubie feet of space to each prisoners it was the same with children in the class rooms. The only. time when the law does not insist on the Proper cubic feet of space is when the children are asleep, which seems to me one of the maddest things in the world."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.