Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-22

''Dirt is Just matter out of place"
| That is familiar definition, but how
familiar is this one, Noise is sound out
of place.? Somehow, that seems to
differentiate noise from music-or does
it, when music is so distinctively out
of place as it is when persistent at mid
night, coming from too near ones rest
ing place? New York city Is starting
campaign against such nuisances as
unnecessary noises. Attention, WASH
ington"
Music Is sometimes used with f1nan-
cial profit in mechanicS-aside entirely
from aesthetics-for it speeds up the
mechanic doing routine Work-provided
the rhythm of the music does not clash
with the natural rhythm of the work.
Even COWS give down" better to the
tune of Flow Gently, Sweet Alton, -
but they would strike at the tune of
Nobody Knows How Dry Am"
John Muir. the naturalist, tells of
lying prone in the forest and singing
to the little wildlings-birds and squir-
rels-which seemed quite appreciative
and would perch nearby, or even upon
him. But the instant he pitched on
old Hundred" every critter fled in
disapproval.
what would a canary do with jazz?
Birds know better. It's the dirt" of
sound.
~ %k
Sometimes music is so out of place
that 1t Is Just noise. NoiSe-traffic or
grinding machines or riveters or talk
is so disturbing to workers that 1t be-
comes the most expensive waste in a
business establishment.
Our traffic director, Mr.. Harland,
does not believe that: he came from
New York. He AYERS that it all de-
ponds on getting used to noise, then
one does not notice it. We Washing
tonians may be villagers, for we seem
to listen in whenever a street car and
frog have an argument at a crossing,
or a truck goes numbering by. Now
there is Sixth avenue and Thirty
fourth street, New York, which the
new Encyclopaedia Britannica declares
is the noisiest spot on earth. 1t has
three surface car lines and two ele-
waited tracks and millions of automobile
trucks and other noise-makers. What
Heaven for Traffic Manager Harland,
who is so used to noise that he says
he has rested in a boiler factory en-
joying watching two boiler-makers con-
"ersing alongside the widest hammer
ing, and speaking in that low, cultured
voice of the refined drawing room. It's
all in getting used to-lip reading.
Soldiers got accustomed to lombard
ments, so that, when tired enough, they
just lay down alongside of active can
mons and were lulled to Sleep-the
sweet restorer." Yet If a new note
were sounded-an air attack or a gas
sirens warning-the sleepers walked
instantly.
Health Commissioner Wynne of New
York anncunceS the appointment of a
commission to investigate noises. The
United States Senate is investigating all
smells, so noise is all that he has left
to look after. The Senate might have
included noises. except for the habitual
silences of lobbies and detectives.
Previous New York investigations by
noise experts have determined that its
noise varies from 00001 dyne, per
square centimeter. to 20 dynes. That
is enough to raise the roof" or raise
-. whatever ought not be raised. A
dyne is the force which If applied to
one gram for one second would give it
velocity Of one centimeter a second
And New York actually averages 5 of
| these units per centimeter
OF the total noise, the ratio of blame
Is attributed as follows: Forty per cent,
auto trucks used for commercial deliv-
cry; Twenty-Five per cent. elevated
railroads; twenty per cent, surface
cars. (And Washington has two such
systems of surface cars. He who will
make one run where two 60 now will
offset the fellow who breeds two ears of
corn where one grew before) If two
systems of surface cars make so many
dynes (not dimeS) how many dynes
will one make?
X y
The remaining Is per cent of the
noise is credited to private automobiles
the horns mainly-horse vehicles,
riveting and excavating machines and
ambulance and fire alarms. Not much
can be charged to private automobiles,
except to drivers who are still so
young" that they like to holler just to
attract glory to themselves. There is
hardly any reason for honking. since
honking is no excuse for running down
pedestrians now. and the unnecessary
use of the honk is a criminal offense,