335mm}:

Radios were not common articles in homes until electricity encompassed the country. The ama- teur young man could and did have enough knowledge about the workings of sound waves in the early 1920’s. Consequently some were able to construct an element that would conduct sound. These were called crystal sets. Only one person was able to listen to the earphones at a time. These were great energy users and batteries were expensive so they were not used exten- sively. The daily news broadcasts were the most important.

It was not long before the large carved cabinet radios were in vogue. They had, as well as the local “static” stations, the ability to bring many world cities to your living room because of the ‘short wave’ component. These large machines required a ‘car battery’ to operate properly. These could be recharged. However, this was an expensive way to listen to the outside world. During the “War” years it was a requirement to sit and listen to those who gave ‘a blow -by- blow’ description of the Day’s activities in that far-away land called Europe.

The mind would be glued to the sounds of low flying airplanes dropping bombs zzzinngiing through the air or sounds of machine guns blasting their way through enemy lines! To the young listener, it must have been a play on the imagination to convince each one that on the day of one’s sixteenth birthday, that person would want to get into this action. Two notable person- ages heard on these NEWS broadcasts were Gabriel Heater and the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill. Although the young people would like to listen to more ‘radio talk’, the machine was shut off so the ‘power’ could be saved for a later NEWS broadcast.

When radios became more popular, the Government officials had a glimpse of a new way to earn more money for the Provincial or Federal purse. Each person who owned a radio had to obtain a license for the operation of this mechanical wonder. In the 1920’s the license cost $1.00. Who would know if you owned one, two, or a dozen radios? Each radio had to have an aerial extending to the outside of your home or at least attached to the ‘kitchen’ window. There were people assigned to travel across the Island and check on these licenses. If you were found to be in possession of a radio and had not paid for a license, the precious connection to the out- side world would be seized by Government officials.

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