THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8239, 18 September 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1906.

Everyone who follows the progress of naval development knows how rapidly ships become obsolete, but it is a little startling to be told, five months after the Dreadnought was launched, that the supremacy of that monster of strength is already threatened. However, we are told tbis by Colonel Ouniberti, the chief constructor of the Italian navy, in an article contributed to the last issne (just published) of Mr F. T. Jane's "Fighting Ships." Now Colonel Ouniberti ia the real designer

Of the Dreadnought; for it was in ' bis brain that the idea originated, three years ago, of building a battleship I,OOC tons larger than the largest existing type, with ten 12inob guns, protected by a oomplete belt of twelve inches of steel, and steaming 24 knots. The world laughed at him, but before long came the Dreadnought, which, although she fell short of his ideal, embodied some of his ideas. Bat now Colonel Ouuiberti says the Dreadnought, in the light of the lessons of the late war, is not the type best calculated to meet the demands of modern warfare. He now has a new ideal, a ship mounting eight 16-inch guns, firing projectiles of I,Boolb. However, the demands of speed are such that he is content for the present with guns of 13.5inoh calibre, throwing a shell of 1,2501b. The British 12-inch guns throws an 8501b projectile. Moreover, all the guns of the new ship are to be so arranged that they can all be fired in the one broadside, whereas 20 per cent, of the Dreadnought's guns cannot be so trained. Ahead, astern and broadside on the new vessel will throw a much greater weight of metal. The speed of the Dreadnought (estimated at 21 knots) will be exceeded by at least two and very probably three knots (says an English critic), and the protection to the water line of the Italian ship will be thicker than that given to the Dreadnought. The greater speed of the "new ideal," combined with the longer range of her guns, would enable her 10 keep outside the danger zone of the Dreadnought's 12-inch weapons and sink her at a distance at which the latter's projectiles would be powerless. In short, the Dreadnought is to be outclassed. Work has already been begun on the new vessel, which is to be as great an advance on the Dreadnought as the latter was on former vsssels. It I is inoeed a strange position, espeoi- \ ally after the way in which we have prided ourselves on the lead we have given to the world. The Admiralty's next move will be awaited with interest. The writer we have quoted suggests that the Admiralty should adopt the plans Ouniberti has put aside temporarily, and astonish the world with a levlathian mounting 16-inch guns and throwing a shell of I,Boolb.

The Board o! Trade returns show that there were 358 strikes in Great Britain last year, affecting 93,500 workmen. These figures are below the average, but the Btrikes lasted longer than usual, the workers losing the equivalent of a week's work for 600,000 men. About half of the time lost last year was accounted for by the mining and quarrying trades, and although the number of 3ays appears large, it amounts to only about one quarter of a day per head when spread over the whole industrial population of the country. Wages were the chief causes of the disputes. The number of persons affected by disputes arising out of refusals to work with non-union men, and other questions of trade union prinoiple, was higher than in 1904, and oomprised about one-fifth of the total. The results of the disputes of the year were, on the whole, in favour of the employers. Most of the disputes were settled by the parties themselves or their representatives. During the year twenty-five strikes and look-outs, directly involving 6,978 workers, were settled by conciliation or arbitration. The various boards settled in all 839 oases, in very few of which a cessation of work took place. The miners seem to be the most disputa tious workerß. The number of persons affected by disputes in any one year forms but a small percentage of the *otal workers of tue United Kingdom. Lapt year the percentage amounted to 1.5, but taking miners alone the percentage was 11.3. Of the 38,737 workers engaged in wages disputes 16 per cent, were successful, 29 per cent, unsuccessful and 54 per cenr. arranged compromises. On questions of hours of labour the balance of success was with the workers; in trade union disputes nearly the whole of the workpeople were successful. On all other questions the employers bad the better of the argument. The principle of conciliation seems to be growing in favour, since 1,726 disputes were considered by Conciliation Boards last year without a day's wcrk being lost. One dispute that was settled in this way involved the wages of about 230,000 worKers.