New-York tribune., 1907-12-26
AND NAVY NEWS.
Drcadnonght Class To Be Surpassed
by Nezo Wmships.
IFTom The Tribune Bureau 7
Wa Dec


GREATEST BATTLESHIP STARTED. - The
keel of the North Dakota, the first of American
battleshps designed to be greater than the British
Dreadnoughts. officially laid the yards of
the Fore River Shipbuding Company l0:1o a. m.
on December 16. at the exact moment that the
battleshp fleet received its orde to sail from
Hampton Roads for the Pacific. The first vertical
plate erected 1880 O'Clock ana the first
frame at 11-20 O'Clock The laying of the keel repre-
sents the beginning Of the actual assembling of the
various parts of the ship nto ship form What is
known the laying of the keel consists of putting
into place the keel blocks the first plate of the
bottom part, what might be called the backbone
of the ship II does not indicate however. that
the building CT the ship has only begun for before
the keel Is laid it is necessary have hard
large quantities of material; much of which has
already been laid off. punched and in other ways
prepared for putting into place. 1t also that
the ship has been completely laid down in the
mould loft. and that probably so per of ali
plans in the construction of the ship developed
and approved This is. perhaps better indicated
by the fact that the official reports OF completion
of the North Dakota December ! showed that
the vessel that time 7S4 per cent completed.
EIGHT HOUR Law vEXATIONS-One of the
most troublesome questions which periodically n
gage the attention of the War Department and the
Navy Department is that relaxing to the eight hour
law. The latest phase has been presented from
San Francisco, and probably exists New York
and Philadelphia, at which places there quar-
terInaSter depoS and where there Is much handling
of freight 1t is found that the teamsters and the
connected with the wagon transportation
must work for than eight Ilours. else clerks
and others employed in the storehouses viii have
their eight hour day appreciaby shortened. The
excess of eight hours in day is not permitted
under the law except In cases OF great emergency,
and of course at present such condition exists.
Perhaps way Of the difficulty is that sug-
gested by the judge advocate general OF the army.
who says that the eight hours day need not be
consecutive. and that the law win be obeyed IL
employe works eight hours in the aggregate with
intermission. might easily be arranged, an
hour or more during the day. In this way freight
be transported earlier in the morning in a
way not to interfere with the eight hour labor Of
other employees.
NAVAL MILITIA SURGEONS-MedicaI officers
OF the naval militia will probably have oppor-
tuuity to attend the naval medical school IN
Washington. This will be privilege which will
be authorized If Congress enacts the present
session, as now seems probable, the law which
places the naval militia organizations upon the
footing in relation to the Navy Department
is the state national guard in It's relations to
the War Department and tho regular army. Naval
militia officers WILL therefore. be permitted to avail
themselves of the system of training in the reg
ular navy. 1t happens that this Is limited to
the naval medical school. the navy does not
have scheme of education such prevails In
the army. including postgraduate schools at
Forts Riley and Leavenworth and the post schools
at nearly every army station. The surgeons and
physicians who connected with the naval mi
litia will be permitted to enter the school under
the same conditions medical officers of the
national guard attend tho army medical
school.
ARMY DOUGH- MIXERS.-The army suosist-
ence officers are still engaged in seeking a ma
chine for kneading dough at army posts The
latest inquiry has been fla the direction OF ma
chine which may be carried in the field This
application of machinery in the preparation OF
cOIJ will SaV m
troduce an economical process The most diff
Guilty is in getting machinery which Is within the
limit of weight, II is necessary to have some
thing which Will answer the purpose and yet may
be lifted about by not more than two men. Tne
space occupied is also consideration. since the
amount OF room in the army wagons is limited
and care must be taken not to exceed certain
hulk Two kneading machines which are to De
tested have a capacity of about one half barrel
hut weigh nearly 800 pounds. and an effort is
being made to reduce this weight Tho principal
desire for a kneading machine is that 1t adds to
camp sanitation and military hygiene In the neid-