The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-20


 of the men for increased wages will come before them side by side with the demands of the railway companies for reductions
 Both masters and men are anxious for the test. The railway directors see in their new combination agreements . powerful weapon. and 1t Is expected that they will present united front. and insist that their present financial condition not only does not justify in- creased wages but makes a substantial reduction of working expenses imper- ative.
 The men are also anxious to bring matters to a head. and to find out how they will be affected by the revolution which has taken place in railway management.
 agreed to a policy of meeting all de- mands for incressd wages by counter demand for reductions. in the hope that the conciliation boards, or in the last resort the arbitrator will be induced to compromise by maintaining the present conditions. The future alone can tell whether a gigantic strike will result. n f
 New Torpedo Destroyers.
 The naval estimates show that the new torpedo destroyers will be slower but of better sca-keeping qualities than the types lately built.
 over all they are to be little less than the length of the Saracen. which is under construction at Cowes-proo : ably 265 eeet. Tn beam, however they will be nearly two feet more-approx- imately twenty-seven rect nine ihches and at a load draught of eight feet six inches they will displace about $50 tons. This is just little less than the disbursements of the Cossack. Ghurka. Mohawk and Tartar. =
 The turbine propeiiing machinery IS to be of about II 900 shaft horse power. and the designed full speed Is twenty seven knots.
 A remarkable fact Is that the ves- seIa are to have no provision for oil fuei. They are to burn coal exciuslve- " and on trial their severest ordeal will be twenty-four hours run at ff- teen knots.
 At first sight the abandonment oi n oil seems strange. but on reflection it viii he clear enough that the British navy has some need of torpedo craft of this kind.
 The Incorporated Society for the De- structton of vermin proposes to take legal action with a view to deciding whether 1t Is an offense to harbor rats.
 Vle case TOT kuo HVCiotJ as sh@S " A@ time that the principle underlying the verminous Persons Act and siml- lar measures should be extended to rats.
 Evidence against several municipal authorities has been obtained, and> a summons will shortly be applied for. but the present intention is that the case shall be treated as a friendly one. the idea being to ascertain the present state of the law and to pave the way for the "rat law" promoted by the society.
 The secretary informed "Lloyd's" that the question arose out of . report concerning restaurant-keeper in London who had been literally made a bankrupt by Fats. Some premises ad- Joining his place has been pulled down. and the rats elected from their old haunts. had invaded his restaurant in swarms. In spite of various meas ures adopted, 1t had been found im- possible to keep them from darting from their hiding places and snatchinR morsels of food that had fallen from the dinner tables.
 One day a big rat actually jumped from the stairs leading to the first floor on to table at which a lady and her daughter were dining. causing a scene and general stampede. In the chase that followed, the rat was kill ed. but so was the mans business.
 The place became known as the frat pit" and custom declined. The proprietor Is now waiter.