CURRENT TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 14167, 15 September 1906, Page 4

CURRENT TOPICS.

BAKE ELEMENTS.

There is a wonderfully interesting chapter to be written concerning the

rarer elements in the earth, as Professor Duncan shows in the course of an article in “ Harper’s Magazine.” Most of the known elements occur in considerable quantities, but there are quite a number which, though widely distributed, can be isolated only a few grains at a time. Thus in five volumes of air there is one volume of oxygen, but only one volume of krypton in twenty million volumes of air. Aluminium is very common, but to get 2oz of the allied metal, gallium, one has to work over 6001 b of the ore. The rare elements are either so light that they are retained in the atmosphere with difficulty, or so heavy as te' suggest that they are produced by a slow process from lighter elements. It was when he was investigating the properties of rare earths that W elsbach hit upon the theory of incandescent gas mantles, and chose the oxide of a rare element, thorium, as the most suitable substance for the mantle. This consists of 99 per cent thoria, with 1 per cent of ceria—the oxide of another rare earth—added. . The cerium is got from a rare mineral found principally in Brazil. Thus all the corners of the earth are ransacked to produce an article common in every household. Probably nothing better illustrates the dependence of a modern industry on science. Another remarkable application of the rare earths is in the filament of the Nenist lamp, the only incandescent electric light that burns in the air, and can be lit with a match. The cold filament has a high resistance, and allows practically no current to pass. "When the filament is slightly heated, as by a match, a little current passes, which makes the filament hotter and hotter, until practically the whole current pass- € s, and a brilliant glow results. Six

jeare of ceaseless effort have gone to the making of this lamp; but it is said 4,000,000 have already been sold in Germany. Welsbach has lately made electric light filaments, of osmium, another rare element, and for this lamp a great future has been predicted. Another variety is the Tantalum lamp, in which still another rare metal plays the chief part. Tantalum is as hard as the hardest steel, unaffected by any ordinary reagents, does, not rust, has a very high fusion point, and. can be drawn into the finest wire. There are said to be good deposits of the metal in Australia, and preparations are already being made to work it.

a teae’s STEIKKS.

The Board of Trade returns show that there were 368 strikes in

Great Britain last year, affecting 93,500 workmen. These figures are below the average, but the strikes 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 days 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 nonunion men, and other questions of trad© union principle, was higher than in 1904, and comprised 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 lock-outs, directly involving 6978 .workers, were settled ; by conciliation or arbitration. The various boards settled in all 839. cases, in very few of which a cessation of work took place.. The following table shows the number of strikes in the last five years

The miners seem to he the most disputatious workers. The number of persons affected by disputes in any one year forms but a small percentage of the total workers of the United Kingdom. Last year the percentage amoiinted to 1.0, 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 cent 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 had the better of the argument. The principle of conciliation seems to bo growing in favour, since 1726 disputes were considered by Conciliation Boards last year without a day’s work being lost. One dispute that was settled in tin’s way involved the wages of about 230,000 workers, ■

It is always dangerous

an to quote George Waahuneecorded ington. The very meneecord. tion of the great man’s

name provokes immediate scepticism. But r it will be remembered that upon one occasion he was said to have thrown a. dollar across the Potomac River, and that the story is now told 1 ' with the significant commentary that the incident took place ‘‘ in the days when a dollar went farther than it does now.” It appears, however, that this is not, the only throwing story connected with the great man’s name. The; others relate te attempts at catching a baseball thrown from the top of the Washington monument, a form of sport which there is some talk of reviving in. the United States. There have previously been three unsuccessful attempts to perform this feat at long intervals, the last dating back fifteen .years. One ot the pioneers of this questionable enterprise is quoted as ; giving an account of his experience, “I have no doubt that the feat of catching a ball thrown from the top of the monument can be accomplished,” he says, “hut it should be thrown out from it, and the hall ought te bo black. The balls thrown to me were'new. white ones, and it was hard to distinguish them from the white background of the monument. It took just seven seconds for the ball to come from the top to the ground. It isn’t easy to catch a ball thrown from eo great a height. One must strain his eyes to the utmost in order to catch the ball; When it leaves the top, it appears to be no bigger than a pea, but as if gets nearer the ground, it seems to increase in size, / until, when it is near one, it looks to be as large as a football.” “I doubt,” this same veteran is reported as adding, “if it will ever be done, for soon after I tried it a law was passed making it illegal to throw from the monument, and any one who‘ now does it is subject te arrest, and a fine of 500dol.” The fine seems a fairly substantial one, but there are so few records left with which to win notoriety on the strenuous Continent that it will’’ be strange if some enthusiastic American does not soon make another attempt to “ catch ” this one, and remove the existing reproach upon his country.

Disputes. Workers affected. Days lost. 1901 . . 642 179,546 4,142,287 1903 . . 442 33^,657 9,479,255 1903 . . 387 116,901 . 2,338,663 1901 . . 355 . 87,208 1,434,220 1905 . .. 358 93,503 2,470,189