direct causes of immorality, but to have some indirect influence. In short, general social conditions are to be assigned as chief causes of the downfall of the more intelligent class of wrongdoers. Exception might be taken to the use of the term "inherited attitude" and "inherited taste for liquor," which are used as partial causes in certain cases.

This volume contains some exceedingly interesting material, reports of special cases, and discussions and is characterized by carefulness of statement and method and unwillingness to draw general conclusions from slight evidence.

GAINESVILLE, FLA.

FRANCES FENTON BERNARD

Report on the Condition of Woman and Child Wage-Earners in the United States. In 19 volumes. 61st Cong., 2d Sess., Senate Doc. 645. Prepared under the direction of CHARLES P. NEILL, Commissioner of Labor. Vol. XVI. Family Budgets of Cotton-Mill Workers. Washington, 1911. Pp. 255.

"The precise character and purpose" of the study of the family budgets among cotton-mill workers in Fall River and the South was to determine inductively from the customs prevailing in the communities selected what is a fair standard of living and what is the minimum standard upon which families in those communities are maintaining physical efficiency.

The main study was confined to 14 families in Fall River and 21 families in the South, and in addition the incomes of 75 families in the South in relation to fair and minimum standards were studied. The value of the study, therefore, limited as it was, lies in the claim of representativeness for the families chosen by the investigators, and in the presentation of numerous and concrete details of their prevailing modes of living, such as daily menus and expenditures for clothing of different members of the families.

The minimum standard of living for a normal family of five was found to be in the South $408. 26. This standard, however, assumes conditions which are practically non-existent. The fair standard, that is, one providing for more than physical efficiency, for the same type of family was $600.74. But few of the heads of the cotton-mill families earn so much, and even where several members of the family earn wages, they are irregular and fluctuating.

the

In Fall River the minimum standard was found to be $484.41, fair standard, $690.95. Here the investigation could not be so detailed

as in the case of the South because the absence of company stores made it impossible to gather such definite information as to daily expenditures. But interesting comparisons of housing conditions and menus in the South and in Fall River are made, and estimates of expenditures are given. FRANCES FENTON BERNARD

GAINESVILLE, FLA.

The Ethics, of the Old Testament. By HINCKLEY G. MITCHELL, Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament Exegesis in Tufts College. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Pp. x+417.

The student of sociology has long needed a work of this kind, whether the need has been of the "long-felt" variety or not. Professor Mitchell takes the Old Testament as a source-book full of material of different ages, according to the analysis of historical criticism, and puts this material on view in the order of its antiquity, with special reference to the moral standards of successive periods. By thus exhibiting Hebrew codes of conduct in chronological rank, the author supplies a treatise on social evolution from the standpoint of the ethical interest. His book, however, is not a history; and hence its full value will not be apparent to one who has had no introduction to the modern way of interpreting the Bible. For this reason, the book should be used along with such works as Henry Preserved Smith's Old Testament History and Kent's History of the Hebrew People. Equipped with these, and with a good modern translation of the Hebrew text, the sociological student will have the tools which will enable him to go a long way toward handling, in terms of his own discipline, one of the most fascinating problems in human history. Sociologists have long recognized the importance of religion as one of the great moving forces of civilization; and within this field they are bound to be more and more impressed by the need of coming to terms with the Bible in particular as representing the special form of religion which functions at the basis of modern society. In this new adjustment of scholarly interests, Professor Mitchell's book will be of unique value.

CHICAGO, ILL.

LOUIS WALLIS

The Evolution of the Country Community. By WARREN H. WILSON. Chicago: Pilgrim Press, 1912.

The Preface is written by Professor F. H. Giddings, who says of the book: "It would not be possible, I think, to present these two aspects of

the problem of the country parish with more of first hand knowledge, or with more of the wisdom that is born of sympathy and reverence for all that is good in both the past and the present than the reader will find in Dr. Wilson's pages. I welcome and commend this book as a fine product of studies and labors at once scientific and practical." The two aspects mentioned are scientific surveys of conditions and practical efforts to improve them. The author treats subjects of fundamental importance: the various types of farms, economic and technical problems of rural occupations, co-operation, schools, morality, recreation, and common worship. This volume should appear in any select list of books on rural problems.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

C. R. HENDERSON

Modern Philanthropy, A Study of Efficient Appealing and Giving. By WILLIAM H. ALLEN. New York: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1912. The author of this book follows up his Efficient Democracy with a study of 6,000 appeals to Mrs. E. H. Harriman, and a vigorous, nervous, irritating, caustic examination of the present condition of the public mind on the subject of philanthropy. One may quarrel with his style, may question the soundness of some of his generalizations, may raise question marks opposite some of his bold assertions, but no well-informed person can doubt the need of his criticism. He is profoundly right in regarding the work of government as the normal method of achieving the general ends of society, and in declaring that private philanthropy must always regard itself as supplementing the organizations of the collective will. He is entirely right in insisting with vigor and trenchant force that every city should have an impartial and capable budget committee, not merely to describe and criticize existing agencies, but to discover opportunities. Those who are trying to do useful social work will heartily sympathize with the contention that their lives should not be wasted in raising money; that business experience should be devoted to that task. The prospect of establishing a national clearing-house for the collection. of information for givers and applicants is good enough to be hopeful. Business men, philanthropists, social workers, clergymen, associations of commerce, leaders of women's clubs, will find this book one of the most stimulating, thought-provoking discussions yet published. It is a small matter whether we agree with the author at every point; the first duty is to weigh his argument for more accurate account of stock and complete survey of social needs.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

C. R. HENDERSON

How to Help A Manual of Practical Charity. By MARY CONYNGTON. New York: Macmillan, 1913.

This is a reprint of a very useful book published first in 1909 and already familiar to students of relief.

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

C. R. HENDERSON

Co-operation in New England: Urban and Rural. By JAMES FORD, PH.D. New York: Survey Associates, Inc. Pp. xxi+237. $1.50 postpaid.

Co-operation is supposed to flourish best in old countries and where the economic necessity for it is greatest. Certainly it has not been a conspicuous success in New England. In spite of the fact that this section has had two perceptible waves of enthusiasm for co-operation, starting in 1845 and 1874 respectively, only seven of the nearly one thousand retail societies founded as a consequence have survived. Though the author's returns probably are not complete he used the questionnaire method-he was able to find only sixty co-operative retail establishments at the time of his investigation (1911). Co-operative production, in the nature of manufacture, scarcely exists in New England. However, rural co-operative production, marketing, and purchasing (of supplies) societies are having a steady growth, due to the ever-widening abyss between the independent producer's returns and the prices paid by the ultimate consumer. In New England, as in other parts of the country, co-operative creameries appear to lead in rural co-operation. In this section they total 125.

The chief sociological significance of this concise study is to be found in the account of the causes of failure and the suggestions for future methods. The more fundamental causes of failure are lack of sufficient capital, discrimination in selling on the part of the non-co-operative wholesale establishments, the difficulty of getting good managers at small salaries, petty jealousies, lack of loyalty, the giving of credit, shortsighted submission to the machinations of competitors who offer better terms temporarily, favoritism in employing help and the difficulty of dismissing it when found to be inefficient, competition from large-scale, well-organized non-co-operative concerns, the exceptional mobility of our population, the prevalence of opportunity in this country which makes close saving relatively unnecessary, and in many cases the heterogeneity of the population due to immigration. By way of cure the author says:

"These evils can be entirely remedied only by a careful determination of sound co-operative methods, by the training of co-operative managers, and by the unceasing education of all co-operators in the essential spirit and ideals of the movement. Federation of societies is essential to large business and moral success.' The author's interest is not alone in the economic success of co-operation, but he believes that it should be the means to "the creation of a constructive environment for the complete life of the citizen-for his leisure as well as his working hours." The study applies only to New England, but its conclusions will be found of value to other sections of the country.

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

L. L. BERNARD

With a preface by W. J. New York: Longmans, $1.60.

Experiments in Industrial Organization. ASHLEY. BY EDWARD CADBURY. Green & Co, 1912. Pp. xxi+296. This book, by the son of one of the founders of Bourneville, a model factory suburb near Birmingham, England, describes the provisions made by this firm for the welfare of its employees. It consists of nine chapters with an appendix and a table on Bourneville Women's Savings and Pension Fund. In the nine chapters the author endeavors to indicate the methods by which the employees are selected, the plans for the education of the employees, the discipline, provisions for health and safety, methods of remuneration, organization of the employees, recreative and social institutions, industrial commissions, and conclusions as to the value of this work. He points out how the employees are very carefully selected, none being employed who have not reached the seventh "standard" in the English school system. Selection is also made on the basis of the character and physical efficiency of the applicant. In this way a careful selection of the employees is made.

The Cadbury Firm of cocoa, chocolate, and candy manufacturers have, in the course of their fifty years' experience, devised classes for the education of their employees. All children under the age of eighteen years are compelled to attend educational classes. Certain courses are marked out, four years in length, which must be followed by these employees. In this connection it may be observed that the courses have definite reference to the particular work which the student is doing, in the case both of boys and of girls. A system of monetary rewards is devised to add an incentive to school work and the remission of certain fees for the educational work is customary in order to incite to better work.