"ILuusrRATIONS AND PROOFS oF, THE, Pmincirus. OF Poruvatiox."—By Francis Place, Critical and Tex:
George" Allen As a historical curiosity the reprinting of Francis Place's Principles of Population may be justified. As a serious contribution to the economic problems of to-day it has but a limited value.
Francis Place, runner of the Soci was a man of and in many respects.far ahes his age and environment'. Poli ly, he advocated various devices, many of which have been put into effect by successive administrations in England. Broadly speaking, he may be described as a Fabi fore Bernard Shaw or Sidney Webb thought of that highly respectable Society. His defence of Malthus against the self-contradictory Godwin is amusing reading in parts, ut those who seek to find material for advocating or con dernning the dirth control movement—of which the Editor, not al together unfairly, describes Francis Place to have been the rounder—will be disappointed. They will have to ext through so much wood efere they come to the trees, Pervaps the best value of the book so ably edited by Professor Norman E, Himes is in its proof to the twentieth century that some of the problems which appear to be intensely modern were actually present to the mind of the eighteenth century, and were met by. not altogether discredit ble attempts to find solutions, Professor Himes, in his excellent introduction, explains that, in 3 forthcoming' work, historically dealing with the English Birth Control Movement, he proposes to put forward a fuller exposition of Francis Place's views. Whether they will have any particular appeal in tha setting, remains to we seen; but economists cannot afford entirely to ignore Professor Himes' present contribution to the literature of a very dificult. subject—e.tt
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.