Next comes an essay on William Johnston Fox, once a Unitarian mints. ter, then a jay' teacher of no little oratorical power a hundred years ago, In his essay on Robert Gwen, learn that the answer to the question, "When did modern socialism begin?
"Robert Owen began to teach Socialism about a quarter to one Jotslock on the afternoon of August 21, 1817, in the City of London tavern."'Certain it is that it was his followers who first adopted the name Socialist. There follows an essay on JJohn Ruskin, who "recalled to men's minds the possible worth and happy-_ ness of the ordinary working day" Ruskin's face "was that of a man who had seen, and was to see again, dwell og well as Paradise, but who yet was not stern, like Dante, but of a tender and Playfal humour."
The last essay in the biographical section is on Lord Sheffield, who served for "nearly 30 years on the London School Board; it is all to the }good that one who did so much for {he public elementary. education London should not be forgotten; thus is recalled an example of unobtrusive, /whole-hearted service, -purely volun tary throughout. His industry we runfagging, he was a "great aristocrat Who literally gave the best years of his life to public service, Among the essays on politics and social service perhaps the best is the tone on "The British Civil Service, which gives avery interesting Jeount of the gradual change in the Civil Service during the last hundred or so years. The "private patronage" system produced negative government, one, that is, which only [requires courage and consistency in its officials, but which contained no scope for invention or suggestion: in fact, there appeared little scope for mit tive anywhere except in the service of the East India Company; and the Jexisting Civil Service is mainly due a Report produced by Sir Charles] Trevelyan, an Indian Civil Servant, in 1854, This Report and the complete break-down of the administrative side of the Services in. the Crimean War resulted In the appointment of the rst Civil Service Commissionerg in 1085, lates should" appear before "me bys requiring that two of three can
Commissioners for each Vposts and Eradually' moving in he direction more open competition, "The. three idigates fof each pen, when one, ang. At. it was very necessary' that "ie nominated cane Gtdate should get tu, he weas ordered fo, compete against Yhese two gentie=
Necessity Drives However, the extension of the franchise in 1867 meant, ultimately, that private influence would slip out of the hands of the old families; this fand the fact that "men began to fear the new type of administrative Jeficiency which had "appeared Ju Prussia, and which had struck down in 1870, which threw open the whole of the administrative Civil Service to open Jcompetition, and this was further developed in i875 by the Playfair Commission, which made a system of The shape and size of this book pleasant, the pictures on' the dust cover and binding are good, the pic-ures and photographs. and. printing within are excellent, Miss Thorbecke has very kindly done for her readers what is always wisely done for the very young but not so often for the fadult—she has made the acquisition of knowledge attractive "and" has brought wit and humour to her ald, 'What she has to say can be read at a sitting with attention that' has no cause to flag." There are eight pages fof Shanghai's history and those are not too many in which to bring It up-{to-date from 249 B.C. A very neat map gives enough information Shanghai's latest shape and make-up {in a form easily, read. There is a clear chapter on trade with foreign, imports and Chinese exports ilustrated-by little men bringing in-and sending out—whieh makes it all stick in the mind, "Hotels, the Longest Bar the World, newspapers, money change shops, Nanking Road, rickshaws and. traffic, temples, Chinese food, the Race Course, an explanation of the chit system, notes on "Blood Aley," Chinese wor {the Prench Club, make "'Shanghai"' a most excellent tutor for those who live here anda most attractive memento to'those who pass through The sketches in colour by Schiff are a subtle delight—espectally those Accompanying the note which says that "every character in, this book 1s entirely fictitious and, ho reference whatever is intended to any living New Fiction...
Following quickly upon the heels of his successful. "Mammon's Daugh-tors," Mr, Nigel G, 'Tranter, still utilizing the same wild Scottish High. lands as background, "has scored again with "Harsh Meritage" (Ward Lock, London, Colonial Edition 3/0). Here' he tells. an Intriguing yarn of clan dogged for centuries by a dying woman's curse. He relates his story with plenty of punch that offers some excellent studies of humans and their reactions to the supernatural. The author has a deep insight into the Scottish character and his remarkably clever portrayals of the numerous virile types to be met in in the West Highlands tend charm and atmosphere to a most enjoyable tale. Mr. Tranter has a vigorous style that, coupled with his delightful descriptions of the majesty of the glen, bode a promising future for competitive examination for the new pensionable appointments to the lesser posts known "as "Class 1." One shudders to think what would have been the fate of the Empire in the last forty years had the old method of private patronage not been super= seded—but its supersession came only as a result of dire necessity; the bungling during the Crimean War was an expensive price to pay for what seems, in these days, un tremely obvious change.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.