14 AUGUST 1953, Page 28

Trusts and Foundations : A Select Guide. Compiled by Guy

W. Keeling and edited by Thomas Landau. (Bowes and Bowes. £2 2s.) IT is a curious fact that in this country, with its long tradition of charitable work, there is no standard reference book on charitable trusts, and in 1950 the Nathan Report drew attention to the surprising paucity of infor- mation about them. Even the Charity Commissioners cannot say with any pre- cision how many Charitable Trusts exist in England and Wales, though the number is known to exceed 110,000. In this work Mr. Keeling aims at filling part of the gap by providing a reference book on some 1,000 Trusts, which are listed alphabetically with information in each case (set out in a uni- form manner) on 'their history, purposes, activities, resources, etc. This volume should quickly prove its value both to individuals and to organised bodies, especially as further editions are planned to incorporate additional data, so building up a continuing