The Literary Year Book, 1902. Edited by Herbert Morrah. (G.
Allen. 5s.)—Mr. Morrah, d propos of Sir Walter Bess,nt, whose portrait serves as a frontispiece to this volume, makes some fairly discriminating criticisms on the action of the Society of Authors, and others not a little severe on the Royal Society of Literature. The latter he would reconstitute on a much larger basis. Then we have some remarks on the present condition of literature. The over-production and under-payment of books is too big a subject for these columns; so is copyright. On both matters Mr. Morrah has something to say that is worth reading. One section deals with "Systems of Publishing," the decision being generally in favour of 'royalties." The "half-profit" system is vitiated by the universal clause that puts the pub- lisher in absolute command of the price of the book. Finally, there are essays on "The Year and its Tenden- cies" and the "Year's Work." An obituary follows, and after this various items of a technical character, lists of artists, authors, publishers, books, plays, &c. This is a most useful volume, one which, as will be evident from what we have said, deserves to be ranked very mach above the ordinary directory.— Another periodical volume that calls for more than a passing notice is The Annual Charities Register and Digest, with an Intro- duction by C. S. Loch (Longmans and Co., 4s. net). Mr. Loch's in- troduction discusses, we might say, all the social questions con- cerned with poverty, its causes, and the duty of the State and the individual with regard to it. It is quite beyond analysis or epitome ; but Mr. Loch's name and work are sufficient guarantee for its value. We may not always agree with his conclusions, but that he has always something to say which we are bound to listen to cannot be denied. In any case, he makes us pause and think. There is, for instance, a single page on "The Housing Problem" which is worth many columns of the hasty rhetoric which from time to time fills the newspapers. The statistical information is, as usual, complete, and carefully brought up to date.—We have also to mention," a special edition" of London of To-Day, by Charles Eyre Pascoe (Simpkin and Marshall, 6s.) The speciality is to be found in the account of "The Pageant and Ceremony of the Coronation," occupied both with the past, the present, and the future, and such as will materially assist and instruct the man who aims to be properly informed on the subject. This fills nearly half of the volume. It is followed by the customary information about the various features of London, its famous places and sights, amusements, hotels, &c., somewhat curtailed in extent, but carefully brought up to date.
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