The oil industry from time to time gives rise to
heated political controversy, but its economicandconnutiercial aspects are little understood -by the "public. There was thus a • real need for Mr. Christopher sT:Brunnei's scholarly and informing book on The Problem. of Oil (Ilehn, 14s.); which deals thor- oughly with the industry in Great Britain and deseribes the organization that -has been built up by the great companies to supply motor spirit, kerosene, fuel oils, lubricating oils and bitumen. Motorists take the ubiquitous petrol pump and the uniform price for granted, but they may learn from Mr. Brunner how elaborate is the system that makes these benefits possible. The new Industry has been developed on rational lines, and there is sufficient -competition to keep the profit down to a very modest level. Mr. Brunner ridicules the suggestion, made from time to time, that the world's petro- leum supplies are giving out. He does not think that substi- tute fuels can be manufactured cheaply- enough to compete with benzine. The book is a really valuable contribution to industrial economics.
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