Industrial Classes and Statistics. 2 vole. By G. P. Bevan,
F.G.S. (Edward Stanford.)—The series of works entitled British Manufacturing Industrial Classes and Statistics. 2 vole. By G. P. Bevan, F.G.S. (Edward Stanford.)—The series of works entitled British Manufacturing industries, which wo have noticed from time to time as the numbers appeared, concludes with this work, as the fitting keystone of the arch. Whatever praise we have bestowed on these useful hooks must be accorded in increased measure to the these two volumes. Statistics, however important, are not usually very attractive. The writer in this case has woven around the dry details a considerable amount of interest- ing and valuable information regarding the social and moral condition of the labouring classes, especially in the case of those industries in which women and children are largely employed. The labour of compiling such a mass of facts, scattered as they are in Blue-books, Transactions of Societies, Factory returns, or derived from non-official but reliable sources, and condensing them into such a comprehensive tabulated form must have been enormous. Nor are these returns merely the number of individuals engaged in the different branches, but the numbers in every quinquennial period of age of both sexes ; and in addition, the weekly earnings of men, women, and children, in their several depart- ments, the mortality amongst them, also stated quinquennially, the quantities and value of the raw material imported or produced at home and of the manufactured goods for the last ten years, the number of factories, mills, shops, or works, and the machines contained therein We cannot in so short a notice give our readers any idea of the exhaus- tiveness of the work, every trade receiving equally full treatment, even down to lucifer-match making, fish-curing, and canal navigation. The labours of Mr. Bevan deserve to be rewarded by his book becoming the standard authority with all those engaged on the social problems of the day, and who want reliable information on the condition of the artisan, and some useful and striking comparisons may bo made by help of the data put into our possession here.
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