Wealth from Waste. By Henry J. Spooner. G. Routledge and
Sons. 7s. 6d. net. )—Lord Leverhulme in his Preface says that "the greatest wasters are those who concentrate their whole time on mere efforts for immediate and direct money-making ; and the greatest economists are those who, like the successful farmer with his land, cultivate and prepare themselves for more efficient service for their fellow-man." Professor Spooner covers a wide field in drawing attention to waste of all kinds, and deals somewhat superficially with various aspects of the subject. The moral is that waste is usually due to want of thought, and that it would pay, not only in war time but in the days of peace, to devote the trained intelligence to this problem. We may call attention to the author's plea for an organized collection of household waste. When materials and labour are scarce, it would surely be cheaper, for example, to collect old jars and bottles, wash them and use them again, than to go on manufacturing new jars and bottles. But though there is, we believe, a Director of Salvage, no general effort has yet been made to deal with this matter.
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