SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK.
[Under this heading we notice such Books of the week as have not been reserved for review in other farms.]
What America is Doing. By Annette M. B. Meakin. (W_ Blackwood and Sons. 10s. 6d. net.)—Miss Meakin went over to America and wrote to a friend at home thirty-five letters, in which she related her experiences. These letters are here published, Without much revision, we imagine. There are some repetitions, which do not, however, matter much; there are even some indis- cretions, but these are not always to be regretted. For instance, Miss Meakin goes to a session of the Senate and hears a debate on the tariff. "It was the kind of debate that England will be occupied with as soon as she lays aside her antiquated policy of lease -Trade." But what fedlows-?—lift [nab is said and more is hinted" about the inflames brought to bear on Sinister& by Trusts, -and to guard against the danger Senators are paid very liberal salaries (41,500 a year). Is not this delightful ? This is one of the blessings which Tariff Reform is to give us. We shall have to fake special precautions to prevent our legislators selling us to menu- racturers andtra,ding companies. Clearly Miss Meakin's letters were not revised by the leaders of her party. Commonly she seems inclined to take what she -hears with a ready faith. She quotes 'what an American politician says about the hostility in this coun- try between capital and labour. Does she think that it is anything like so fierce as it is in the States ? And then there is something .about poor John Bull being, a laughing-stock! Does she know that John Bull's world trade far exceeds that of any other nation in the world ? Nevertheless much may be learnt from her letters, -and, if we do not learn, we are at least entertained. English travellers, we are told, are themselves to blame for the incivility of which they complain. bay to a passer-by, "Would you kindly direct me ? " and he will suspect you of some design, and rebuff yon. The right thing is to address him with, "Say, where's Fifth Avenue ? " One thing cannot be explained away : the enormous cost of everything. Miss Meakin paid sixteen shillings a day for ner maid's board and lodging in a Washington hotel, while the nire of a motor cost more than double what it does in England. But everything is done on the very biggest scale. There is the Pension Bureau, for instance, with its fifteen thousand employes, distributing a sum which Miss Meakin rates at "one hundred and sixty thousand dollars a year"—a ludicrous misstatement, for ita would give just over ten dollars apiece for each official to manipu- late, or about three half-pence per day. No doubt we should read
million" for "thousand." The American pension list is about three times over our "old-age pensions" total.
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