The New Dictionary of Statistics. By Augustus D. Webb, B.Sc.
(Boutledge and Sons. 21s. net.)—This volume is described as a "Complement to the Fourth Edition of Mulhall's Dictionary of Statistics." This is a modest account, for it seems to us, as far as we have been able to examine it, superior to anything that we lave seen under Mr. Mulhall's name. Anyhow, there was plenty
room for a continuing, and, in some respects, correcting volume The author takes care to caution his readers against drawing rash conclusions from figures. The first item, " Accidents," is a good example. " Accidents to employees " shows 67,820 annually in the United States and 15 in Norway. Great Britain conies second in the list with 16,660. " The figures are obviously not comparable with one another." Another instance of judicious caution is to be found under the heading of " Railways." These are figures which show the average cost of construction in all the countries of the world. Here the first place is occupied by Great Britain with .256,000 per mile, while Sweden comes last with .26,570. But then there is no distinction between single, double, triple and quadruple lines. " Marriages" presents, as might be expected, many interesting facts. Marriages celebrated according to rites of the Established Church showed 896 per thousand in 1841-50 and 644 in 1901-7, while the Nonconformist return shows an increase from 66 to 130, and that of the Register Offices of 29 to 177. The Roman Catholic marriages show a decrease of from 47 to 41 (a notable fact in view of Roman Catholic claims of increased numbers and illustrated by the stringency of recent regulations). The Quaker marriages diminished from one in two thousand to cno in three thousand three hundred. In Scotland the figures are—Established Church 453, United Free 270, Roman Catholic 110 (nearly three times the English figures), other churches 110, Irregular 61. The book seems to have been very carefully prepared.
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