Social Wreckage. By Francis Peek. (Isbister.)—This is a book which,
instead of criticising, we feel rather disposed to encourage the reading of, and mainly on account of the obvious earnestness of its anther, who belongs to the philanthropic, rather than economical, school of theorists on social questions. It is a review of the laws of England as they affect the poor, and is practically a revised and enlarged edition of Mr. Peek's former book, on "Our Laws and our Poor." While Mr. Peek, in our opinion, goes to extravagance in his sweeping condemnation of the Poor Laws for fostering pauperism, while there is indignation rather than suggestion in what he says of the Licensing Laws and the laws relating to women, he marshals before the dispas- sionate reader a great number of alarmingly significant facts as to the cruelty with which witnesses are often treated in the course of trial, and to the inequality of the punishments inflicted by judges and magistrates. Mr. Peek's opinion is that "a terrible responsibility rests upon our legislators, upon our churches, and upon all members of the community who, without protest, permit things to remain in their present condition." His book, however, will stimulate not so much legislation as voluntary effort, which, being too frequently
suffused with anger, sometimes obstructs rather than promotes.legis- lation.
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