stantial volume, a collection of papers on such subjects as
waterworks, electric lighting, the telephone, and street railways, written by various American experts. It is contended that shortly one-half of the people of the United States will be living in cities with a minimum population of eight thousand ; and as this tendency to aggregate is not confined to the States, but seems a well-nigh universal law of modern civilisation, the sub- jects discussed in this volume must come home to "men's busi- ness and bosoms." With regard to those prime necessities of civic life, light and water, the question to be decided is, are they to be privately owned, but publicly regulated, or are they to be " municipalised " altogether ? Certainly the majority of those American economists and specialists would appear to favour the system of public ownership. Apart altogether from this prevailing general tendency of these papers, the writers give an immense amount of information on the various subjects discussed, which must make the book of considerable value to all members of English municipalities or County Councils. This pregnant sentence, which appears in the paper on "Municipal Monopolies—Regulation or Ownership ?" has a wider application than to the cities of the States :—" Our rich and influential citizens, whose financial interests as investors in franchises now prompt them to desire weak or corrupt government, would under public operation have, no financial interest at stake, except as taxpayers, and in that capacity would desire efficient administration." But it is begging the question to infer that public ownership is in all cases synonymous with efficient administration.
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