The World's Jubilee; or, Some of the Benefits to be
derived from Mutual and Co-Operative Societies. By W. Hann. Fifth edition. London. 1868. —Here is a pamphlet reaching a fifth edition proceeding from a writer who is evidently filled with the idea that his scheme will almost regenerate society. He appears to have been profoundly, and we should say reasonably, struck with the success attained by Building, Co-Operative, and other Mutual Societies which aim at accumulating capital by well regulated joint contributions. Any community of individual of common prudence would observe in his money matters. the general principle put forth by Mr. Hann, that a community ought to regulate its finances on the same principles which a private Debt might thus be rapidly reduced. We most heartily adopt ontributions in a somewhat similar manner, and even the National debtors might, he thinks, combine to remove their burden by joint We ought not, while our annual income is abundant and increasing, to allow that vast mortgage on the property of the kingdom the National Debt to remain practically undiminished. We quite believe too that the compound-interest principle must be called into play to a considerable extent before any great impression can be made upon that debt, as is strongly urged by Mr. Hann. But we should have thought that theo- retically every government is a mutual co-operative society for the benefit of the governed. Doubtless this is far from being attained in practice, and Mr. Hann wants to substitute something better. The exact character of the now society we must leave our readers to gather from the pamphlet itself.
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