Review of Rtciews, 119/06. 



The Reviews Reviewed. 



293 



PEARSONS MAGAZINE. 



lu Pearson's Magazine for July the editor has an 

 article ou the Curse of the Cigarette, in which he 

 maintains that cigarette-smoking is undermining the 

 youth of the nation, stunting the growth of boys, 

 blunting their muids, and leading to other rices. He 

 luotes the opinions of eminent men in support of the 

 theoi-y — Major-General Baden-Powell, Sir William 

 Broadbent, Sir Benjamin Ward Richardson, and many 

 more. He adds that juvenile smoking is prohibited 

 •u America, Japan, and in many Colonial possessions. 



There is a discussion or symposium on a health 

 topic, " How I Keep Fit," but most people know how 

 to keep fit, ciixiumstances or carelessness being the 

 chief causes of bodily troubles. A strenuous outdoor 

 life or violent physical exercise may do for some 

 people, but moderation in all things is much more 

 likely to keep fit the greater number. 



An art article is devoted to the work of M. Francois 

 Briineiy, a painter of priests. He has painted not 

 only portraits of eminent prelates, but a number of 

 other pictures in which priests are included, such as 

 ■ The Tedious Conference," now in the Walker Art 

 Gallery at Liverpool. 



THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEW. 



The Cvnteniporary Review for July is a very good 

 number. Quoted elsewhere are the papers by Pro- 

 fessor Kamsay, Sir Alfred Pease, Sir Oliver Lodge, 

 Harold Spender, and Mr. George Barlow. 



FRENCH COMMON SENSE. 

 Mr. Laurence Jerrold writes on French politics and 

 the French people. In France, he says, politics is 

 more of a game than in England. French politicians 

 and editors by no means represent the sturdy good 

 sense of the French people. He sums up the situation 

 by saying : — 



Tlie French ha\e always been a level-headed nation, bat 

 they have never yearned for a quiet life eoearnest.ly as to- 

 day. Tlie.v look, not coldly, but coolly, on Russia, awaiting 

 ievelopmeuts, for after the original fever of friendship 

 that now can be the only businesslike attitude. They threw 

 over M. Delcasse because he was suspected of adventurous- 

 Tiess in his policy. They recovered, by an admirable recall 

 of self-possession, from the three weeks' scare of war with 

 <;ermaiiy a year ago. After mature and at first cool con- 

 •sideration, they have finally accepted the entente cordiale, 

 -which has been the clearest sign in international afTaira of 

 the French people's common sense policy. 



Paul Sabatier discusses religious events in France 

 ivifh a dash of Protestant acerbity. Tlie victory of 

 the Bloc was the victory of the principle of solidarity, 

 which is the essence of French Catholicism. He bears 

 witness to a deeper inierest, both in France and Italy, 

 in religion, and jubiiatea over the enlightenment of 

 + he younger priests. 



THE NATIONAL REVIEW. 



THE PANAMA CANAL. 

 Lady Susan Townley writes a long article describ- 

 ing the chequered career of the I'anama Canal, with 

 an interesting description of a visit she and her hus- 

 band paid to the Tsthmus. and of the aspect of the 

 country about Panama. The article, which is too 

 long to quote, and cannot well be summarised, con- 

 tains the chief arguments for a canal with locks (just 

 decided upon), as against one at sea-level. One of 

 "the great troubles in constructinti the Canal will be 

 the labour supply. Coloured lalimir Lady Townley re- 

 gards as absolutely necessary on account of the 

 climate. This labour will come chiefly from Jamaica, 

 hut also from Martinique and Barbadoes. The 

 Jamaican negro is lazy, and will only work just as 

 much as necessary, and with him the writer evidently 



thinks the American foreman is going to have an 

 unenviable task. She therefore suggests Jamaican 

 foremen for dealing with Jamaican negroe.s. they 

 bein" already accustomed to e.xact as much work as 

 possible from them on plantations. 



THE PROGRESS OF OCCUf.T RESEARCH. 

 .Mr. .\. P. Sinnett's article on this subject is one 

 which everyone should read who wishes to know why 

 those who will have nothing to do with ordinary 

 "spiritualists" still regard occultism or "higher 

 spiritualism " as of .sovereign importance. I make 

 one extract from it : — 



In reality faith plays no part at all in the progress of 

 occult research. Explanation from above must be found 

 consonant with the pupil's reason, or he is emphatically 

 discouraged from accepting it. The qualified pupil must 

 verify its truth for himself before he is regarded as 

 entitled to adopt it as an article of belief. Every detail 

 of occult science hangs together in one stupendous con- 

 catenation. As .1. philosophy of life, occult tea.ching is the 

 most coherent and logical system by which human think- 

 ing has ever been enlightened. But it would be as easy 

 to embody in one brief review a complete record of all 

 that has been accumulated as knowledge by the chemist 

 and the electrician, as to set forth the results of occult 

 research, even up to the stage of its present achievement. 



THE ENGINEERING MAGAZINE. 



The paper of most human interest in the July num- 

 ber is that by Egbert P. Watson on typical factory 

 systems and their practical results. He distinguishes 

 three systems — (1) the purely commercial, looking to 

 immediate results at the lowest possible cost: (2) the 

 mechanical, seeking the largest turnover that the best 

 outfit of machinery can produce; (3) a combination 

 of mechanical perfection, with certain accessions in 

 the way of moral and physical welfare of all the em- 

 ployes. He draws an interesting contrast between 

 types of the first and the third. The first picture is 

 exceedingly black: the third, which is located in 

 Waltham, Massachusetts, is a factory which has pro- 

 vided for the welfare of the workers in a w ay regard- 

 less of expense. The neighbourhood of the first fac- 

 tory was a sink of immorality : of the second, most 

 estimable and praiseworthy. Of Waltham he says: — 



The attitude of the operatives towards each other is more 

 like that of the family in its best estate, than of factory 

 " h.inds." so-called, where the beatitudes are unknown, and 

 everyone's hand is against the other. Philanthropy and 

 business have joined hands with the result that both thrive. 



Air. Clarence Heller discusses, from inspections of 

 the San Fran<isco ruins, the effocts of earthquake and 

 fire on modern buildings. The steel buildings, he re- 

 ports, stood the shock admirably. They suffered more 

 from the fire. ))ut the dynamite used to limit the fire 

 was the most serious cause of destruction. He em- 

 phasises the need of painting the columns before coat- 

 ing with masonry. Castiron posts stood the heat 

 better than steel. 



General H. L. Abbot discusses the rival projects 

 of a sea level canal and a lock canal at Panama. He 

 sums up strongly in favour of the latter. 



Mr. II. M. Chance suggests that for the Culebra 

 cut — the carrying the canal through a wall of rock 

 eight miles long and two hundred feet high — mining 

 methods should be adopted — the tunnel transportation 

 system, rather than the ordinary surface methods. 



A study of electric railway operating cost and re- 

 venue, by Mr. H. S. Knowlton, shows the very high 

 cost of street railway operations in large cities, and 

 that the rides per capita increase with the population, 

 as does the traffic density. In Boston taxes amount 

 to more per car mile than either motive power cost 

 or maintenance of way. The other papers are mostly 

 technical. 



