so8 



The Review of Reviews. 



November 1, 1906 



mercial centre and a comfortable station in places 

 which would discourage other nations. The writer, 

 in referring to the statistics relating to the imports 

 of the country in 1905, draws attention to the tre- 

 mendous quantity of spirits included, with Lord 

 Cromer's assurance that most of it is of good quality. 

 On the whole, he concludes, the Soudan is to-day Eng- 

 land's finest conquest. 



BALZAC AND THE CRITICS. 

 In an article on Balzac, in the same number, 

 Georges Pellissier notes that of the great authors 

 Balzac received in his lifetime the wonst treatment at 

 the hands of the critics. The Conservatives were his 

 enemies because he had denounced the vices of the 

 Catholic and monarchical society of the day, and the 

 liberals because in the principles of 1789 he fought 

 agaiust a certain spirit of individualism subversive, 

 in his eyes, to all discipline and all solidarity. Last- 

 ly, he alienated the press at the best part of his 

 career by his novel '' Lost Illusions," and from that 

 time all the journalists united in a common cause 

 against him. There were also other reasons. Balzac's 

 style, for instance, has been attacked, but the writer 

 doubts whether such a work as " The Human 

 Comedy " could ever have been marked by purity and 

 elegance of style. Balzac modelled his style on life, 

 and it expresses as faithfully as possible the human 

 comedy of appetites and passions noble and vile. 



Tlie You7iq Man's Mai/azine for September is ex- 

 ceedingly interesting and up-to-the-times' number. 

 Dr. Bell, of Wellington, contributes a most inform- 

 ing article on '" The Phenomena of Earthquakes." 

 The remaining part of an address delivered to the 

 Canterbury College Dialectic Society on "Student 

 Life," by Profe.'ssor Brown, is concluded. The Rev. 

 J. J. North writes a stirring article on "The Totali- 

 sator : A Call for a Crusade." The accomplished Dr. 

 Waddell. of Dunedin, discourses enchantingly on 

 "Christ and Modern Fiction.'' The reader will look 

 forward with pleasure to the next issue of the maga- 

 zine, in which the contribution is to be concluded. 

 ^fr. J. W. Povnton writes a suggestive article on 

 "Ether"; and Professor H. B. Kirk, whose scientific 

 contributions are always acceptable, contributes a 

 unique article on " Mycetozoa " (fungus animals). 



The Harbinger of Light for Cctober is an exceed- 

 ingly interesting number. Its chief literary features 

 are a character sketch of Profe.ssor James Hyslop, 

 Ph.D., the reprint of a lecture on '■ Dreams — Their 

 Origin and Significance,'' by Mr. J. Colville, but 

 there are aLso some photographic curiosities which 

 help to make the number a very striking one. These 

 are some reproductions of Assyrian tablets, said to 

 have been produced at Melbourne seances, and some 

 spirit photographs, one of which purports to be that 

 of W. E. Gladstone. 



PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED 



Both Sides of Australian Socialism. — This is a pam- 

 phlet of 24 pages, giving the opinions of seve'-al 

 well-known Australians upon this much-debated sub- 

 ,ject. Mast of these have appeared in the columns of 

 " The Review of Reviews." They certainly give a 

 very clear view of both sides. To quote would be to 

 anticipate unfairly, and, besides, a very good sample 

 of the contents has already been given. The " grid- 



iron " maps, showing the proportion of Socialists in 

 the Federal Houses, are reproduced. In order to 

 establish a case for State Socialism, the author states 

 that out of a population of 4,U52,o70, the total num- 

 ber of State servants amounts to 140,000. The 

 pamphlet is well worth reading. Its price is only 

 Id. It is issued by the Australian Press Cuttings' 

 Agency, 341 Collins-street, Melbourne. 



The Discriminators, by "Ancient Briton" (6d. ; R. 

 A. Thompson and Co.), a booklet of 72 pages, in 

 which the author treats discursively of Socialism, 

 general politics, protection and preferential trade, the 

 settlement of the people on the land, the industrial 

 life of the people, etc. It is woven into the fabric of 

 a story, which embraces both the old and new parts 

 of the Empire. With all the views of the author it 

 is not necessary to agree in order to appreciate his 

 very evident sympathy with many of the conditions 

 which bear upon humanity to-day. The book con- 

 tains very much that is suggestive, and students of 

 political economy will find in it much that is stimu- 

 lating to their thought, even though they may not 

 agree with its conclusions. 



St- Paul's First Epistle tu the Tliessahmians, bv Rev. 

 A. R. Buckland, M.A. (The Religious Tract Society, 

 2s.). An additional commentary of much excellence 

 on this thought-inspiring epistle. 



(riiiiks Through the Minor Prophets, by the Rev. 

 J. East BarrLsou (6d.). A very fine work, well dlus- 

 trated with charts, dealing with the minor pro- 

 phets. For all who wish to study the Bible, but 

 whose time is limited, and whose opportunities are 

 few, nothing can be better as a help to the study of 

 these books than this treatise. 



PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL EXAMINATIONS AT THE 

 UNIVERSITY OF MEIPOURNE. 



It is generally known by this time that the ITni- 

 versity of Melbourne recently decided to substitute 

 for the Matriculation Examination a carefully-graded 

 series of examinations. The first stage is the Primary 

 Examination of scholars of thirteen to fourteen. 

 At the second stage two examinations are provided, 

 the .lunior Public and the Junior Commercial. These 

 are followed by the Senior Public and the Senior 

 Commercial. The last day of entry for these latter 

 i« the third of next November. The Chamber of 

 Coniniprce awards an Exhibition of £20 and a prize 

 of £8 Ss. to the Junior Commercial, and a gold 

 medal to the highest aggregate marks in honour 

 papers of tlie Senior Commercial Examination, 



In Division VI.. '' Senior Commercial Examina- 

 tion," there are fourteen subjects. Six must be 

 pa.ssed. Four out of the six are compulsory. The 

 remaining two may be selected from ten optional sub- 

 jects, or five subjects, and honours in two others will 

 pass. Subject No. 7 is Banking and Exchange, being 

 the principles and practice of banking and the means 

 of exchange. A first and second examiner is ap- 

 pointed bv the I'niversity to each subject. For bank- 

 ing and exchamre the I'niversity has selected as First 

 Examiner for the examination to be held next De- 

 cember ilr. Clement H. Da^-is, Secretai-y of the 

 Bankers' Institute. 



At the urgent request of the I'niversity. Mr. O. 

 Morrice Williams. General Manager of the London 

 Bank of Australia, has also consented to generally 

 supervise the examinations in banking and exchange 



