4l8 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 



volume, the Mineral Industry, makes a great advance in giving the 

 statistics for foreign countries in addition to those of the United 

 States. By so doing it gives the American producers an oppor- 

 tunity to know the present, past and probable future conditions of 

 competition in foreign countries. 



The two most important features in any statistical work are 

 accuracy and promptness. The necessity of accuracy is self-evident, 

 and without promptness the statistics lose much -of their serviceability 

 to those most interested in them, for the statistics of an industry pub- 

 lished a year or two years late are rarely of much value to those 

 engaged in that industry. The business man wants his statistics 

 immediately after the expiration of the time to which they relate, 

 so that he may know the existing condition of the industry in which he 

 is engaged; but if he does not get these statistics until many months or 

 even several years afterwards, the condition of the industry may have 

 changed entirely since the time to which the statistics refer. It is the 

 promptness with which this volume is issued, combined with a high 

 degree of accuracy, far greater than would be expected in statistics so 

 hastily compiled, that gives it its especial value. 



In conclusion, it may be said, that as a piece of statistical work, 

 relating to an industry that is world-wide in its scope, combining 

 accuracy with full detail and systematic arrangement, and issued so 

 soon after the close of the time to which it relates, the Mineral Indus- 

 try has never been equaled in this country or abroad. The former 

 statistical numbers of the Engineering and Mining Journal, which 

 referred mostly only to American mining, were considered remarkable 

 pieces of statistical work, on account of the promptness of their publi- 

 cation; but in the Mineral Industry we have an epitome of the mining 

 operations of every quarter of the globe, published almost imme- 

 diately after the close of the time to which they refer, a feat which here- 

 tofore would have been declared impossible. This accomplishment is 

 most creditable to the editor, Mr. Rothwell, to the systematic organi- 

 zation of the Scientific Publishing Co., and to the business manager, 

 Mrs. Braeunlich, by whose business ability such an expensive under- 

 taking is made commercially practicable. The volume will be found 

 of the greatest value to the economic geologist, the miner, the 



engineer and the business man. 



R. A. F. Penrose, Jr. 



