Seitejibkr U, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



327 



H. J. ]\[ackinder, reader in geography at 

 the University of Oxford, will open the dis- 

 cussion, and he will be followed by several 

 others who have devoted special attention 

 to this important branch of school work. 



In view of the vital questions now at 

 issue with regard to the fiscal policy of the 

 empire, an unusually large attendance may 

 be looked for at the meetings of Section 

 F (economic science and statistics). So 

 far as can be judged from the preliminary 

 list of papers, those who follow the pro- 

 ceedings of the section will have no cause 

 to grudge the time so spent. The sub- 

 jects on which contributions have been 

 promised are at once of wide general inter- 

 est and of commanding impoi'tance in the 

 life of the nation. As might be expected, 

 not a few of the contributions are con- 

 nected with the problems now immediately 

 before the country, but the papers to be 

 read and discussed are by no means con- 

 fined to this subject. As a government 

 official, Mr. E. W. Brabrook, C.B., who is 

 this year president of the section, has 

 naturally steei-ed clear of the much de- 

 bated question of the day. He has, how- 

 ever, chosen as the subject of his presi- 

 dential address a topic always attractive, 

 and one that closely affects the national 

 welfare— namely, 'Thrift.' In virtue of 

 his position as chief registrar of the 

 Friendly Societies' Registry, ]\Ir. Bra- 

 brook is peculiarly well qualified to speak 

 with authority on this subject, and a 

 highly-instructive address may be looked 

 for. The great accumulation of funds in 

 friendly and other societies and in savings 

 banks will be noted, the principle upon 

 which the legislature has hitherto dealt 

 with these bodies will be defended and its 

 satisfactory results pointed out. In- 

 cidentally a number of matters interesting 

 to those who are concerned with provident 

 institutions will be touched upon and dis- 



cussed, and the general conclusion drawn 

 will be favorable to these bodies. In the 

 general program of the sectional pro- 

 ceedings, a complete day has been set 

 aside for the consideration of the fiscal 

 questions which ^Ir. Chamberlain has pro- 

 posed for discussion. Dr. E. Cannan will 

 discourse on 'The Shibboleths of Free 

 Trade,' Mr. A. L. Bowley, the recorder of 

 the section, will discuss 'The Application 

 of Statistics to Economic Arguments,' ma- 

 king reference to methods of criticism, 

 ]Mr. H. 0. Meredith will relate the ' History 

 of Retaliation,' and Mr. F. Bradshaw will 

 give an account of 'The Commercial Rela- 

 tions between Canada and the United 

 Kingdom,' an historical resume from early 

 times to the present day. It is also hoped 

 that a day will be devoted to a discussion 

 on 'Our National Income, and How to 

 Spend it.' Sir Robert fJiffen is expected 

 to open the discussion. A subject that is 

 attracting a good deal of attention just 

 now is to be dealt with by Mr. Bosanquet, 

 who will read a paper on 'Physical De- 

 terioration and the Poverty Line,' criticiz- 

 ing the statistics advanced on the subject. 

 Different aspects of taxation will l)e di.s- 

 cussed in two or three contributions. 

 'Sinking Funds in Municipal Enterprise' 

 will form the subject of a paper by Mr. 

 S. H. Turner, of Glasgow University, who 

 will insist on the necessity of distinguish- 

 ing between sinking funds and deprecia- 

 tion in law and practice. Dr. B. Ginsburg 

 will discuss the growth of rates, and a paper 

 on a kindred subject will be contributed 

 by Mr. J. (J. C'horlton. Mr. Lees Smith, 

 of Ruskin Hall, Oxford, has promised a 

 paper on 'Karl Marx's Theory of Value'; 

 and the work of the section will also in- 

 clude the consideration of the final report 

 of the Committee on Legislation affecting 

 Women's Labor. The report will sliow 

 that information has been obtained on sev- 



