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SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Sept. 14, ij 



followed with a paper on The Use of Index Numbers. The Com- 

 mittee in their report stated that the main practical uses for which 

 the measurement of variations in a monetary standard have been 

 desired are (1) the fixation of rents or other deferred payments 

 extending over long periods of time, for which it has been desired 

 to obtain a currency of a more stable sort than money was supposed 

 to be ; (2) to enable compaiisons to be made between the value of 

 money incomes in different places ; and (3) to enable historians and 

 other students making comparisons between past and present to 

 give approximate meaning to the money expressions with which they 

 deal, and say roughly what a given fine, or payment, or amount of 

 national revenue or expenditure in a past age would mean in 

 modern language. 



The Rev. G. Hurst said the establishment of an index number 

 with regard to our commerce was a matter of very great import- 

 ance, but it should be remembered that while they had an index 

 number with regard to the exports, it was imperfect as far as foreign 

 trade was concerned. 



Mr. Macnight said it appeared from what had been said that the 

 trade of this country was on the increase instead of decrease, and 

 he hoped Mr. Bourne would be requested to continue his researches. 



Professor Edgeworth next read the report of the Committee 

 appointed for the purpose of inquiring and reporting as to The 

 Statistical Data Available for Determining the Amount of the Pre- 

 cious Metals in use as Money in the Principal Countries; the Chief 

 Forms in which the Money is Employed, and the amount annually 

 used in the Arts. Failing to complete their task, the Committee 

 recommended their reappointment in order to institute further 

 investigation. 



In the absence of Mr. G. B. Longstaff, the following paper on 

 Reasons for a Quinquennial Census was read by Mr. Price. 



An exact knowledge of the population is mainly useful as a bas : s 

 for the calculation of birthrates and death-rates. In England much 

 money is expended on the calculation and publication of these in 

 the various reports of the Registrar-General and the Medical Officers 

 of Health. These reports are of great value in impressing the need 

 of sanitary improvements on the people and the sanitary authorities, 

 but they lose much of their value from the uncertainty as to the 

 basis upon which such statistics must be built, viz. ,-an exact know- 

 ledge of the population. Experience has proved that the official 

 estimates and the census numbers often differ by 10 per cent, in either 

 direction, and sometimes by 15 or even 22 per cent. The Registrar- 

 General himself is ceasing to put any trust in the official estimates 

 of populations, as shown by recent weekly and quarterly reports. 



There is reason to believe that, mainly owing to unusually large 

 emigration, the population of the whole United Kingdom was, in 

 April, 18S6, or five years after the census, between 400,00.0 and 

 500,000 less than the official estimate, an error of 1^ per cent. ; in 

 smaller areas the errors are often, proportionately to the whole, 

 very much greater. 



These errors in the estimation of the population may involve an 

 error of two or three per thousand in the death rate, so that 

 elaborate calculations made with a view of correcting errors due to 

 differences in age and sex, and constitution of the population, are 

 thrown away. 



Major P. G. Craigie, F.S.S., London, said the subject was one 

 of distinctly practical interest, and he hoped the Economic Section 

 would take definite and immediate action in the matter. Anyone 

 who followed the debates in the House of Commons on the Local 

 Government Bill, or who had thought out the question of boundaries, 

 could hardly have done so without coming to the conclusion that 

 Dr. Longstaff had asked them to do something which they should 

 lose no time in setting about. 



Mr. Bourne bore testimony to the value of having figures closer 

 up to date in all cases of research, particularly in England, where 

 they had not only to deal with the increase of population, but with 

 migration from one portion of the country to the other. 



Surgeon-Major Ince pointed out the importance of knowing 

 exactly the precise number of men, women, and children inhabit- 

 ing this portion of the earth, and strongly suggested that instead 

 of recommending a quinquennial census, the British Association 

 should press upon the Government that the duties of the Registrar 

 should be so extended as to include this. It appeared to him that 

 the name of every person in every district should be known ; eveiy 

 police superintendent should know who came into his district and 

 who left it. 



Mr. Shaw spoke of the need that existed in the United States 

 for a comprehensive and quinquennial census. Some sort of under- 

 standing should be arrived at, so that the leading nations of the 

 world could gather in their statistics at the same time and by the 

 same process. 

 .Mr. T. H. Elliott, Recorder of the section, advocated the con- 

 tinuity of administration. 



The 'discussion was continued by Major-General Babbage 

 (Cheltenham) and Professor Edgeworth, after which a motion 

 was carried to the effect that the Government should be me- 

 morialised in favour of the establishment of a peimanent census 

 sub-department, taking the census of the United Kingdom every 

 five years. 



Mr. L. C. Probyn read a paper on The Effects on Indian Exports 

 of the Fall in the Cold Price of Silver. 



Mr. W. T. Harris followed with a paper which examined into 

 The Rcawns of the Price of Wheat Rising and Falling Contem- 

 poraneously with the Variation in the Value of Foreign Currencies. 



Professor Everett (Belfast) explained that the rise in the price 

 of gold had found its expression by a sweeping fall all round in 

 price. It was that great fall in price which had brought agriculture 

 into the most disastrous condition in which it was now found. It 

 had also inflicted serious injury upon the cotton manufacturers of 

 this kingdom. It was in the interest of all classes that the differ- 

 ence between these two kinds of money should be removed, and 

 that the common level of exchange should be restored. 



Mr. E.J. Watherston (London) observed that the Government 

 of India lose for every penny reduction in the price of silver one 

 million sterling. One remedy was bi-metallism, which was not, 

 however, in the range of practical politics. A gold standard for 

 India was improbable, but there was one remedy, which was to put 

 silver in this country upon a completely free trade basis. It was in the 

 highest degree impolitic to retain any obstacles to the consumption 

 of the raw material for manufacturing purposes. The duty on 

 silver plate should be abolished, and hall-marking made a voluntary 

 institution. 



Mr. Eotley and Professor Edgeworth having spoken, 



Major-General Babbage expressed his belief that silver had 

 decidedly depreciated owing to excessive production. 



Mr. \V. L. Heves followed with a paper on Statigrams — in other 

 words, a diagram to enable the public to more readily appreciate and 

 grasp statistics, and to increase the value of greater uniformity in 

 the graphic representation of statistics. 



Tuesday, September iith. 



Mr. Inglis Palgrave presiding. 



A paper on Leasehold Enfranchisement was read by Mr. T- G. 

 Rhodes, F.S.S , in the absence of Mr. Chas Harrison, by whom 

 the paper had been prepared. The author pointed out that practi- 

 cally the whole of the land on which the metropolis had been 

 developed was formerly held by the Crown, by bodies ecclesiastic 

 and corporate, or by a few great historical families. 



Mr. Elliott (Recorder of the section) pointed out that the 

 acquisition of small property in town districts was at present to some 

 extent forestalled, The system at present in use tended not only to 

 perpetuate a monopoly of land-owning, but to create a monopoly of 

 house-owning. Eventually they would have to face a great social 

 problem, and its effect upon the working classes would be serious 

 and damaging. 



Mr. Handel Cossham, MP. (Bristol), said the direction reform 

 should take was very much open to discussion and argument. The 

 Bill the details of which had just been read did not go as far as 

 they would have to go. He was confident that the present system 

 prevented the encouragement and development ot thrift. They 

 wished to encourage the acquisition of property by every legitimate 

 means. The present law was one of the greatest barriers they 

 had for the promotion of thrift and the development of healthy 

 dwellings. 



Mr. John Geddes (Southport) dwelt on the anomalies of the 

 present leasehold system. 



Mr. W. J. Harris, speaking as a London landowner, said this 

 was an evil system, and he was perfectly willing to see it rectified in 

 a fair and proper manner, with full compensation to those who held 

 ground-rents. 



Mr. Rowlands, M. P. (East Finsbury), contended that owing to 

 the land in many places being in the hands of one or two landlords, 

 they had a system of monopoly, and the ground landlord inflicted 

 on a neighbourhood whatever terms he liked, and those who were 

 bound, on account of their occupation, to reside in that area had 

 nothing to do but accept the terms or go elsewhere. 



Mr. Shaw (U.S.) said the experience of England in this matter , 

 would teach American legislators a great deal, and they could not 

 be too prompt or too vigorous in legislating to check its growth. 



Mr. Rhodes, in reply, remarked that in the year 1930, which was 

 the centenary of the Reform Bill, there would be a ground landlord 

 who would own in London, unless some modification weie instituted, 

 no less an income, arising from a residential area, than ^5,000,000. 

 The monopoly should be revised. 



The report of the Committee, consisting of Dr. J. H. Glad. 



