LITERARY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 67, 18 March 1916, Page 17

LITERARY.

Sir George Reid's reminiscences are almost ready. Cassell'e are the publiehers, and the price per'volume ie 24/.

Ciml ■ , S PU»«ithrift» published by the Cambridge University Press, Geoffrey Callender has selected passages from the tune of Chaucer to that of Dickens showing how the masters of English prose have been affected by the sea.

In Sir Henry Eider Haggard's new novel,."The Ivory Child" (Cassell)* the story is laid in Africa among a semisavage people who have inherited their religion from old Egypt.

In a book by Dr. Sarolea, which Heincmanrrs announce, "Europe's Debt to Russia," ihe author argues on behalf of Russia a] a country of democracy and freedom, ' not of despotism and semiAsiatic barbarism.

Jack London ie off for another cruise among the South Sea Islands. He expects to be away at least seven months, though he says it is quite possible he will be outside civilisation for a full twelvemonth. Mrs Jack London is accompanying him. Jack London's next ■book deals with California. It ie called "The Little Lady of the Big House," and is the etory of two men and one

The Poet Laureate has been helping himself through our stiff war winter by compiling what i 3 really a war anthology. It.consists not alone of verse from the poets, but also of prose from the philosophers, and it is in French as well as English, a delightful tribute to our great ally. Mr. Bridges has, in the volume, sought to exhibit the aspects of life on a spiritual basis, and for that reason it is entitled "The Spirit of Man." * ■"»-

The biggest price ever offered in R literary contest is that which will be offered atPetrograd on-December Ist, 1925. The money wae banked in 18S3 with the Imperial Bank, on the condition that ft should remain there at 4 per cent interest till 1925. In that year, which will be the centenary of Czar" Alexander 1., the prize of £300,000 will be awarded to the writer of the beet history of the reign of Alexander I. Tae judges arc to be a committee of the Petrograd Academy of Sciences.

Owing to the increased cost of labour and paper English publishers have raised the booksellers' prices. Six shilling novels -which have hitherto cost 4/ti will in future be 5/ each. Cassell's •have increased the price of their excellent "People's Library" (cloth volumes) from Sd to 9d, and.of their "Pocket Reference Library" from 6d (cloth) and 1/ (leather) to 7d and 1/3. Another series which will also be increased in price very shortly is '"Everyman's Library." Xo change is contemplated in the price of Nelson's sevenpenny library. This decision with regard to* the pioneer of the sevenpenny novel reprints will probably determine the course .pf action with regard the other "sevonpennies." Maemillan's have met the situation in their own way. TheJast addition to their sevenpenny series, "The Caravaners,- by the author of "Elizabeth and Her German Garden," is bound in what looks like cloth, but is really linenised boards. • ■ .

The recent death of Sir Clements -Markuam gives a melancholy interest to the tribute which he pays in the February "CornhilP/to,; the memory of another distinguished explorer, Sir Allen loung, whom he describes as "an Arctic tero, who- in the days of old performed deeds of dernng-do such as might be recorded of a paladin of romance." In a very brief biographical sketch Sir Clements narrates incidents in the career of the deceased sailor which fully justify the high praise he bestows upon him. In the same issue of "Cornhia" magazine appears the 'biography of another great Empire-builder, who has recentiy passed away—Sir William Van Home, who, from obscure . beginnings, rose to a position of wealth and influence in Canada. He constructed the Canadian-Pacific railway, and also the trunk railway through Cuba. In the midst of a busy life he managed to make one of the finest collections of porcelain in the workt, besides many important pictures and other works of art. Articles relating to the war in the March "Cornhill" ' include a paper by the Comtesse de Coureon, describing her work in a French hospital, and a vivid etory of life in the trenches from > the pen of a wounded British officer.

In the January issue of Mr. Murray's "Science Progress in the Twentieth Century" appeared the second part of an instructive article on "The Influence of Research on the Development of the Coal-Tar Dye Industry," by F. A. Mason, 8.A., Ph.D. The author shews that the fact of £4,000,000 to £5,000,000 worth of indigo being consumed in' 1870 stimulated chemists to further research. In 1880 two great German firms combined to carry on researches conjointly on the commercial synthesis of indigo, but after seventeen years' co-operative research and the expenditure of over half a "million the agreement was dissolved; without having reached any practical solution. Soon afterwards, Sapper, 7 a chemist employed by one of these firms, made an accidental discovery which settled the matter. Further chemical ; researches by both firms resulted in the development of proceeeee which cheapened the production of synthetic indigo, and gave Germany command of the woiltfa trade with the result that the production of mdago in British India fell from a value of £3,509,670 in 1896, to £65,000 in 1913-14. At the outbreak of war German firms provided about six-seventha of the worlds consumption of synthetic valued at £12,000,000 to £15,000,000, of _whkh Great Britain £ ported £1,800,000 in 19»2, her own production being only abotft £200,000. The two bifc .German . firms chiefly concerned in this trade, employ 350 research chemists constantly engaged in discovering new dyes. Taking the various branches of industry as a whole, there is in Germany one university-trained chemist fof every fifty workmen, whitet in Cfreat Britain the ratio id not higher than 1 in 500. The question of .Government 'assistance to industrial chemical research is also dealt -with in,the report of deputations representing the Royal Society and ;Britisb/-Chemical Societies to the President of the Board, of Education (Mr. Peace), who promised'to create an Advisory -Council of Industrial- .Kesearch and submit a vote of £30,000 on the Estimates for the purpose of aiding this branch of national education. "Science Progress" for January contains itany other'valuable papere.covering tie entire sphere of advanced' ecicntif; eludy.