REVIEW.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8360, 13 September 1890, Page 1 (Supplement)

REVIEW.

"FriOM Poverty to Plenty: on, Tin: Labour QUESTION Solved "; "Tin: SCIENCE ok Life in" the Limit ok TICK,

Scriitc-res"; and "A National Policy

foil New Zealand." By W. L. Rees. In these works Mr. Roes submits his views upon the tangled and intricate questions of political economy, especially upon that side of the science which regards the relations of labour and capital. By the English

press Mir. Rees seems to have been highly appreciated, although the "dismal science,'' as Car'yle called it, oilers to most mind? very little inducements or attractiveness.

The main work, '•From Poverty to Plenty," contains a common-sense history of the so-called science of political economy, from its earliest stages to the latest developments,—from Aristotle to Henry George. It criticises without hesitation or faltering the whole foundation of the orthodox science, and especially attacks some of the theories advanced by Adam Smith, Multibus, and Ricardu. After considering the different forms of communistic organisation in Europe and America, the author proceeds to lay down a complete system of economics founded upon association in op position to that now existing, which is built upon selfishness and unrestricted competition. At the present time, when labour and capital seem to be marshalling their forces fur a world-wide conflict, Mr. Rees' utterances upon strikes, combinations, and cooperation should be studied by all those who desire to lead the labouring classes to comfort and independence, as well as those who desire a sale investment and a remunerative return for capital. t It becomes plainer every day that safety for civilised society and the maintenance of the commerce of the world can only be ensured by a union between capital and labour. It is to this end that Mr. Pees has directed his attention. For many years, as all residents of Auckland are aware, Mr. Kees has advocated a system of co-opera-tion as the only possible solution of the labour question. He was in advance of the times, however, and public opinion rather classed his theories in the category of Utopian dreams than as practical "suggestions for the conduct of social existence. The strange events which are happening now around us, the swift transition of thought and intelligence from end to end of the world, and the clangers which confront every civilised community from a conflict between capital and labour, make it quite necessary that society should be placed in safety beyond the reach of those waves which are now threatening to overwhelm us.

In the smaller pamphlet, " The Science of Wealth in the Light of the Scriptures," Mr. Rees has ingeniously drawn from Scripture the principles upon which should be built a true science of political economy. The number and range of the ((notations made are remarkable, and abundantly show that the writers, both of the Old and New Testaments, regarded the science of wealth as a subject of great importance. As the English critics state, Mr. Rees' work is pleasantly written and full of interest. The author traverses a very wide range of authorities and experience, and if the whole of his proposals do not meet with unanimous approval, they are, at least, ticserving of examination, and likely to be useful.

The small political pamphlet, which is reprinted from the columns of this paper, contains several suggestions of great importance, as well as facts which are at once significant and alarming. Mr. Roes directs attention to the fact, that the real proprietors of New Zealand are the absentee landowners, bondholders, and capitalists, who escape taxation whiio drawing a yearly revenue from the country of £4,000,000 or £5,000,000 of money. He shows, also, the wretched state of legislation in connection with native lands. For both these evils, among others, he suggests reforms. The writing* merit attention, and will well repay perusal.

" The fate of a nation will ultimately depend upon the strength and health of the population."—Beaconsfield. Dr. H. JJ. Carpenter, I-'.ltS. in one of a series of lectures under the auspices of the National Health .Society, in speaking of Zymotic Diseases—lnfectious Diseases—such as .Smallpox, etc., .susceptibility to take them, he held, came in some cases from a poisoned condition of the blood, arising from the body retaining some portion of the wastes. These wastes, when not removed, were reabsorbed into the blood, and acted as a ready soil from which disease would germinate. For the most practical mode of preventing the spread of infectious diseases, read a large illustrated sheet given with each bottle of Eno's " Fruit Salts." Prepared only at Kno's "Fruit Salt" Works, Pomeroystreet, New Cross Road, London, S. fcj., by J. C. Kno's Patent.—CautionLegal rights are protected ill every civilised country. Read the following:— "In the Supreme Court of Sydney, New South Wales, an appeal from a decree of Sir W. Manning, perpetually restraining the defendant (Hogg) from selling a fraudulent imitation of Kno's ' Fruit Salt," and giving heavy damages to the plaintiff, has, after a most exhaustive trial of two days duration, been unanimously dismissed with costs."—Sydney »'ornbig Herald. 10