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 546 THh AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

human nature. Then the failure of education, material civiliza- tion, legislation, and ethnic religions is asserted, and the hope of the nations declared to rest in Christianity. Unquestionably all the vices named do exist, in Calcutta, Pekin and in American cities. No Christian believer doubts that his faith is deeply needed all over the world, and for those who are not believers the argument will have some weight because it presents the utility of religion, which all recognize.

The author admits that there are worthy and hopeful elements in ethnic religions, and he confesses the shortcomings of nominally Christian communities. Criticism will fall upon the relative emphasis given to the evil and good in each case. The volume is a monument of patient labor. The bibliography is very extensive. The form of the argument will be very helpful in directing attention to the actual services which pure and rational religious effort renders to mankind. A good religion is good for something which man can value and appreciate. This present life is sanely treated as having a value of its own. The second and more constructive part of the work will be awaited with interest. C. R. H.

Neue Beitrdge zur Fragc der Arbeitslosenver sickening. Von Dr. GEORG SCHANZ. Berlin: Carl Heymanns Verlag, 1897. Pp. 216.

IN HIS book Zur Frage der Arbeitslosenversicherung, published in 1895, Professor Schanz made a critical examination of the various schemes proposed to insure the laborer against unemployment, and put forth a scheme of his own, obviating, as he saw it, the weaknesses of the other schemes proposed. In this book he gives us the develop- ment of the question from that time to March, 1897.

Professor Schanz approaches the problem of insurance against unemployment from the practical standpoint. In either book there is little discussion of the underlying theory. His interest is in finding the practicable method of securing the desired result. He would secure it through compulsory saving under state management. His plan provides that employers deduct a small sum from the weekly wages of the employe's and place it in the savings fund. To this is added con- tributions by the employers and a subvention by the state. But, unlike the fund in case of "compulsory insurance," or the funds of the labor