Page:The Economic Journal Volume 1.djvu/532

 510 THE ECONOMIC JOURIAL won such ardent disciples in Germany since the days of the ' cameralists' (political scientists). Putting aside the older work of the lately deceased Lorenz yon Stein, now in its fith edition, I proceed to mention Roscher's Text-book of the Science ofFi.ance  (1886), the method of which follows, as far as is possible, the order of economic evolution in the body-politic and which is replete with data of historic life and thought. The Science of Finance  (1889) by Gustav Cohn, as well as his somewhat earlier work, Principles of Political Economy s (1885), exhibit the historical, and especially the ethical, tendencies in the development of political economy. Adolf Wagner himself, the author of the most scholarly and fmdamental work on finance in the German language, while not belonging to the Historical School, has done justice as ever to this as to other forms of scientific effort, by compiling a history of taxation in the ancient world, and in Germany, France, and Great Britain in medieeval and modern times (1889). This remarkable production forms part of his text-book. * Akin to these is a suggestive book by Vocke, the esteemed historian of British taxation, entitled Contributions, Imposts and Taxes in their Historical and Ethical ,4 spects  (1887), and which might otherwise be called the philosophy of the history of public contributions. It is possible that the author's preference for direct taxation has augmented the difficul- ties in the way of an absolutely disinterested consideration of the course of history, as well as of an unprejudiced judgment of other theories. However that may be, the first volume of yon BShm- Bawerk's History and Criticism of the Theory of Interest  (1884), is the work of a clear-headed, unbiassed historian of economic doctrines. Moreover an excellent history of the economic doc- trines of price is to be found in a book On the Theory of Price  (1889), by Zuckerkandl, and a very interesting and incisive inquiry by Soetbeer into The Attitude of Socialists towards the Malthusian Theory of Population s (1886). Greater labours even have been .expended on the history of economic literature. Two Spanish Mercantilists 9 (1886), viz. System der Finanzwissenschaft. Grundlegung der NationalOkonomie. Lehrbwh der politiachen Oekonomie ; specielie Steuerlehre. 2 System der Finanzwissenschaft. Fizmnzwissenschaft ; dritter Theil ; Die Abgaben, Auflage und die Steur vom Standpunkte der Geschichte und der Sittlichkeit. Geschichte und Itb'itik der Kapitalzinstheorien.  Zur Theorie des Preises. Die Stellung der Socialisten zur Malthusischen Bevilkcrungstheoe. Zwei spanische Merkantilisten.