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The article focuses on Gold currency and the general prices of commodities in England. To ascertain whether there have been within the last hundred years such variations of general prices as may without doubt be ascribed to the greater or less amount of the precious metals, one shall naturally look first at the period immediately following the gold discoveries in California and Australia. There is a striking difference among English statisticians on this question. The matter is carefully examined in the sixth volume of Tcoke's "History of Prices," and the conclusion is stated that although the annual supply of gold in 1856 and the four preceding years bad been fourfold greater than it had been in 1848 and previously, and although the addition to the metallic circulation of the leading commercial nations bad been more than one-third of the pre-existing stock, yet the range of general prices had not been at that date, noticeably influenced in England.

This article critically appraises the book "Near and Far: An Angler's Sketches of Home Sport and Colonial Life," by William Senior. The chapters on home sport are a charming combination of narrative and divergence therefrom to the varied topics of rural life and economics suggested by the scenes and incidents presented to the reader, and seeming to come naturally and properly within the scope of the chapter headings. All this, however, must yield in interest to the contents of the second division of the book. The "Sketches of Colonial Life" are mostly from Queensland, a part of Australia, give descriptions of the life, manners, customs, and industries of that colony, from which the average reader will learn much more than he would get from a volume of statistics.

Presents letters to the editor regarding various political issues. Objections to Australian ballot; Trend of young voters; Information on poor farming in Southeastern Ohio.

The Federation Convention in Sydney, New South Wales, that has just virtually completed its labors by adopting the title of "The Commonwealth of Australia," grew out of the same desire that led to the work of the Philadelphia Convention in 1787, the desire for a more perfect union. The union effected by the act creating the Federal Council in 1885 was weak and inefficient. Not only were the powers of the Council extremely limited, but its membership did not include representatives of all the colonies. It was contended by the New Zealanders that the 1,200 miles separating them from the Australian continent made closer political connection with their sister colonies impracticable. They feared, too, that the movement was not altogether loyal to the mother country, and they did not wish to take a step that might result in severing their connection with the British crown.

Presents several letters to the editor. Appointments made by the Massachusetts council; Principles on the Republican party of the Massachusetts; Ballot Law in Australia.

Probably few countries have in a year suffered a greater loss of prosperity without reaching a crisis than have some of the Australian colonies. Of the causes that have contributed to this loss, the most direct is the sudden mobility to borrow money for public works, and the resulting change in the position of the laboring classes. In previous years, Government expenditure had found employment, in one colony or another, for a large population of laborers, as well as contractors and storekeepers, who suddenly found themselves unprovided for when such works as railways, bridges, and improvements to harbors and rivers had to be suspended. For several years, there went on in Melbourne the wildest speculations in land and buildings imaginable.

The article presents information about various publications and books. T.Y. Crowell & Co. will undertake a complete edition of the works of George Eliot with illustrations. The Fleming H. Revell Co. will issue shortly "The Growth and Development of the English Printed Bible," by Richard Lovett and "Social Life Among the Assyrians and Babylonians," by A. H. Sayce. Lovell, Coryell & Co. have in preparation a new collection of stories, principally of Australian life and character. It is titled "My Friend the Murderer, and Other Mysteries and Adventures," by A. Conan Doyle.

The article presents information on various literary publications. The Hubbard Publishing Co., Philadelphia sent several parts of 'Picturesque Hawaii,' of which there will be eight in all. The second number of the Bulletin of the Geographical Club of Philadelphia contains an account of a journey to the Grand Falls of Labrador by Henry G. Bryant. These are situated about two hundred and twenty miles from the mouth of the Grand River on the southern edge of the great central plateau. The article on Australia, with which the Scottish Geographical Magazine for April opens, is by Miss Flora L. Shaw, the special correspondent of the London Times.

This article presents information on political conditions in the world during 1895. North Carolina has now a Republican as one of her Senators at Washington for the first time in nearly twenty-two years. John Pool, the last representative of the party during the reconstruction era, retired on March 4, 1873, and both seats have since then been filled by Democrats. The Italians seem to be having a hard time of it in their colony of Eritrea, where they are at war with both Christians and Mohammedans, the Mahdists and the Abyssinians. The article also talks about new taxation which the colonies of Australia are proposing.

The article focuses on political and social issues of the world. It states that there is a certain connection between riots in Italy and the high price of bread, but, apparently, only in the fact that the high price of bread made a rising for other causes opportune. What we call riots have been in reality an insurrection, long planned and vigorously carried out. The first proof of this lies in the fact that the fiercest and most protracted resistance has not occurred in poor districts, but in rich ones. The bill for the confederation of Australian colonies which has been framed by delegates elected by the latter for that purpose and is shortly to be submitted to votes of electors in different colonies before the imperial Parliament is asked to pass it, is decidedly flattering to institutions in the U.S.

This article focuses on socio-political issues as of 1909. The reorganization of the Austrian Cabinet has followed upon the recent adjournment of the Reichsrath amidst a glory of flying inkstands, fisticuffs, and objurgations unusual even for the Parliament of Cisleithania. Baron von Bienerth remains Prime Minister and keeps his Ministers of Interior and Defense. All the other portfolios have been distributed among representatives of the pacific nationalities and parties. Trial by jury reaches its acme of absurdity in the case of the murderers of Senator Edward Ward Carmack, now proceeding at Nashville After more than three weeks of elimination of the intelligent, a jury was found on Saturday which contains four absolute illiterates, two others who can barely read, while all twelve swear that they have not read a newspaper since the shooting.

The article focuses on the report given by director of the Mint about his preliminary estimate of the world's gold production in 1910. He shows that three districts including Southern Africa, Australia and the U.S. yield three-fourths of the annual output. Of these three localities, it is estimated by the Mint that Africa yielded in 1910 about $4,000,000 more than in 1909, Australia $5,400,000 less and the U.S. $3,600,000 less. This estimated five millions decrease in yield of the three great producers is offset by slight increase over 1909 in such countries as Russia, Japan, China, and India but the estimated product of $454,874,000 for the whole world in 1910 is only $852,000 above the total of 1909.

More than seventy years ago the Australian Audubon arrived in Australia with a mission to observe, capture, and describe the birds indigenous to the island-continent. Originally an undergardener at Windsor Castle, John Gould was no novice in ornithological science. He had published "European Birds" that gave him a European reputation. He was now to reap still more glorious laurels. So completely did he accomplish his task that subsequent observers have added but little to the achievement. While Gould, between 1838 and 1840, described 682 species, another alien, Gracius Broinowski, only twenty years ago, described but 700. To this date only 800 species have been recorded.

This article focuses on the political developments in various parts of the world. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson's earnest efforts in behalf of a settlement at Niagara have earned him the gratitude of friends of peace. The habit of sneering at the Administration's policy of watchful waiting has not died out. Australia has been having her trouble over a labor-preference bill, though of an order the reverse. In two successive sessions of the Common Wealth Parliament, the Government have passed through the House a bill forbidding the preferring of trade unionists in employment on public works.

One of the best-known of opera singers, Nellie Melba, was born in Australia, but not until now has that continent produced a pianist of the first rank, a pianist who is also an original composer of whom great things may be expected. Unless all signs fail, he will bring great name and fame to Australia. Percy Aldridge Grainger is his full name, but he has wisely simplified it, and now signs himself simply Percy Grainger. He is a new musician of uncommon charm and striking individuality, free from pedantry, and sure to please all classes of music-lovers.

The Australian Prime Minister's oratorical tour of Great Britain is receiving almost as big advertisement in a section of the London press as did British politician Arthur Neville Chamberlain's "raging and tearing propaganda" in 1903. One can scarcely believe that this attention is being given to the Australian Prime Minister purely out of compliment to the colonies, or even in recognition of his personal eminence. Nor does the alleged purpose of his tour explain the phenomenon. Ostensibly the object of his mission is to emphasize the necessity of "organization," but it is difficult to suppose that this journalistic boom is inspired by a sudden passion for system as the great desideratum in British business life.

This article presents news items, related to newspapers. When the late Leroy M. Bickford, of Boston, Massachusetts, provided recently in his will, that a copy of a Boston newspaper should be placed, daily, in every home in Newburg, Maine--his birthplace he doubtless thought that he was conferring "a great boon" upon the community in which he "first saw the light." It is painful to record the fact that the press throughout the country altogether fails to share his view. There is at least one Boston paper, which is establishing a position of curious prestige in the American press. The newspaper referred is the "Christian Science Monitor." It was the first newspaper, to record the serious general strike which broke out in Australia some months ago. That strike was sufficiently political in color to cause the censor to suppress all cable accounts of it, but the newspaper jogged along with a full report more than a week ahead of all other press dispatches on the subject.

It is opined that the great victory won by Woodrow Wilson, President of the U.S., in compelling Japan, Australia, and England to accept the mandatory system will be a Pyrrhic one if the duties and powers of the mandatory are not clearly defined. Wilson is shouldering tasks no other man has essayed. His defects and errors must be borne with and the world must be as patient as possible, particularly the U.S. and sorely tried France. The French may be right that it would have been better to decide Germany's fate at once and then settle down to a slow and careful creation of new world machinery. But Wilson is doing what seems best to him.

This article presents information regarding political developments in the U.S. and the world. It takes bloodshed to put Germany on the front page now. Mere unemployment, mere starvation, mere food riots are old stories. But the process of degeneration continues, and French Prime Minister Raymond Poincare still betrays no hint of readiness to discuss matters on a common-sense basis. The French papers do indeed show a glimmering recognition of the fact that military victory has its limitations. British Prime Minister Lloyd George tour is not to include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, or the Falkland Islands, so the inhabitants of those various sections of the British Empire will have to miss, for the present, the exhilarating assurance, on the highest of all authorities, that the assistance they rendered at a critical moment saved civilization.

In Australia there is the apparently anomalous situation of a highly developed labor group with extensive economic and political power, in a laud that is in a low state of industrial development. The first labor supply in the land was convict to a very considerable extent, but it must be recalled that the country was not developed in an intensive fashion until after the gold rushes of the fifties. The strategy of Australian labor has always been based on the lack of surplus population. Intensive organization of a small population and a careful limitation of immigration is at the basis of every success it has made. Furthermore, Australian labor leaders have never been faced with the task of organizing groups other than British in racial composition.

The article focuses on the outlook for international trade as of December 1928. Topics discussed include the upward trend in the market due to strengthening conditions in widely separated areas, increase in exports from Great Britain, difficulty in the wage situation in Germany and the promising crop conditions in Latin America. Also mentioned are the favorable business conditions in Australia and the confident tone shown by British Malaya and the Dutch East Indies.