the fall of 1911. The Department has recently established a series of publications, the first volume of which is entitled Vocations for the Trained Woman; Opportunities other than Teaching. A second volume will shortly appear upon Labor Laws and their Enforcement, with Special Reference to Massachusetts, including a series of monographs by the fellows of the Department during the past three years. A third volume will contain an investigation of the living wage of the self-dependent woman.

ECONOMIC CLUBS. A further step in the development of Economic Clubs has been taken through the establishment of the National Economic League. Its purpose is to aid in the education and expression of public opinion, through the establishment of non-partisan Economic Clubs in as many cities and towns throughout the country as possible; the formation of a National Council to select the main issues for consideration, and of committees to study and report to the Council upon the most important questions discussed. These reports will be widely disseminated. Economic Clubs have already been organized, under the direction of the League in nearly all of the larger cities of New England and in New York City. Others are being formed in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and elsewhere. The Economic Club of New York has a membership of 1200. The others have memberships ranging from 200 to 1000. Some of the Economic Clubs have been in existence for several years and they have invariably proved to be popular and of great educational value. The National Council has at present a membership of about eight hundred. It includes all sections of the country and is made up, so far as possible, of representative men of all classes, interests, and opinions. The Council has recently, by a preferential ballot through the mail, selected as the two subjects of greatest importance for consideration during the coming year, Direct Legislation, including Direct Primary Nominations and Direct Election of United States Senators, and the Delay in the Administration of Justice.

The Economic League invites the affiliation of non-partisan societies that afford a platform for the discussion of public questions and will cooperate with persons who may be interested to form Economic Clubs in places where such clubs do not already exist. The League does not undertake to provide paid lecturers but will advise and assist local clubs, so far as practicable, in securing speakers. Nearly one thousand addresses, many of them by the most eminent speakers in the country have already been delivered before these

clubs. The office of the League is at 6 Beacon St., Boston; Secretary, J. W. Beatson.

In New Orleans a local economic association, the Tulane Society of Economics, is exercising considerable influence. The society is now in its third year; it meets monthly and has a membership of more than eighty. The presidents of the society have been Professor Morton A. Aldrich, Mr. Matthew J. Saunders, and for the current year, Professor Ulrich B. Phillips.

The first National Conference on Vocational Guidance was held in Boston, November 15 and 16, under the auspices of the Boston Chamber of Commerce and the Boston Vocation Bureau. Several hundred persons, representing 45 different cities were present. The discussions fell broadly into four groups; (1) The importance of information about work conditions in general and the nature of opportunities for work in different parts of the country, and opportunities for receiving vocational education; (2) the placing of young workers, involving assistance in the transition from the school to work; (8) guidance or sympathetic counsel of the worker after he has entered upon employment; (4) the importance of establishing vocational bureaus.

In this connection the work of the Boston Vocation Bureau is significant. This bureau has been in active operation for a little more than a year. Through a special agent it has conducted an investigation into a number of vocational opportunities in and about Boston. The information thus secured has been tabulated on cards and the card information has been digested and presented in the form of brief instructive bulletins. These bulletins are for the service of about 120 of the public school teachers who have been assigned by the School Committee to take up the new work of vocational guidance.

In line with this development the Harvard Summer School has arranged for a course of ten lectures to be given next summer by Mr. Meyer Bloomfield, Director of the Boston Vocation Bureau.

The Fourth Annual Convention of the National Society for the Promotion of Industrial Education was held in Boston, November 17-19. Its proceedings will be published by the society during the year. (20 West 44th Street, New York.)

At the eleventh annual meeting of the National Civic Federation held in New York, January 12, one section was devoted to the discussion of Industrial Efficiency, including a consideration of piecework,

bonus, and premium systems of payment for labor. Among the speakers were Messrs. Harrington Emerson, H. L. Gantt, and Warren S. Stone. Consideration was also given to a Workmen's Compensation Act drawn up by a committee, of which Mr. P. Tecumseh Sherman was chairman.

The International Society for Promoting Commercial Education announces that the next summer course of lectures will be given at the London School of Economics from July 24 to August 12. The subject of the course will be "The History and Practical Working of English Commerce and Industry." The four previous courses have been held at Lausanne (1907), Mannheim (1908), Havre (1909), and Vienna (1910).

At the first Universal Races Congress, to be held at the University of London, July 26-29, 1911, one session will be devoted to special problems in inter-racial economics. Papers are announced on Investments and loans, by Professor A. de Navratil; on Wages and immigration, by F. C. Croxton and W. J. Lauck; and on Opening of markets and countries, by John A. Hobson.

A second conference on the Teaching of Economics will be held in Chicago during the early part of May.

The Fifth International Congress of the International Tax Association will be held in Richmond, Virginia, September 5-8, 1911. Lists of the committee memberships and other information may be obtained at the offices of the Association, either at Columbus, Ohio, or 29 Broadway, New York.

The Thirtieth Annual Conference of the American Federation of Labor was held at St. Louis, November 14-26. Of special significance was the discussion in regard to the methods of withdrawing the patronage of organized labor from "unfair" employees. The Executive Council was made the ultimate judge of all such authorizations. For the first time in several years the socialists did not endeavor to force their views upon the Federation.

The increasing demand for trained economists in the government service is illustrated by examinations announced for positions in the Bureau of Labor, United States Department of Commerce and Labor, on January 18 to 21, 1911. There were three examinations: one for experts and special agents with salaries ranging from $1400 to $2000; one for research and editorial assistants with salaries ranging from $1200 to $1800; and one for statistical clerks with salaries

ranging from $1000 to $1400. The requirement for economic or sociological training is particularly emphasized in the first two examinations named. Thus in order to qualify for the positions of expert and special agent applicants must have had either at least three years' specialized economic and sociological training in a college or university, or two full years' practical experience in investigation and research work in some economic or sociological field. For the position of research and editorial assistant one year's special economic and sociological training or one full year's practical experience in investigation and research work in some economic or sociological field is required. In the examinations great weight is given to the educational training and experience, but in addition are the following tests: A thesis on a topic prescribed, outlines of a general investigation of an economic or sociological problem, preparation of digests of submitted economic or sociological reports, tests in practical editorial work, and translations of statistical or economic matter from foreign languages. The last requirement is of considerable interest as emphasizing the practical necessity of developing the teaching of foreign languages in post graduate economic work, not only the traditional German and French, but also Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, and the Scandinavian languages.

The New York Commission on Employers' Liability and Causes of Industrial Accidents, Unemployment and Lack of Farm Labor has been investigating the problem of unemployment since the fall of 1909. During the past summer Hon. George A. Voss, member of the commission, accompanied by Mr. William M. Leiserson, specially assigned to this inquiry, made an investigation in Europe of foreign methods of dealing with the problem. The commission will undoubtedly make recommendations during the present session of the legislature.

The Commission is also engaged in studying the causes and prevention of industrial accidents. Last summer it engaged a consulting mechanical engineer, Mr. George Gilmour, Chief of the Inspection Department of the Travelers Insurance Company, who made a first-hand study of the prevention of accidents to employees in England and Germany. On this subject recommendations will probably be made.

The American Association for Labor Legislation has succeeded in its campaign for the prohibition of poisonous phosphorus in the manufacture of matches. Finding that the Diamond Match Company

owned the patent upon the most available substitute for the poison which causes among match factory workers the disease known as "phossy jaw," the Association for Labor Legislation induced the Diamond Match Company to assign its patent to three trustees, Professor Seligman of Columbia University, Commissioner Neill of the U. S. Bureau of Labor, and Attorney Jackson Ralston of the American Federation of Labor, with power to grant licenses on such terms as the trustees might think just. As even this extraordinary step did not overcome the opposition of certain members of the Ways and Means Committee, the Diamond Company was induced on January 28, to cancel its patent.

Professor F. W. Taussig of Harvard University has in preparation and expects to publish in the course of the present year, a book on The Principles of Economics. It. will be addressed to the educated public, and will not be constructed as a text-book; but it will cover the range of topics usually considered in text-books and may be available for use in institutions in which a full year's course is given to the subject. It will endeavor to state simply but fully the main principles of economics and their application. There will be very little of economic history; present experiences and problems of the countries of advanced civilization will be primarily had in view. It will not, however, be a hand-book of information; the author is chiefly concerned with principles such as are of general application in the leading countries of modern times. There will be two volumes of about six hundred pages each.

Among other announcements of early publications is The Navigable Rhine by Dr. Edwin J. Clapp, of Yale University, to be published by the Committee on Awards of the Hart, Schaffner and Marx Economic Prizes. Professor Clapp has also in course of preparation a book entitled The Port of Hamburg. Professor Irving Fisher has contributed an article for Scientia (Milan, Italy), on the "Impatience Theory of Interest", which will shortly appear. By the same author is The Purchasing Power of Money, to be published by the Macmillan Company. The Principles of Industrial Management by Professor J. C. Duncan of the University of Illinois will soon be issued by the Appleton press. Professor F. R. Fairchild, Yale University, is still acting as expert in the United States Forestry Service, devoting his attention more particularly to the question of forest taxation. He plans to publish a book on the subject in the near future. The second volume of the Oxford Studies in Social and Legal History, edited