The sun., 1873-10-22
SOME VIEW BOOKs.

In Mr. FLIZuR WRIaItT's Politics and
Mysteries Of III, Insurance dec n Shepard) we
have the programme Of a radical revolution in
the practice of life insurance. Its author is
the we-known Insurance Commissioner Of
Massachusetts, during the last three wears and
1t consists mainly Of papers which he has pub
lished from time to time. They are here
served up az a single DISH with piquant sauce.
such, at any rate, the insurance compani4s will
regard IT,
The root Of the matter ls this Mr. Wright
contends that policy should never be issued
which does not contain distinct stipulation of
the sum which will be returned to the holder in
cash, at any anniversary of its issue. should he
please then TO surrender II and release the com
pany from further risk. He complains that the
practice hitherto has been to make no siipula-
tion OF that sort, but when policy becomes
void bv the non-fulhllment OF any condition,
eith"r to return surrender order at all, or one
which is caie"iated bv an absurd and inequita-
bic rule. and which IL 90 much too small when
the policy has accumulated large reserve. that
the transaction approaches a downright robbery
In its monetary effect. Mr.. Wright takes hsnc
with all the companies in basing the charge
which "A company should make for cancelng a
policy valuable To- Itself on the Insurance yet to
he done by the company under IL, and not. as
they do. on what the party has ovcrp1id II for
the insurance be has already enjoyed. a. these
-" .'.,ngs are substantially the reverse of each
other, the one always growing smaller and tho
other growing larger. tho two rules are rrecon-
cilable and " Wright is right, the companies
are wrong. As Mr.. Wright has in this book re-
pcatcd his offer of sl,COO To- the writer who will
prove tho old rule more correct than his, we
shah undoubtedly know by the middle Of next
January. when this offer expires. which is the
M. III.
tincation of two other important points In life
insurance practice which the author alleges TO
be erroneous. It is obviously a book which the
existing companies Will have to attend To very
carefully and promptly, II thev do not wish to
sec their business suffer or pass to different
set of institutions.
Inlsmuch as the courts are now fun Of lie in
surance cases. the legal profession Will find this
little book. which beyond any work extant ex-
plains the elements Of the business. an indis-
rensable part OF their libraries OF course no
person who seeks or is sought for Insurance
can afford to Le without the Information 1t con.
tains
In ms course of EngliNh Rtdding JONES
Miller, New York; the Rev. Dr. J. A. SPENCER
has prepared very useful manual for students.
lie does not fatigue or frighten the reader 10y
hrraying before him a list Of books which II
would require one or two lifctimes TO peruse.
The number recommended by him il, in fact.
moderate IA compared with the list contained In
Pycroft's Manual" on which the present work
il based. "When my readers, he saws. at the
end OF one NJ his chapters, "have availed them
selves of these hints and cautions they may
safely be trusted to run alone. and to choose
works by the names Of their authors and titles
from any good class ined catalogue" The books
he would have us read are In the main well
selected. and would form a tolerably complete
library on all subjects Of human Information.
Ills recommendations are, however. occasionally
open TO objection. Thus, in the chapter devoted
to the nne arts, he specifies Pilkingtons Lives
OF the Painters" which has long been super
ceded by more accurate works, and samson's
" Elements OF Art Criticism" a wretchedlv pre-
pared compendium by writer very imperfecty
acquainted with the subject. To the list In this
department should certainly be added wor-
NUNS "Epochs OF Art" and Mrs. Heaton's
Concise His.ory Of Painting" excellent man
uals for beginners In the study of art-hstorv
On the other hand we would exclude Lindsay's
Sketches Of the History OF Christian Art, a.
entirely too advanced for that class Of readers.
The chapters on the study Of history. ancient
and modern, are prepared with care and judg-
ment and also with special reeard To- the wants
and necessities of American students, which IL
deed Is a characteristic OF the whole book.
Mr.. J.W. GERARD, Jr., has publisheda Il new
edition Of his dgested treatise and compendium
of the law on rites 10 R,di Estate tH ne Stlt, N
N.r York tlh4her, NOurhis \ Coz. II Includes
many subjects Of importance connected with
realty not considered In the first edition. and
IL Il otherwise much extended. The real
estate system Of this State, which has grown
20 such formidable proportions under the
NJ. - o, Ia
the revision of 1870 l. here thoroughly reviewed
and reduced hy succinct treatment INTO the COM
pass Of a large but not cumhrous volume. Mr. Ge-
rnrd has judiciously confined himself 20 the law
of real estate ia this state.with but an occasional
reference 10 the adjuji,ations OF other states In
tho Union. The work is 20 De commended both
t. the professional and 10 the general reader A.
valuable alike TO lawyers and students ~ historic
and constitutional literature.