The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-12

THE New International Year Book. 1909,
Compendium of the Worlds Progress
for the Year 1909," Frank Moore Colby.
NJ A, editor; Allen Leon Churchill, as
ISOLATE Editor (Dodd, Meade & Coz
The New International Year Book for
1909, like its predecessors. the volumes for
1907 and 1908. Is designed to serve as an
encyclopedia of the year. placing on rec
ord, so far as possible within the limits
OF single volume the leading features of
the years activities in every field. 1t is
not a specialists handbook, but a general
book of reference. Each of the depart
ments. however. is prepared by a special
list, and no pains have been spared to In
sure accuracy and the selection of the
most important topics We have all that,
on the word of the editors; it is all true.
too the book speaks for itself, in that
there is no other volume published in
English aiming at this degree of eompre-
hensiveness.
Among the leading features of the year
1909 requiring treatment In this volume
may be mentioned
The movement of financial recovery,
| which began in the closing months of
1903, gained strength in 1909 and in many
Industries. conditions were better than
they were before the panic. Under the
title, Financial Review will be found
an account of the general tendencies. and
in separate articles on leading industries
on crops and on foreign countries. more
specific details are given. The article on
agriculture and allied subjects. prepared
under the direction of experts In the de-
partment of agriculture at washington.
record the most prosperous year in the
history of the United States.
Despite the improved methods of pro-
duction and the increased output, the
- III. h0f4r
close of the year, discussion of the high
cost of living, most of 1t vague and spec
ulative, but all there. just the same, had
already swollen to formidable bulk. Facts
bearing on this problem will be found In
the articles, prices, Food. and Nutrition,
Agriculture, Etc"
In the United States the chief political
interest of the year centered In the tariff.
the provisions of which are analysed I'M
der that title and the passage through
Congress of the tariff bill fully discussed
as to debates, etc.
| Public interest in the subject of con-
servation Chere we have our old college
chum, Conservation, again. continuing
during the year and the matter assumed
a political aspect owing to the lovely Bal
| linger-Pinchot controversy which, In this
volume, is discussed in the article,
LANDS, Public" and In the paragraphs
head, United States"
| In the historical paragraphs under
| United States" there is discussed a sub
| ject of much interest to the Birmingham
district. For there will be full ac-
count of the spirited controversies that
arose In the closing months of the Roose-
welt administration, over the absorption
of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad
company; over the secret service and over
the Presidents letter regarding Senator
Tillman; a review of the Taft admins
tration and of the contest as to the pow
ers of the speaker; a summary of both
sessions of Congress, of the foreign re-
latons of the United States, of the frauds
in the custom house, ETC.
Great Britain passed through the most
interesting political year of her recent
history. Turkey was the scene of coun-
ter revolution. the prompt and complete
suppression of which. followed by the de-
position of Abdul Hamid. illustrated the
strength of the new regime. Spain was
for many months the center of public in
terest, owing to the Riff war, the Barcel-
ona riots and the execution of Professor
Ferrer.
In mechanical engineering new methods
evolved during the year for using the
steam turbine efficiently as, exemplified
| by the Melville-MacAlpine reduction
| gear, offered topic of more than passing
| interest. Bridge and canal construction
moved on rapidly during the year and the
progress on the Panama canal was as
steady and important as 1t was lacking
in sensational features, after the settle
ment of the lock VS.. sea-level contro-
versy.
The material for the statistical articles
is derived, we are told, from official
sources, and In the preparation of these
articles as well as those which deal with
public affairs, especially in the United
States and Canada. invaluable aid has been
given by government officials. Among
those to whom special note is called for
such services may be mentioned Maj.
Frank Mcintyre. acting chief of the Bu-
reau of Insular Affairs, for information
in regard to the Philippines. Mr.. o. P.
Austin, chief of the Bureau of Statistics, |
Department Commerce and Labor; Mr.. E.
Dana Durand, director of the census, who
is holding back our figures and won't |
hurry to tell usshow big we are, how we |
have put the kibosh on Keokuk, Kalama-
zoo. kankakee and such; various officials |
in the department Of war, navy and the |
interior; the superintendent of education,
commissioners of charities and correc-
tions, treasurers, the officers of colleges,
societies and religious bodies, all have
helped with the big book. AS did the ed
itors of leading newspapers in the states
cooperating In the preparation of the
paragraphs on state politics and history.
The Year Book, of course, follows and
is part of 1.-The New International En-
cyclopedia"; all subscribers to the latter
would surely care for the former On the
other hand, it is not at all necessary on
the contrary to own the encyclopedias to
wish the Year Book; most superior vol
| ume 1t Is.
THE Little Knight of the Bar B." by
Mary K. Maule. Qathrop, Lee & Shep-
| ard Coz
| Under this rather peculiar title, 1.-THE
Little knight of the x Bar b. Mary K.
Maule has written charming story of
ranch life, the interest Of which centers
in mysterious child brought to the
Bar B ranch by it's owner and compelled
| to silence by dreadful threats from the
man who holds him In captivity.
The child's sufferings of mind and body,
his gradual adaptation to his surround
ings and the influence of the knightly,
kingly little soul upon his rough cowboy
| friends are the interesting, standout fea-
lures of a well-told and splendidly illus
trated tale. The interest of the reader Is
not permitted to flag until the denou-
ment is reached.
The clearing up Of the mystery of the
child is we'll handled, although. as the