Evening star., 1928-04-14
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY the Booklorer

problem to which statesmen and econ
omists arc devoting themselves. Among
the latter group two men. DR.. William
Trufant Foster and DR.. Waddill Catch
lngs. working under the auspices of the
Pollak Foundation for Economic Re-
search, have during the last few years
published several books on this theme
that are by no means to be considered
as contributions to the so-Called dismal
science" since they are all interesting
reading. First they published in 1925
book called Profits" setting forth
their theory Next they invited and
received large number of criticisms
OF the book. Two years later they pub
liShed under the title Business without
Buyer" reStatement Of the earlier
book. which at the same time was an
answer to the criticisms. Now to make
their plan Still more simple and COM
prehensible they have Just published
The Road to Plenty" which gives their
theory in almost fiction form, making
use Of parallels. BY this means they
discuss sanely and clearly the present
economic situation. with particular ref
erence to oVerproduction and under
consumption and point out the way 10
solution. They eescllew technical
terms. so that the average reader,
whether he be business man, social
worker, trade unionist or the proverbial
man in the street." will appreciate
the discussion. which is presented in
conversations among the gray man.
n lawyer, a professor. a business man
! and a ''red-haired orator"
n X II
The quality OF the book, as well as the
theme and main argument. are indi-
Gated by the following extract:
Six billions for automobilesl cried
the Gray Man. What loss 10 makers
OF shoes textiles, books
And hosiery interrupted the Sales
man, Has that been good for business Q
In reply answered the Business
Man, let me ask where people would
have got those six billion dollars to
spend on anything If it had not been
tor the automobile? Last year that
industry paid to consumers, directly and
indirectly, not far from six billion dol
lars. In other words, single industry.
non-eXistent a generation ago, now
pays people enough money TO enable
them TO buy the country's total output
OF bread, and in addition the total out
put OF woolen, worsted and silk goods
and most of those six billions,
aoded the Lawyer, actually have been
spent, not to buy motor cars but to buy
trolt knows that. Good for business in
general. no doubt
Then, said the Congressman. I'VE
Go not ride in automobiles because we
are prosperous; We are prosperous be-
cause we ride in automobiles
But urged the Business Man. don Z
overlook the fact that 1t is the growth
OF the industry which mas helped 10
sustain the consumer buying, for a sta
oliized industry does not make additions
to the Nations pay roll"
"
Witchcraft and the charm Of the
Scotch countryside are mingled in
Witch Wood" by John Buchan. David
Sempi1. a young Lowiander, newly IL
censed by the Presbytery Of Ed!nburgh.
went 10 the parish Of Woodilee as his
nrst charge in the seventeenth century,
When the great wood of Melanudrigill
mad descended from the heights and
flowed in black waves to the village
orink." An ardent supporter OF the
Covenant, a scholar. full of zest in his
new calling. he yet was willing TO cir
culnscribe his duties. Not for him to
upnold the kirk against its III wiShers
IN the state; in that cause he would do
battle when the need arose. but not till
then. He left 10 others the task of
keeping the canon of truth pure from
alloy; he accepted the kinks doctrine
Loyalty, but let others do the dogmatiz-
ing The work for which he longed was
to save and comfort human souls" At
nrst 1t seemed as II he had an almost
exemplary congregation. Only petty
SINS appeared 10 his searching eyes.
1hen, with growing apprehension, he
SenSed secret evil, horror concerning
which he could find no evidence. Ii
was connected with the Wood Of MeIan-
udrigill, the black wood where decent
people feared TO go. On Beltane's eve.
the last day Of April. he came upon the
secret and discovered that many OF his
leading pariShioners were followers of
the devil and were practicing witchcraft
III the black wood. He witnessed a wild,
lasciVious dance going on before an
aItar or pagan times. draped in imita-
tion OF the altar in the kirk. From that
night the minister of Woodilee began a
night against the powers OF darkness
among his people. At the end OF the
fght he disappeared. Legends grew up
about this disappearance, One was that
he was "ciaught by the Deil' in the
black wood, because of his interference
with the devil worship there. But bv
far the commoner legend was that as
he was a guild man and a kind man {"
the fairies took him away from a world
too wicked for him to understand. And
he leev'd happy wi them and dee d
happy and never drank out o. an empty
cup"
The story OF the last attempt to climb
Mount Everest Is told by Cant. John
Noel IN THE Story Of Everest" which
is illustrated by q number of unusually
me photographs by the author. The
expedition, composed OF trained British
athletes and climbers. failed TO reach
the Top, Tor the most usual of reasons
IN high altitudes--faihire Of oxygen.
Col. f. r. Norton. leader OF the exnedi-
iion, and T. H. Somervell reached an
altitude Of $4,000 feet without oxvrel
tanks, and then Norton went 200 feet
farther. George Leigh Mallory, a re-
nowned mountain climber Of 3s. and
irvine. an athlete of -, carrying oxygen
tanks, probably arrived within a few
hundred feet nf the summit, II they did
not actually reach 1t. The facts will
never be known, for they died after
making a signal agreed upon as the
signal Of death"-~sIx blankets arranged
IN the form OF a cross on the snow, AS
in many previous difficult mountain
tests, the last few hundred yards con-
auered the most daring climbers.
In Crusade" Dom Byrne has re-
turned 10 Irish character after voyaging
with "MesSer Marco Polo" and Brother
Saul" Sir Miles O'Neill is a brave
lrishman who has been cheated out of
ms inheritance by the schemes of his
Norman maternal relatives Turning
crusader, he joins the band OF Sir uIiek
de Lacy, and after some good lighting
Is captured by the Saracens, whom he
comes TO admire for their honor and
sincerity. After release he goes to Jeru-
salem and offers his sword To the
Templats. but he Is not happy there,
Much OF his Illusion about the holy
cause has evaporated under the heat