The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-03-01
Liberal Viewpoint
by DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES

THOSE who believe that blue laws and
L. sumptuary legislation are thing of the
past and were product of ancient New Eng
land PuritaniSn will do we'll to consult William
Seage's amusing and illuminating little volume
~There Ought to Be a Law: Collection of
Lunatic Legislation BY William Seagle. Ma
caulay $125). 1t is a selected anthology of
representative efforts to make us good by means
of laws vigorously regulating personal conduct
Those who are inclined to run to the state legis-
lature to correct every minor abuse will do we'll
to spend an evening at home with this volume.
AT the opposite extreme in social philosophy
from the legislation revealed in Mr.. Seage's book
is the emphasis upon the reform by means of
education which is the central thesis of Dr.
Lindeman'S book Social Education. BY Eduard
c. Lindeman. New Republic, Inc, SD.
The author is one Of our foremost authorities
upon social and adult education, and he here
interprets the results of his comprehensive in
vestlgationS into the methods and principles of
education in social projects. The analysis is
somewhat abstract, but the volume should be
useful to teachers of the social studies and to
leaders of public opinion who are interested in
constructive social reform.
The Rockefeller report on the control of
liquor after repeal is also splendid illustration
Of the recognition Of the superiority of education
al to legal methods of guiding personal conduct
C'Toward Liquor Control" BY Raymond B.
Fosdick and Albert L. Scott Harper So If
the entire American public had learned as much
as Mr. Rockefeller on this subject since 1919 the
outlook would be far brighter.
THE gist of the report is an able defense of
= civilized drinking and of appropriate devices
to promote this end. The book has added value
because of the inclusion of the best selected
photography on prohibition in print.
One of the greatest defects of our contempt
rary civilization has been the lack of planning
in the development Of our cities. In the western
world civilization is today overwhelmingly urban
but most of our cities have grown up without
either rhyme or reason
AS result we are faced everywhere with
ugliness and congestion. Professor Abercronbie
has written the most useful introduction to the
history and principles of city planning in the
English language ("Town and Country Plan
ming" BY Patrick Abercrombie. Holt. s1.25).
1t concludes with a splendid supplementary
summary of the principles Of planning as applied
to the rural countryside
AS soon as we have solved the problem of
how to eat and cover our backs proftably
may turn to the problem of how to live in sur
roundngS which are at once comfortable and
beautiful One of the fields in which the alb
sence of social control and planning has been
disastrous is that of our national forests. DR.
Marshall presents an appalling picture of the
way in which our forests have been devastated
under private ownership and argues very inte1i-
gently and convincingly for outright public
ownership ("The Peoples Forest" BY ROBERT
Marshall. Smith & Haas New York Publishers;
so. He presents this idea as one phase Of gen
eral program of national planning and control
Of rural life.
IF prohibition has been mainly responsible for
l. the congestion of our federal courts, damage
cases arising out of automobile accidents con-
stitute from one-third to two-thirds of the cases
in our state and local civil courts.
At the present time, this important body Of
| cases is handled unscientifcaly and the results
depend largely upon the ability of the contest
ants to hire able counsel DR.. French proposes
the substitution of administrative machinery
which would take over a good deal Of this work
from the courts and provides Uniform and scien-
tific treatment of the cases which arise C'The
Automobile Compensation Plan" BY Patterson
H French. Columbia University Press; $3.50.
The recent lynchings in Maryland California
and elsewhere give Professor Chadbourns book
special timeliness CLynching and the Law" BY
James Harmon Chadbourn University Of North
Carolina Press; So. 1t is a detailed manual de-
scribng the legal protection against the posi-
bility of lynching and the provision made for the
punishment of those who take part in lynching
parties Unfortunately. the same general
psychology which makes possible the original
| lynching usually serves to prevent the proper
enforcement Of the law against members Of
! lynching mobs.