Evening star., 1934-05-26
THE LIBRARY TABLE
BY SARAH C. BOWERMAN.

THE MIRACLE OF MUTUAL Saw
INGS. As illustrated by One Hun
dred Years of the Bowery Savings
Bank. BY William Dana Orcutt.
New York: The Bowery Savings
Bank.
To commemorate its Tooth anniver-
sary, the Bowery Savings Bank, in
stead of issuing statistical volume,
commissioned William Dana Orcutt to
write its real and very human story.
Three themes divide the story: First,
the origin, growth and achievement Of
great bank, based on the mutual
savings idea; second, the growth and
striking change in New York City, as
the background Of the bank; third,
the composite life history Of the two
million people who have saved at the
Bowery. The frontispiece is q repro
duction of a woodcut which appeared
in Harper's Weekly, July %, 1870, of
Dividend Day at the Bowery Savings
Bank" Other smaller illustrations
scattered through the book show the
appearance of depositors in 1884, 1862,
1870, 1890, 1910 and 1924; and the
first savings bank, one-room cabin |;
a later one, three-story frame house,
and the entrance to the vault OF the
present one, lin the bedrock Of Man.
haitian" The story is most interest
! ing, as it progresses through small be-
ginnings, the emergence of the Bow
cry as 'the most popular street in
New York and the most famous In the
world" the classification Of the first
depositors, the initial dividend Of
per cent, the panics of 1887 and 1854,
the CivA War period, the panic Of
1873, the long period of national pros
perity, the panic of 1893, the plan Of
banking by mail, the panic of 1907.
the World War period, the boom
period and the present era Of de-
preston, during which the deposits OF
the Bowery Savings Bank have be-
come "the largest in volume ever at
tained by any mutual-savings insti-
tuition" Mr.. Orcutt, author of In
Quest of the Perfect Book" and many
other works, has turned this business
record into a piece of literature.
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS. Inter-
pretations of the Age in Which We
Live. Essays and Addresses. BY
Nicholas Murray Butler. New York:
Charles Scribner's Sons.
One world ended in 1918; a new
one is not yet born. In the interim
humanity is struggling to make the
connection, to keep from chaos. In
these essays the President Of Columbia
University asks a number of questions
and is not able to do more than offer
tentative answers or take refuge in
the further question, Who knows?
How long must the war go on?" he
asks. Hostilities of a physical nature
ceased on land and in the air in 1918
but those in human minds seem to
have been growing more bitter, angry
and selfish ever since. What more
must be done to establish international
peace?" The increasing of armies and
navies will not do it, and ''the sooner
we all bring our armies and navies
down to the status of police force
the better it will be for the world" "
A root question is, From what are
we trying to recover?" We are suffer-
ing from the effects Of four ailments:
The colossal loss caused by the World
War; an orgy of gambling, called
speculation, all over the world, but
especially in the United States; habit
of unrestricted borrowing. on the part
of nations, states, municipalities, cor
porations, individuals; the ruthless ex-
plotting of the people by those in
positions of responsibility and au-
thority having to do with money, with
credit, and with securities" DR..
Butler believes that the first step
toward recovery is ito re-establish
confidence" That impresses us as
profoundly true, but there are diff
culties. 1t is something like telling q
nervous person to cease to fear to
cross a crowded thoroughfare when
he sees the traffic surging toward him.
pedestrians. OF two possible ways to
recovery, ito be compelled to act at
the dictation of an absolute authority. VI
or Ito be persuaded and induced to
act willingly and in unison with our
fellows under the guidance and with
the full cooperation, the full assist
ance, of government" DR.. Butler be-
neves the American people are sensible
enough to choose the latter.
DECORATIVE ART. The Studio
Year Book. EditA by c. G. Holme
New York: Studio Publications.
For the 29th year in succession the
Studio Year Book presents a collec-
ton of the most attractive and mod
ern designs in home planning and
decoration. This 1884 volume con-
tains over 200 illustrations. of houses,
interiors and fittings, in Europe and
America, and two Introductory essays,
Back to Decoration?" by John de la
Valette, and 'Wise Economy in Build
ing and Planning the Small House, "
by B. S. Townroe, editor of Housing
and formerly member of the Housing
Committee of the London County
Council. The captions of the illus
trations, as usual, give full informa-
ton about cost and materials. as well
as the names of architects, designers
and decorators. The keynote Of most
of the designs is modernity. Most of
them are also intended for small space
and small expense. Both houses and
apartments are included. Tendencies
to be noted are the use Of local build
ing materials, allowance for a max
imum of sunlight and view, ship-deck
construction for Summer cottages,
square lines and stream lines, wash
able fabrics, built-in furniture, violent
color contrasts, much metal interior
finish and furniture, sparseness of
decoration for it's own sake, a general
effect of hardness and lack of warmth
One illustration shows an all-glass
room, designed by Oliver Hill of Lon
don, having a floor of clear glass
tiles, plate glass furniture and walls
of aluminium -colored mirror with
pilasters of matt white f1uted glass
Lovers of period furniture and
Oriental rugs and tapestried up
holstery and draperies will find here
no designs to please them; modern
lists will find great variety from
which to choose.
MODERN FURNISHING AND DEC
GRAFTON. BY Derek Patmore.
New York: Studio Publications.
Sixteen plates in color and 80 in