Evening star., 1936-05-16
b. Mary.Carter Roberts.

Herbert Agar and Allen Tate. Bos-
ton: Houghton Mif1in Co.
A PROGRAM FOR MODERN
AMERICA. BY Harry w. Ladder.
New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co.
CREATE THE WEALTH. BY william
Beard. New York: w. w. Norton
& Co.
THE PROBLEM OF POVERTY. BY
Z John Rustgard. New York: d.
Applete=-centurv Co.
FAREwaxa. 10 fOsERrY. BY
Maurice Parnelee. New York:
John Wiley g. Sons.
DIVIDENDS FOR CITIZENSHIP. BY
J. L. Dobbins. Los Angeles:
Suttonhouse.
DEMOCRATIC DEsPOTISM BY
Roaul E. Desvernine. New York:
Dodd Mead & Co.
CREATIVE AMERICA. BY Mary Van
Kleeck. New York: Covici Friede.
THREE GODS GIVE AN EVENING
TO POLITICS. By Richard Roths-
child New York: Random House.
7 IERE is the weeks accumula-
- ton of remedies, ladies and
gentlemen. Step right up and
u 4 take your choice. How do you
like your economics? Will you have
them sober, allowing Qor old times
sake) that certain amount Of work
still does have to be done, or will
you take them roseate mot to say
downright red) proclaiming that If
We all desire 1t we can form a state
where planning will do everything. and
somebody else will do the planning?
Here they are-a remedy for every
temperament.
Book reviewers, at least, have be-
come aware during the past year that,
though our politicians may fail us,
though the Treasury run dry, though
the Supreme Court itself should totter
on its august foundations, our writers
will remain faithful. They will never
desert us. To the end they will stick
by manning their typewriters, pecking
out solutions for our ills, getting them
into book form and then (should the
work have a good sale) becoming
Authorities. Nothing apparently ruf-
fles the true literary seer, once he gets
his hand in. The greater the catas-
trophies that surround him, the more
indefatigably he goes on writing. So
here is the weeks accumulation.
Space limits the reviewer to a brief
outline In each case.
who Owns American" In this book
the enterprising Herbert Agar, with
one volume Of economic remedying
already to his credit and Pulitzer
prize for history tucked away in his
past, in collaboration with Allen Tate,
edits symposium dedicated to the
proposition that America can survive
# she will revise her economic system.
Says Mr.. Agar: 90 Our practi-
cal proposals look toward the estab-
lishment of genuine property state
that is, q state in which considerable
majority of the families participate
In real ownership" His volume con-
siders the whole range of current ques-
tions and contains chapters by some
distinguished contributors.
"A Program for Modern America"
This volume, by the executive director
of the League for Industrial Democ-
racy. describes the battles now being
fought for various types of social leg
islation and offers programs for their
furtherance. Child labor, unemploy-
ment insurance, old-age pensions,
health insurance, programs for public
works, farm improvement, Govern
ment ownership of utilities, civil liber-
ties-these are some Of the issues con-
sidered. They are all part of larger
struggle toward socialization, says the
author, struggle which he has al
ready described in his work, Social
4zing Our Democracy"
Create the Wealth" This volume
Is devoted to a study of chronological
efficiency and Of the Nations actual
and potential production. with the
idea that economic conditions can be
improved by application of scientific
planning to needs and production. Mr..
Beard is author of Government and
Technology" and co-author with his
father, DR.. Charles Beard, of THE
American Leviathan."
THE Problem of Poverty" This
hard-headed book admits freely that
all men are not equal in ability, and
suggests that he who accumulates
wealth may possibly have earned also
the right to use it, and may even be
regarded as benefactor to society
rather than an enemy. From this
currently unpopular point of view the
author discusses our labor. farm and
financial conditions, A Norwegian by
birth, he gives some interesting facts
regarding the state of labor in that
country, where unionization has re-
suited in reduction Of production
to one-fourth that formerly attained.
The book has an old-fashioned flavor,
in that it recommends thrift, hard
work and private property.
Farewell to Poverty" The first
part of this book discusses the evils
brought about by the present economic
system. The second part Outlines the
coming social commonwealth, in so far
as that is possible within the limits
of scientific provision" In this COM
OlUllWcdiIll tliC dutllOI bCliCFCo oAiut
poverty may be eliminated, but con-
cedes that its elimination will not pre-
vent all pain and sorrow"
Dividends for Citizenship" This
book is a plan for redistributing in
comes through the medium Of taxa
Cion. The tax Is to be a fixed per-
sentage Of all income, for redistribu-
ton on q uniform basis In. the form
Of monthly dividends to every resident
citizen Of the United States. ."
Like e. p. I. c. and Townsend, the
plan halls from California.
Democratic Despotism." This Is
less q plan for future governmental
undertakings than an arraignment OF
schemes which are now being tried
The author stands heartily by the
ideals of individual liberty and self
government, and sees in present trends
o distinct process toward the totah-
tartan state. He sees Americanism
~ q crosSroads where il will have