Book Reviews [pp. 286-288]

Overland Monthly
value would seem to lie in the liveliness of
their narration of events and in the vivid
pictures presented of scenes and peoples
along the great Asiatic Coast.
Russian Statistics
T'HE Russian Journal of Financial Stati' tics, of which we have in hand the
first number, is a handsome and elaborate
quarterly published at St. Petersburg, but
in the English language. A unique special
reason is given for its existence. It appears that English and American statistical
publications dealing with the financial and
economic affairs of Russia are emphatically
unsatisfactory to the Russian mind. This is
the way in which the new journal characterizes American and English methods of obtaining statistics: There are, as you know, two ways of drawing from the source of statistics. The first,
that of the Russian Journal, consists in plunging like a diver into the official publications,
in looking there for the figures one has need
of, in examining whether these figures agree
or conflict, in discovering the reason of the
real or apparent contradictions which have
been observed, in correcting the typographical errors, which are always numerous, and,
lastly, in classifying the figures in systematic
order. The second way of forming statistics
is much the simpler one. It is also, doubtless, much superior to the first, for the
majority of statisticians end by adopting it.
if they did not adopt it from the beginning.
This second way requires only a little industry and a good supply of letter paper.
When statistics relating to Russia are
given in English, they have been obtained by
English or American authorities by the worst
possible process, viz: that of filling up of
special forms and lists of questions. The
same questions are sent to all the countries
of the world. Both the Hague and St.
Petersburg, for instance, will receive a copy
of the same blank form with a request to insert in the columns headed "Meteorology "
the mean annual temperature of the country.
The mean temperature of the Russian Empire, between the 1st of January and the
31st of December, is rather a large order!
Moreover, the official statisticians in no
way trouble themselves about the accuracy
of the figures given by them in foreign statistics. They say, as it were: You want Russian
statistics-well, here is all the information we
have been able to obtain or manage to scrape
together from the daily, weekly and monthly
periodicals, including ladies' journals; we
cannot hold ourselves responsible for any errors, contradictions, or even absurdities, that
you may come across in them.
The Russian Journal takes up the mission,
therefore, of furnishing the English-speaking
world with reliable financial and economic
statistics-" authentic figures exempt from
error,"-from the empire of the Czar. The
first number presents elaborated statistical
accounts of the production of gold in Russia;
the revenue on spirits and the liquor reform:
Russian weights, measures, and monetary
system; profits of Russian joint-stock companies; the national debt of Russia; the
budget of the empire for 1898,-estimates and
fulfillment; and the Russian state as a proprietor, capitalist, creditor, and debtor.
The Corn Trade and Options Market
THIE author of this small treatise is
strongly convinced that "one of the most important economical problems of the day"
may be found in the solution of the following
questions: Whether or not Options in Cereals are advantageous.
Are transactions in Options the cause of
the depreciation of the price of Cereals, and
of the unfavorable economic situation resulting therefrom; or do they form the necessary factors la the ordinary course of international tradet
Are they to be taken as indications of improvement in the trade, or does their influence tend to show that a false step has been
taken?
Would their suppression be for the welfare
of the public, or would such a proceeding be
a danger, threatening the freedom of commerciai life-t
The author regards the options trade as
a parasitic abomination, and calls for its supsuppression.
Books Received
Campaigning in the Philippines. By Karl
Irving Faust. Illustrated. San Francisco:
The Hicks-Judd Company. $3.50.
Myths and Bible. By Olof A. Toffteen, Rec tor of St. Ansgarius's Church, Minneapolis
Minn.
The Golden Horseshoe. Edited by Stephen
Bonsal. New York: Macmillan & Co.
$1.50.
The Russian Journal of Financial Statistics.
St. Petersburg. Printed by W. Kirshbaum.
The Corn-Trade and Options-Market, Con sidered in Relation to Social and Economic
Problems. By F. Hammesfahr. New
York: Gustav E. Stechert. 50 cts.
Charter of the City and County of San
Francisco. San Francisco: The Star
Press.
Chants for the Boer. By Joaquin Miller.
San Francisco: The Whitaker & Ray Com pany.
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