Mr. Percy A. Harris, M.P., who has been re-elected once
again to the London County Council, is one of the oldest and most popular members of that wonderful body, and no one is better qualified than he to write on London and its Government. (Dent, 7s. 6d.). His first book with this title appeared in 1913, but eighteen years have brought so many changes that he has naturally had to produce what is virtually a new book. He describes the complex system broadly—and not perhaps without a little bias—and then treats of each municipal service in some detail, beginning with education, the poor law, health- and housing. At the close he indicates his desire for a • Greater London with a new central authority free from the interference of bureaucrats and boards. Mr. Harris betrays more than once his old Radical dislike of the City of London, though he does not charge it with inefficiency. It may be suggested that what London needs is more of that civic pride in each borough which the City ratepayers take in their ancient Corporation. London County is overwhelmingly large as it is, and few save the councillors and officials can grasp its enormous problems. Mr. Harris is perhaps obsessed by the idea that bigness makes for simplicity and economy in local govern-
ment as in industry.
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