[Under this heading we notice SUCh Books of the week
as have not been reserved for review in other forms.] Free Trade. By Lord Avebury. (Macmillan and Co. 2s. 6d.)— Lord Avebury has rewritten, with additions, two chapters on Fiscal policy that formed part of his volumes, "Essays and Addresses." He has incorporated in them some of the lessons taught—to those who are willing to learn—by what has happened since the essays were written. We would specially commend to our readers the chapter on "Retaliation." This is the most attractive form of the new "Fiscal Reform" policy. Theoretically it is defensible ; i.e., if you can convert a nation to sound methods by threatening, no one ought to object. But, as a matter of fact, the thing is impracticable. It has been tried and failed even between Protectionist countries, and with us there is the enormous difficulty that we are not prepared with the machinery for enforcing this or that impost. If we embark on a course of retaliation, we must multiply our Custom-house staff many times.
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