system is the Gold Standard, and he has written quite
a lengthy book about it, in which an endeavour is made to trace almost every- evil from .which we are suffering at the present time—certainly all the industrial and economic
evils, and even some of the social evils—to the Gold. Standard. Indeed, if all that is said in this book against the Gold Standard were true, a stronger word than ' flaw " would have to be used in referring to it. A great part of the book really deals with matters wholly removed from any questions of the Gold Standard or of currency generally. For example, many pages are given up to, a consideration of the inquiry by the Colwyn Committee on the National • Debt and the Incidence of the Income Tax, while few will disagree with Mr. Peddle in his criticism of the small amount of the. National Debt which has been redeemed, in spite of extensive Sinking Funds. These are matters, however, which have far more relation to extravagance in the National Expenditure than they have to the Gold Standard. Similarly, when dealing with industrial depression and unemployment, &c., there is scant acknowledg- ment of the many contributory factors such as the after- effects of the War, Trade Union restrictions, imperfect indus- trial organizations, and so forth. The author, m fact, is too busy in endeavouring to-trace everything to the Gold Standard to give the consideration to these matters which would seem to be called for.
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