NOTES AND ABSTRACTS 625
fire, the lever, pottery, weaving, were the work of the primitive mind. The poet preserves somewhat the primitive mind. What increases with civiliza- tion is the passive assimilating power of thought ; what lessens is the sponta- neous, original and intuitive power. Hence society is unfavorable to genius. This explains why genius has shown itself oftenest when social evolution was disturbed, in crises or periods of decadence. Social evolution tends to suppress genius, to perpetu- ate the anthropological refuse of humanity. Statistics show that men's craniums grow smaller with every age. Their aptitudes are ever narrowing. The only remedy is artificial selection and to make social forms so elastic as not to repress individuality. Lion Winiarski, in Revue Socialiste, September and October, 1896. Fr.
Free Employment Agencies in France. Municipal bureaus: Employment asked by 2944 persons; places secured for 1660. Labor bureaus : Employment asked by 2097 persons ; places secured for 854. For months of August and September. Bulletin de L Office du Travail, October 1896. F.
Strikes in France. For the first three quarters of the years, there have been in 1893, 558 strikes involving 157,973 persons; in 1894, 318 strikes involving 39,498; in '895, 330 strikes involving 39,381 ; in 1896, 400 strikes involving about 44,000. Bulletin de L Office du Travail, October 1896. F.
State of Employment in Great Britain. On the whole the labor market has an upward tendency. Of 1 1 1 trade unions, with an aggregate membership of 437,371, making returns, 14,582 (or 3.3 per cent.) are reported as out of employment at the end of October, compared with 3.6 per cent, in September, and with 4.9 per cent, in the 88 unions, with a membership of 395,991, from which returns were received for October 1895. The Labour Gazette, November 1896. F.
Mutual Benefit Societies in Belgium. 1891, societies reporting, 398; members, 55,499; receipts, 763,899 f r. ; benefits and expenses, 740,699 fr. 1892, societies reporting, 459 ; members, 60,995 '. receipts, 825,002 fr. ; benefits and expenses 83 1,4 1 8 fr. 1893, societies reporting, 528; members, 76,095; receipts, 909,426 fr. ; disbursements, 896,761 fr. 1894, societies reporting, 553; members, 77,840; receipts 962,143 fr.; disbursements, 914,069 fr. 1895, societies reporting, 699; members 90,045; receipts, 1,172,911 fr. ; disbursements, 1,098,191 fr. Revue du Travail, Octo- ber 1896. F.
Strikes and Lockouts in Great Britain in 1895. There was a diminution of labor disputes compared with previous years. In all there were 876 disputes resulting in stoppage of work, involving 263,758 laborers, against 1061 disputes and 324,245 laborers in 1894. The aggregate number of days estimated to have been lost during 1895 was 5,542,652, compared with 9,322,096 during 1894, and 31,205,062 during 1893. 4-2 per cent, of the disputes embraced 60.9 per cent, of the persons involved, and the six principal disputes furnished 53.4 per cent, of the aggregate number of days lost. The largest number of disputes, 197, was furnished by the building trades ; but they embraced only one twenty-sixth of the persons involved. The boot and shoe dispute involved about 46,000 persons. 24 per cent, of all persons affected were successful, compared with 22 per cent, in the preceding year. 47 per cent, were partially successful. Only 28 per cent, were entirely unsuccessful, compared with 42 per cent, in the year before. 66 per cent, of the per.-ons involved .struck in support of their demands for advanced wages, as compared with 49 per cent, in 1894.
The Labour Gautte, November 1896. 1
Female Municipal and Provincial Suffrage. In 1892, the res.-luti.m in the English House of Commons to give wonun the in-lit t-> vote at legislative elections was defeated by a vote of only 175 to 152. A similar measure carried in New Zealand and in two of the United States. The movement is general. The general government of a state is occupied with general interests and is invested with public power. 'I .il government is occupied with particular and private interests
chiefly the ad i for local purposes. With tlii.s distinction recog-
