Reviews : INNES, ARTHUR D. A History of England and the British Empire. (4 vols.) Vols. I and II, pp. lxiv, 1092. Price, 6s. each. London: Messrs. Rivington, 1913
| DOI | 10.1177/000271621405300139 |
| Date | 01 May 1914 |
| Published date | 01 May 1914 |
| Author | Abbott Payson Usher |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
327
the
living
wage.
Of
course,
they
do
not
claim
to
be
original
contributions
to
the
field,
yet
they
have
considerable
educational
and
propagandist
value.
Eng-
lish
thought
is
indeed
changing
when
the
Rev.
Dr.
Carlyle,
a
pastor
from
the
town
of
Oxford,
can
present
in
a
few
terse
pages
the
causes
of
the
present
indus-
trial
unrest.
Professor
Urwick
reviews
the
question
of
the
efficiency
standard
of
living;
then
Professor
Hobhouse
justifies
the
living
wage
from
the
economic
viewpoint;
Mr.
Shann
shows
the
disastrous
effects
of
non-living
wages;
Dr.
Slater
discusses
the
vital
relations
of
the
living
wage
and
trade
unionism;
Professor
Macgregor
makes
a
strong
plea
for
profit
sharing;
and
Mr.
Mallon
tells
in
an
enlightening
way
of
the
working
of
the
minimum
wage
regulations
under
the
trades
boards
act
of
1909.
It
is
worth
noting
that
women,
Miss
Rankin
and
Miss
Smith
(and
remember
women
are
more
definitely
affected
by
the
new
legislation)
treat
the
matters
of
wage
movements
and
legislation
in
Australia
and
the
United
States.
On
the
whole
the
book,
although
not
in
any
sense
a
scientific
treatise
or
even
a
presentation
of
new
facts
and
view-
points,
nevertheless
does
furnish
a
valuable
popular
review
of
the
standard
of
life
and
living
wage
discussion
now
rife
in
England.
University
of
Pittsburgh.
FRANCIS
D. TYSON.
INNES,
ARTHUR
D.
A
History
of
England
and
the
British
Empire.
(4
vols.)
Vols.
I
and
II,
pp.
lxiv,
1092.
Price,
6s.
each.
London:
Messrs.
Riving-
ton,
1913.
Mr.
Innes has
attempted
to
place
at
the
disposal
of
the
general
reader
the
more
important
results
of
the
critical
and
monographic
study
of
the
last
gen-
eration.
Volume
I
deals
with
the
period
to
1485;
I I,1485-1688; ( III,
1689-1802;
IV,
1802-1914):
The
scale
of
presentation
is
comparable
in
general
to
the
Short
History
of
the
English
People
by
John
Richard
Green,
and
the
work
of
Mr.
Innes
is
no
less
characteristic
of
the
present
generation
than
Green’s
work
was
typical
of
the
temper
of
the
seventies.
The
earlier
work
is
domi-
nated
by
its
ardent
enthusiasm
for
the
struggle
of
democratic
leaders
with
prerogative.
The
main
interest
lies
in
the
establishment
of
the
authority
of
Parliament,
and
perhaps
it is
for
this
reason
that
the
narrative
of
the
earlier
period
received
so
much
attention
from
Green.
Mr.
Innes
represents
the
newer
school
that
is
more
dispassionately
concerned
with
the
evolution
of
modern
society.
There
is
less
disposition
to
take
sides,
with
either
Crown
or
Parliament.
The
narrative
thus
unfolds
the
record
of
the
British
empire
and
not
merely
the
history
of
the
English
people.
The
adoption
of
this
defi-
nitely
scientific
point
of
view
leads
to
the
inclusion
of
constitutional
and
eco-
nomic
material that
is
frequently
neglected
entirely
or
subordinated
to
the
narrative
of
political
events.
Mr.
Innes has
maintained
a
more
just
propor-
tion
in
the
treatment
of
these
different
elements.
Footnotes
and
critical
apparatus
are
not
in
evidence
but
the
temper
of
the
work
is
essentially
critical
and
appears
clearly
in
the
text,
most
particularly
with
reference
to
economic
and
constitutional
material.
Mr.
Innes has thus
achieved
the
distinction
of
presenting
to
the
general
reader
a
vital
and
significant
interpretation
of
English
history.
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