BOOKS OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1830, 16 August 1913, Page 9

BOOKS OF THE DAY.

King Edward as Motorist, In' a volume of quite substantial size, !"What I Know" (Alalia and Boon; per HVhitcombo and Tombs), Mr. C. W. Btampor gives his reminiscences of "five years personal attendance upon his lats Majesty King Edward tho Seventh." Mr. Stamper in 1903 was manager of a London motor-car company, agents for tlio ■Wolseley Car Company, and was invited to become the King's private motor expert, to instruct tlie chauffeurs, wlio, by tho way, wero chosen from the Metropolitan police, who drove, the Royal cars liis Majesty had four motors, two big Mercedes, ono big Daimler, and a small Renault for "run-about" town work. Mr. Stamper's duty was to sit on the front Beat of tho car by the .driver's side, to find the way, to repair any mishaps which might occur, and to attend personally on tho King. The expert accompanied tho King, not only oil trips through 1 England and Scotland, but on tho Continent, and of theso various jourTieys the motorist-author gives some lively and well-written descriptions,. Indeed 'tno general literary merit of the book is Go high that I. think it is moro than probable that a certain Mr. Durnford Yates, whose "tireless assistance" is gratefully acknowledged in tho preface, had not a littlo to do with the actual writing of tho book. Bo ithat as it may, Mr. Stamper's book certainly throws some very interesting sidelights upon the personality of tho late King, his wonderful tact,.his unfailing geniality, and last, but not least, the sound common sense which was one of his best attributes. No, man is, it has been said, a hero to his valet, but King Edward was a very real hero to the motor-expert, who saw so much of hi 3 Royal master's private life during tho five years of his service. That 'the author's powers of observation were accompanied by a decided shrewdness of perception 'into character may bo illustrated by.the following quotation:

Between a - dull understanding aiid thoughtlessness, his Majesty drew a Bharp line. Ho was impatient of either, but while ho pitied the simpleton, he censured a fool. Lack of brains in a man ho deplored, and rathor despised. Folly—'failure to uso common sense—won his disgust and irritated him greatly. 'Sometimes, when by not using his wits a servant had disappointed the King of tho fulfilment of an order, his Majesty was pleased foreign to assumo that tho culprit did'not posse&s tho sense" he had not displayed, and, in giving tho order again, he would employ tho literal and exaggerated precision a •parent would uso in' instructing a child. One by ono he gravely enumerated the simplo steps meant to bo taken. Exactly how he should go, and what he should fetch, the manner of his carrying it, aiid of his .return—all these tho,. King carefully specified. : And when he'had'finished.

ho would give a littlo half-nT>d, halftoss .of . hisrhead. The. motion spoke volumes.'.'lt:bade the.offender begone from', his presenoe; it told the 'dis-missal-of "tlio. offence from .his .mind.

Hjfji ~aniioyancßj.had|. li|2fd6nfally^Mr.''. 'ffow' g00d... stories'' concerning somo misad-, .ventures .iwhich 'even 'royal motorists have to put .up. frith,' and i the 'j .book' contains'' many.; interesting; ;,.,ah'ecdojes.i' various members of the. Royal'familj- and theii relatives and frionds, both in England aid on the Continent... The Kingps cars carry no numbers, and'according to Mr. Stamper aro not bound to observe any spoed limit. But Mr. Stamper records; no mishap worse than the killing of a.'stray dog, and for this such liberal compensation was .paid that one illus■trated paper published a suggestive set . of sketches, showing what tho King might . exp'eo.t when , next ho wS'nt motoring. I

note that Mr. Stamper says that the King, although very fond of - motoring, always made use of a carriage and horses when, as he so often did when in town: he went to the . theatre. An exceptionally welldrawn portrait of the King, from a crayon sketch by Miss Olivo Snell, is given as a frontispiece, ''The Nation's Library." '.. Two more - volumes of -the first batch of that excellent series, "The Nation's, Library," to which I alluded at some length a week or two ago, reach me from the publishers, Collins Bros, and Co. The titles ore, "Sane Trades Unionism,", by W. iV. Osborne, of .Osborne judgment fame; and "Modern Views on Education," .by Thistleton B.Sc., D:Lit., Lecturer on' Education in the University of Manchester. Mr. Osborne's book deserves tho careful attention of all who are interested in trades, unionism and labour .problems generally. It 3 author, it may ,be remembered, stood, forward'very prominently as 1 the champion of the' older stylo of trades .unionism against the Socialist and Syndicalist sections of tho Labour party. To the British trades unions, as they were, and a 9 he wishes them to continue, Mr. Osborne pays, on page G3 of his book, a high tribute. He says::— By admitting to membership only oapable workmen, tho unions had done much to uphold the high standard of British, workmanship. By encouraging "thrift, discipline, and self-restraint, they had mado better husbands, fathers, and citizens. By the principle ■ of collective bargaining, they had put the two parties to an industrial contract, on a lUore'oi'less equal footing. . . They had found a position without regulation, order,' or method, and had converted it into order and uniformity as -regards sanitation in factory 'and workshops, wages, hours, protection of machinery, fines and deductions from wages, and general working conditions, i They had built up an- organisation that, while a model for the whole industrial world, onabled statesmen and Parliament to obtain accurate infor'.mation for the purposo of further legislation. They had largely triumphed over violence and .disorder, replacing !. the'weakness of individual passion by quiet confidence in united . strength, and by impressing upon their followers ' the lesson that brutality can only defeat the object of those who use it. Then, in successive chapters, the author 6ets forth the .gradual growth, of the Socialist'and Syndicalist influences, showing tow they have made, in his opinion, foT the disintegration of the old trade union.-;, and .how they have specially disturbed and evilly influenced the minds of the younger and less prudently-thinking workers. As to tho future, and "the,letter way" which tho author desires to see adopted, he says: It is the duty of trades unionism to to ready for all emergencies by reforming itself, so that it may be free from ■the tyranny and corruption slowly creeping into it. Its leaders must ho chosen for general ability, rather than .for their aptitude in appealing tc tho passions of tho crowd. The. members must take an intelligent part in tho management, instead of leaving mattars in the hands of tho delegates and tho caucus. The best class of workmen, who ihave been driven out by tlvo (recent policyi must be attracted back by sound management. Tho officials must dovoto thomsolves whole-heart-edly to the duties of thoir office, and their efforts must be directed towards t'iio primary purpose of trades unionism—collective bargaining. This can be best accomplished by bringing Capital and Labour together, and thus promoting that better understanding that is so essential to industrial peace. Mr. Osborne's remarks upon Syndicalism, upon tho diversion. of trades union ' Interests and influence into the held ot ordinary politics, and on many other aspects .of the labour problem, should lie road with special interest.

covor ths .-whole ground of tliq education problem, in its many and varied- phases, in a little book of some 200 pages, would of course be impossible, but Dr. Mark lias been surprisingly 'successful in outlining and defining the chief defects of the British; education system. t and is-, lamlably frank and decided in liis views as to tho lines upon which tlio much-needed re- j forms snouhl proceed. After an introdiucfcary chapter, ho discusses tho relation-1 ship which exists, or ought to exist, be- I tween tho nation and the school; the pro- | per provision and organisation of teaching; the primary school curriculum; the efficiency value of various school studies; vocational education; the "Montessori Spirit/ - ' and tho importance of educational mothods co-opcrating with child nature. Tho practical character of the criticisms and suggestions put forward by the author Tenders his book of more than ordinary interest to teaoher3, and to all who are concerned with matters educational. I notice that tho author emphasises the importance of reasonably-aized classes. From thirty forty pupils, he thinks, is quite as large number as can bo taught with efficiency in either a primary or a secondary school. New Zealand teachers, wlio, of late, have evinced an increasing tendency to object to unduly large classes, will be interested to learn that the headmaster of Repton declares tho maximum should be twentyfive, and that the late United States Coratiiissionor of Education advocated thirty. Both Mr. Osborne's and Dr. Marks s books aro provided with excellent bibliographies, which should prove most useful to readers wishing to go more deeply into the various questions dealt with by tho authors.