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METYODS OF SOCfAL REFORLW.
-not have one central oftice, let us hope that the seved
Rsgistmr-Generals will co-opemto so as to produce the nearest
approach to uniformity in the CCRSUY. The different territorial
divieions and arrangements may rcquiro some modifications
in the mode of enumeration, but except in this respect, there
should be perfect identity.
I Bhould like to direct your attention for a moment to the
very copioue and excellent statistical publications with which
WO are now furnished by Government. Owing partly to the
prejudico against bluo books, and partly, probably, to the
ineffective rnodc of publicntion, tho public generally are not
awmo that for tho R u m of eightpenco any person can obtain
tho Statistical Abstract of the Board of Trade, containing an
adtniralh selection from the principal statistics of the country
during tho preceding fiftwn years, For a few sllillings, again,
may bo had tho "R1iscdl:tneou.s Statisticv '' of tho Board of
Trade, furnishing n wonderful cornpilation of facts concerning
three roccnt yc~trs, tl1ongl1 I wish that this information could
be brought more nearly up to tho time of publication.
By degrees a considcrablo amount of system has been
introduced into our parliamentary papers, They have always
been sufficiently copious-rather too copious in fact; but
until tho last twenty years they consisted mainly of disconnected
and accidental accounts, which mero esceedingly
troub~esomo to statisticians, and often of no use whatever. It
is from rogular annual publications, carried on in a uniform
manner, that me dcrivo the most useful information, that which
is capablo of comparison and digestion. Tho annual reports
which have for some years been issucd from various Government
departments are the best source of statistics; and I may
suggest that there arc several public departments, for instance,
the Mint, which do not yet give any regular annual reports.
I mould esyeciallly point Angain to the last Report of the
Inland Revenue Department as a model of what we might desire
from other departments. In addition to the usual annual
report, it contains an abstract of the previous Reports for ten
J- baok, and, what is st,ill more valuable, complete tables of
inland duties from their first establishment, some of the