This book “is written from the professorial point of view—that is to say, it is not a study at first hand of the working of institutions in the countries named, but in the main a statement of facts compiled from authorities. As such it forms a text-book for political students and a hand-book of reference for teachers, administrators, publicists and politicians.” The three divisions of the work are “the organization of local government in each country ... the historical development of local administration in England, France and Prussia ... the juridical aspects of local government and the relations between local institutions and the central authority in the same country.”
| A. L. A. Bkl. 3: 117. My. ’07. 20w. |
“The literary effect of the work is successful; the elementary exposition is not unduly encumbered, and the chapters dealing with history and with legal relations are given a perfectly definite purpose. There is, even for a work of this kind, too large a number of technical inaccuracies.” Willard E. Hotchkiss.
| + − | Ann. Am. Acad. 30: 172. Jl. ’07. 580w. |
“The author is accurate and impartial: his work seems to have been slow, and some parts of the book are out of date. Few other faults could be found in Mr. Ashley’s studies. The volume is of high merit, and should be bought and kept for reference. The index is good.”
| + + − | Ath. 1906, 2: 615. N. 17. 310w. |
“It speaks highly for Mr. Ashley as a lecturer that he has produced so readable a volume out of material which in less able hands would have sufficed only for a dry compendium or a useful text-book.”
| + + − | Ind. 63: 401. Ag. 15, ’07. 500w. |
“It is no easy task to deal clearly, yet in sufficient detail, with all these matters in the moderate compass of the present volume, and it cannot be said that Mr. Ashley has been entirely successful. A certain political bias is discernible here and in other ‘obiter dicta.’”