Mr. Edward A. Filene has for years been noted as a public spirited citizen, a successful merchant, and a man who believes that the elementary ideas which make for successful merchandising can be equally applied in other fields. He was instrumental in aiding Lincoln Steffens in the investigation of Boston politics, made many years ago. He has also been a member of the Committee on the Costs of Medical Care since its foundation, and is indeed credited with the idea behind this committee and its work. He himself established the Twentieth Century Foundation, which has aided many important social endeavors.
In his new book, Mr. Filene shows the value of organization for lowering the cost of overhead and for distribution of the expense. Some years ago he contributed to The Journal a paper urging the formation of medical guilds, which were essentially groups, in the belief that group practice would