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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 5302, 20 August 1888, Page 2

j Thk Oamaru Athemcuin is in much tho j Mime state of impeeuniosity asour Athena-urn jis in Napier. Lust year the committee of the Oamaru institute could only afford to : spend £10 on books, and subscriptions to many journals and magazines had to be stopped. It is certain that, if there, were any real liking for literature our colonial uthoniuutns would not be in a state of insolvency. Tho North Otago Times says, " If then, thero wero niuoh real likingin the community for true literature, tho Athcnifum should have a roll of subscribers sufficient to keep it constantly in an abundance of funds. It would seem that, in order to keep in that comfortable condition, tho Athenit'um has to consider tho tastes of people who, while being tolerably constant readers, yet cure little, if at all, for literature—for tho writings of poets, philosophere, travellers, essayist**, biographers, and historians. Like tho Liverpool toper, they have tastes of their own—the Liverpool toper who, when treated to a sjhtMS of mellow old Jamaica, exclaimed, " Call that liquor. . Why, I can tako ye to tho Dog and Bull, where ye can get a glass o' ruin as 'ill burn yer stumuch out for fourpencQ !" That interesting person called the general reader wants nothing milky or creamy in his reading, but something dummy, or hot, strong, and vitriolistic ; and that ho has accustomed himself to look for in the average novel of the day. Hence, apparently, unless an institution like the Atheuieum wisely considers these matters, and concedes to the prevalent taste ns far as it can consistently with a moral senso of its duty to the interest of what is best and highest, it is not likely to be very well supported by the general public."