Page 7 Advertisements Column 5

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 3956, 23 January 1900, Page 7

IS. IT WORTH WHILEiTO BUY THE EHCICLOMDIS BRITAMM ? r^zscf^sNuaiss.'a can it When a man asks himself whether ■ -it is worth while to buy a book, the burden of proof rests upon the book, ■ and not upon the purchaser. The vis inertia,' the rule that change and movements shall not occur without arise is the elementary law that keeps the planets in ilieii places, aim i;. as sound a- rule of conduct an of physics. There is the money at the banker's, capable of transformation, into any one of a thousand pleasing forms, and desirable in itself, without any transformation— a. power in’ reserve, a sword in the scabbard ; -and' a- sword that doss not rust, but grows' longer and sharper day byj day, doubling itself after a few years’ if one leaves it undisturbed. Yet within the last year more than twenty-live thousand of the people of Great Britain have exchanged money bn- cr,pic, of the “Encyclopedia/ Bntamnca,.-.--believing that the books arc of more use- to them'than the sovereigns .would have been. Why? Everybody reads, cvcrybocly thinks about wliat lie reacts. If be reads nothing but jests, his thoughts never rise above a titter ; if he reads nothing but the weekly police reports, his mind never escapes from the fog of crime and misery ; if ho reads nothing but cheap fiction, his mind never grasps the essential facts of life. Everyone, however? reads— one thing worth reading nowada vs, Uic daily newspaper. The man who has not heard of the Mouth African campaign, or any on© of thfi dozen topics of the day, is unimaginable; he ceased to mast when .popular education became part of national Ufa And the reading of the news'of the day is in itself a keen .stimulus to mental activity. Fiction is-mixed- with facts; matters not worth a. thought must find their place iii ’the newspapers, as they do in the world’s history, which is the function.,of the newspaper to chronicl* from day to day. But, on the whole,'. the .nows of the clay is sound food for thought, and every man who reads his'newspaper, and thinks about what lie- o reads in it-, is using his mind do gcod purpose. If ho does not think about it, bis time has been wasted.;.die. might as well have been shaping the paper into boats, like a child, .or tearing it with his teeth like a puppy. It is when ho begins to think about his newspaper that ho finds., Urn need of books. The newspaper may print a war map to help him to understand. the movements of an army, ' bub it cannot print a treatise upon every subject which the news of the clay invites attention. Yet the treatise must, be accessible’ it the news is to be clearly apprehended; the reader must refresh his recollections in’ one case. ■ acquire new information in another case, in order’ intelligently to form hiy opinions. Books are indispensable to the newspaper reader, and therefore to everyone, as a. chart’ to a navigator. A library of some sort, is a necessary of intellectual life. ‘ , The cprestjon then ■ changes. -Is it worth while to buy . the “ Encyoolpajdia Britannica ” rather than some, other systematised.' library ? A systematised library it must' be, since' its ” function is to answer questions, to meet any one of the doubts that present themselves from day to day. Here, again, the consideration of cost, of the other uses of money, must ..... . . ... : ... • be faced. “The Times” Reprint,’"of, the Niath Edition.of fcho;“,Encyclopedia Britannica” is a much 101x011' priced- bock than tins original edition, ok though it is a verbatim reprint, in the san'l6 words, in the same type, the same illustrations; no abridgement or curtailment. But, nevertheless; it costs, in tlio cloth binding, £17,"0r, in the monthly payments, £l7 17s, at. the rate.of one guinea, a month. ■ _. • • ■ “ Gan an equivalent library be .purchased for less money 1 riot mine feriir of a work, of reference, that is certain,. because there is in the Eng lish language no other .work,of. ; refefence which attempts to treat m detail ■citsli a variety nf subjects as are included in. l the I‘Eimyciopasdiai Britannica,;, it is, hi, its own field, quite wntliotit a. competitor*. . ■ _ ’’ Cannot a man, however, jain'chaae isolated . treatises, dealing wnth the various branches cl knowledge,: for tins, money ? : i That, is , a question .which everyone can answer for himself; it ■is a mere matter of figure®,’ 'and. the 'calcrda,ti<mvwill, in; itself, furnish agreb; able and instructive food for-, thought. . ~ ■ .. . Of - the -sixteen thousand article® in the. . Britannica, at least ■ fourteen thousand are brief essays. Theio are certainly not more than two thousand subjects which i-are. each,:impprtaut enough ,to:. Justify, th© existeu.ee of a separate .book upon each, subject. Of tlicsc not nioie tluiirlive hundred are long enough do make each a book in itself. Upon nearly ©very one of these five hundred, subjects sepa.ra.to books have, been published.;’ many of them written by the; tame men who wrote the articles for tho “Encyclopscdia Britannica..” Every,sl6 knows roughly what books cost— a-.good'history. to' much,' a, good biography so much, a. good handbook upon any special subject iso much.- , . _ ■ 1 The most satisfactory 'way '.to : answer*.tins- question at iho head this column is to take pencil and'paper,, apd estimate I ' the .cost of five . ONLY CHE GUINEA IN OABH rj. 0 bo- followed by Sixteen ... •j ,r. ; ;.f.{ l-Moi’iUily Paymentu o£ One i Guinea path • » -■TJiqiporiiplete -EC volumes of “ The. Ti a tr ” (London) Reprint ..of. • the. v JKiioyolopeedia .Bi'itrii’Pica ’’ will bo delivered all at one. rime uiioti ’receipt of a preliminary payment of one ■ guTneV, the rfemainder -of the purchase money V Ve lio paid In monthly sums of om guinea instalment system ol Belling books Id fay noineaus a now one, but the plan of Bale ■' adopted 'by “The Times" la a direct in- , version, of the familiar process., The, old. theory 'Of selling a large book in parts wao ■ that-'tfie purchaser received the volumes in .fliibldte and paid lor them in’ driblets. This plan apparently, gave the purchaser a groat . advantage—the convenience of gradual payments’— but, on the other hand, ho got no .real value for his money until he han.com-, “pleted.hia payments, lor the ’incomplete .parts gave -him no;’more then a mockery of’ possession. ... . ’' ■ ' qhe plan in accordance wilh which “ The Timbal’ olfera the " Encyclopedia Britannica” ’ presents The convenience and eliminates the , .moapvenionoe of this old process The.complerte’ v,'drk.is delivered as soon as the pur-ohaaer-’-begica to make hid aerial-payments ; the/only: postponement in the transactions is! i for-the pu.rohaser’s beoetit—ho enters into immediate and compleie possession, of the Work,’spa pays for it at leisure. hundred good books.’

SPECIE PAGES FREE BY POST. For the convenience of tliooo who desire fuller information. in legaic to the “Encyclopaedia- Britaxmica,” a pamphlet; has been prepared. contain-, iiig gpecuneix pages and brief extracts from the work. . .The--pamphlet.•ivijl, be l sent to any address, post free; upon application to “The Times” (Lou--don), New Zealand office as'tinder;. . . , . . - . ; ' THE REVOLVING BOOKCASE. . Some persons raay hesitate to take advantage of “ THE TIMES'” offer, .simply because they have no shelf-room for the volumes. ‘‘The Times”.out down the p-ice of the ENCYCLOPAEDIA: BRITANNICA by’onohatf, but the aiza of the. thair quality —remains unchanged." And the cost of a book-case largo enough to hold the Uo' inassive vblumes would, under ordinary conditions be a serious addition to tho cost of the ? M Encyclopedia.” - ' ' For the convenience, therefore, of those who subscribe through ‘‘The Times.” a handsome revolving has been tu eoiklly designed to receive the ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. The case is substantially 1 made and neatly’finished.. It is about 2fc square, and B£f£ high,* and is mounted on castors, so that the ENCYCLOPEDIA. BRITANNIGA may be brought to the side : of a writing-table when in uuo, or left in. a corner wheri. space is needed for other purposes. The volu « es are arranged.ou two opposite faces of the book-case, in so compact a form thatany desired article in the. ENCYCLOPEDIA’BRII'ANNICA may be consulted without trouble or loss; of time- The top of the book-case is large enough to contain of small'books. The'fcideofthe book-case 3s fitted wth an adjustable shelf, on which a volume in use may be placed at any: desired angle. The price at which subscribers to tha .Reprint : may obtain thi» case—-and it will not' 1 be supplied to other persons—is a very reasonable one for so substantial a piece of furniture.. Subscribers who elect to pay for tne.ENCYCLOPEDIA. BRITANNICA in monthly instalments i oh qne guinea each, will, if they desire the buokioaso. be "balled upon to mako three further monthly payments (after the payments for the ” Encyclopaedia ” have been completed). i .Subscribers who pay for their sets in cash i may procure the book-case by remitting a cheque; for £3. ' ' - ' ' , •, • . ; TEMPORARY PRICES FOR THE 25 VOLUMES. Sufficient provision . has been made for the filling of orders promptly posted, but applicants who hesitate may find that the number of sets reserved for New Zealand has been exhausted, and that the offer has been withdrawn, without further noticed * 2 Monthly Payments of One Guinea, each, .or. irCashinFui! accompanies the order. . £22 ( Publishers* Price for this Style of Binding, £45. rrlOTFf (IT Xdonthly Payments of One Guinea niHMwr. • ' or If Gash in Full accompanies the order. :. £l7 fiiflD.nu | /Publishers? Price for this Style of Binding £37. HALF MOROCCO (Which we reC rrfr^ ( 23HonthIy Payments of One Guinea each o or,if Cashin-Faliaccompanieg the order.. £231 MOROCCO '( • publishers’ Pries for this Style of Binding, £65. The Sets will be to Subscribers Carefully Sealed in Tin-lined Cases The first 500 Subscribers in New Zealand their Sets Delivered Free of cost as far as Wellington. .-■ » ORDER FORRH-GfISH PAYMENT. one shilling in the guinea, as shown above, and no order, form is required. Cheques should be drawnl tn the order of the Bank of New South Wales,. Wellington/and sent to Tub Times (London), New* Zealand Office, at Government Life Insurance Buildings, Wellington, N.Z.. ORDER FORM MONTHLY (bate)-,4V. To Tiia Manager, n Tire Times,” (London), -.New ZeXland Office, Government Life Insurance Buildings* Wellington. , I enclose One Guinea, Please send mo The Times Reprint or the Enctclop-Cdia Britannica (9th Ed.} fn) CSeth, for which I agree to make to yoUi Ottp anyone you mav\.. iC ■ . S uppomt, 16 additional monthly payments Of one guinea, each,* l.wttilte OUC two of the. (t) Half Morocco, for which I agree 10 make to you, cr to any- [ Paragraphs marked BOUND I one you may abpoint, 21 additional monthly payments cl one I , a , c respec-, guinea each. ' ■ h tively, lewinfi the. (c) Full Morocco* for which I agrcc’to luakcrto you, or to any-1 ?P° f’P 1 ft? a ?? es : one you may appoint. 23 additional monthly payments of one I uic Style ol binding; guinea each, s .} nesiroa.) my nest payment upon delivery of the complete volumes* and my succeeding payments on the corresponding day of each month following. Until such payments are complete. I engage that the volumes' remain yonr peoperty, and shall not be disposed of by sale brvo'therwlse I further agree that if, ta unforseen circumstances c-f which you sh&ll be the judge* the volumes cannot be delivered, thereturn of this deposit of one guinea to shall cancel this agreement. * > ■ ' ' ' '." * ' ■ .1 -Please also ssrid a rcivlvirg Bookcase, for which* ajpeQto sn&k£. three- further) Strike out if Bobk-i ninthly cajjtiK's of cits guinea.- task, after the payments far ihs.:boolci are.complete. f-cass is not desired; .' 1 'Signed Fa. 122 a N.S. Tnm:.. ' ir tSs*li books are to be delivered elsewhere than in Wellington, the purchaser ■ shall add here the name of the carrier in Wellington to whom delivery is to he th&de.