Page 13 Advertisements Column 2

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12991, 4 June 1904, Page 13

PUBLIC NOTICES. The newly completed Encyclopsedia Britannica is not only the biggest book but also the best book in the world. Two thousand of the greatest men of our time collaborated upon it, more than £"317,000 was expended on its-preparation, and it is not only more up-to-date than any other encyclopedia, but.is more .up-to-date than any collection of separate books whjch could be amassed to take its place. It contains 30,000 pages, 40 million words of text, 26,000 articles, 12,000 illustrations, and is in every respect arid for every purpose a thoroughly usable and.satisfactory library. Its index of 600,000 entries enables its possessor at any moment j:o find his way to any one of 600,000 facts—to any microscopic item in all the sum of human knowledge. ' The Encyclopaedia Britannica is acknowledged .• the world over to be a final authority on every subject. Such a position of authority was. attained—in the only way it could be attained—by choosing as contributors in every branch of knowledge the greatest experts of the day. The Encyclo- . psdia Britannica is authoritative because it !is the work of the men who themselves make authority. To whatever subject we turn, we find contributors whose .names have become famous for, their acknowledged eminence in the special branches to which they have devoted themselves. The Encyclopedia Brifcanniea as it stands to-day is a perfect library of reading the most diverse and interesting imaginable, a perfect library for' study, a perfect library of universal reference. It is one of the indispensable devices,of ■ the age, a possession which no one can afford to be without. At its present price -less than'iialf the net catalogue price, which will be in force after June 18 at latest—the "Encyclopedia Britannica" is the cheapest book that has ever been .offered to the public. A careful analysis of a number of published books, written by a number of contributors to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, shows that on the average these books give fhe reader 8,437 words for every shilling he pays. The Encyclopsedia Britannica gives him 68,750 words for every shilling he pays. . In other words, if you secure a copy of the Encyclopsedia Britannica before its price is increased, you will be paying only one-eighth of the normal ■ price for literature of the highest quality. • Another careful test shows that if you buy the best books on agriculture,,, astronomy, biography, chemistry, engineering, fine arts, geography, geology, history, industries, law, literature, medicine, mUsic, natural history, philosophy, physics, religion, sports, and war, you will have paid for these twenty boolqj no less than £214. And as these books are not. only less up-to-date and less authoritative than ,the Encyclopedia Britannica, but also cover in the aggregate by no means so large a field, you would have to spend at least /200 more before you would have even second-best books, which, collectively, could be compared withthe Encyclopsedia Britannica. In other words, the Encyclopaedia Britannica, at its present price, costs only, one-fourteenth the price of an inferior library of other books. It would not be an expensive book even at the full catalogue 1 price, which will be restored the week after next—and this full catalogue price is more than double the price at which you can obtain it to-day. . The monthly payment system, applied by The Times to the sale of the Encyclopaedia Britannica will not remain in force longer than June 18th at latest. After that the work will be sold by booksellers, not only at more than twice the present price,' but also in the ordinary course of trade; that is to say, it. will be sold for payment down. Meantime you. may by prompt action avail yourself of this easy payment system, and by paying only 2 is. down secure delivery of the newlycompleted 35 volumes, completing the trans-. ■action by monthly payments of 2is. each. The book is, on these terms, so easily procurable that when you have completed your payments you will be surprised to find that you have acquired this magnificent,library of reading and reference without conscious effort. In the ordinary way the instalment system of payments is found in connexion with prices which are far from being moderate. In the case of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, however, the subscribers by monthly payments pay only is. in the pound more than the cash purchaser. It is not too much to say that the Encyclopedia Britannica is not beyond the reach even of those whose incomes, amount to the most, "modest total. More than once subscribers, whose incomes in some cases did not exceed 255. a week, have written to tell how Thei Times system of instalments enabled them to possess the work they coveted. Although the instalment price is but one • shilling in the pound more than the cash: price, the instalments work out at 4s. iod. a week—truly a sum which any one can spare for so good, a purpose. . "The 'Times" made, without reservation, & similar statement in the United Kingdom, where the full, catalogue price (more than double the price still open in this country) has already been in force for some time. "The Times," which has sole and entire control of the Encyclopaedia, makes without reservation, the same statement as regards New Zealand. ' To-day you can purchase the recently completed Encyclopedia Britannica for less than half-price. After June 18 (the week after next), at latest, you will not be able to purchase the work in New Zealand for ©lie penny less than the full catalogue The simple faet is that "The Times" has accomplished the purpose with which it entered upon the enterprise, aad haying made it possible, fey the less than half-price,and the instalment system, fw everybody to secure the work, now retires from its task of distributing it direct to the pubiic. Henceforward, like other publishers, "The Times" will sell the Encyclopaedia Britannica, which it publishes, only through booksellers, and only at the full price,. The urgent nature of the situation, therefore, cannot be exaggerated. -There is still time to write for an order form, full particulars of the offer which is on,the eve of closing, and the sample bosk which describes the great work and from which you may form your ©wn judgment. But thara is only time left to you, if you write this very day. If you delay, if you put off till next week the little business of filling in, tearing out, and posting the inquiry form below, it may take three days or more before you can get a reply, another day or -two before your order reaches us. The whole week may go thus, and by such delays you jeopardise your chance, the chance of a lifetime. The only safe course is to save every hour and post this inquiry form to-day. %d. stamp will take this form in an open envelope isihich-shuld h addressed "P.O. BOX 285, WELLINGTON." '. Please send me full p&rUculcbrs of the offer ivhich is to close on or before June 18, and the W-pdge* sample booh describing the recently completed "Encyclopaedia Britdnniccb." Signed ! (Please write clearly) Rank or occupation..