THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1873.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1643, 10 November 1873, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1873.

Literature and Greymouth Beem to be invariably at variance. The one is liberal; the other is the opposite. Liberal and generous as Greymouth is in relation to all other matters, it is its misfortune to exhibit, in relation to literature, a spirit of illiberality and exclusiveness. The first attempt which was made to encourage a taste for literature failed, because the prompters of the taste ignored others than themselves. The second attempt in the same, direction failed/ because the Bpirit of the earlier promoters was supposed to be inherited by their successors. The third attempt had thb advantage of popular patronage ; yet those who are entrusted with the work of popularising the ; local literary institution are doing their best to insult its patrons. They have rented a room — the best in Greymouth—and, had they left the room as it wasj it would have been the most agreeable lounge and retreat that could have been desired. But the taste of the Masonic Hall Company and of architects ia ignored, and, at the suggestion of some carpenter whoae experience has been gained in connection with the construction of lunatic asylums or gaols, the public reading-room has been converted into the most dismal apartment that the imagination of a lunatic or a gaoler could create. The details are too contemptible for particular reference, but they deserve to be studied by the subscribers, and, as this is a holiday, subscribers should take advantage of the opportunity, and see for themselves how far a popularly elected committee can sympathise with the spirit of Snob. Greymouth will consist of a very strange community if the conduct of the committee do not result in one of two things — either that the oppressive structures go down, or — the Society.