Reading for Pleasure and Profit.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 87, 1 March 1902, Page 16

Reading for Pleasure and Profit.

If a man sits down, thinks toi a while over what lie has read during the i>aj>t few months, and then tries to make an estimate of the amount ot profit that ho has gained from that leading, his first impression, if he is at all a constant reader, will be the laige number ot books he has read it w ill surprise him that he bias been able to get through so much But when this first shock of surprise passes away, he will probably consulei how much profit, he has derived from all three books that he has lead In ino-r. cases the profit will be found to be \ei\ inconsiderable when compared with thn length of time that has been expended Ir i^ very eas\ to read a book in en a book that is calculated to do on<> soud without deriving from it am considerable amount of uifoimation * * * It is still easier to lead main books and (from the confusion resulting from a want of system) to find that one might just as well have read almost no books at all for the only profit that is usually derived from unsystematic reading us that the time might, at any rate have been put to a worse use. In almost every walk of life, it is the man who is systematic who is able to gam the largest profit from any undertaking in which he is engaged — it is so, to a very great extent, with reading. To the man with a small library, the difficulty of a choice of books, and the difficulty of putting before himself a plan of reading do not present themselves but we are speaking here to the man who is about to acouire a complete library of history art, literature, science and general reading, and w© shall endeavour to give him some help, and to show him how he can best use this library of his not only for his own benefit, but how he. m turn, can show his children ho_w to use it best for their profit. The library we are referring to is the ''Encyclopaedia! Britannica." This great woik is offered residents of the colony bv the DaiK Mail," of London, on exceptionally favourable terms. Particulars will be found in our advertising column*.

The attention of readeis is invited to the advertisement of the New Zealand Clothing Factory, .57, Lambton Quay in this issue. Special note is made at the company's famous waterproof and showerproof garments. Ladies oan secure a stylish pattern and have it made up to measure, at the same price as the ordinary ready-made garments Mr. Tarn Mann is to lecture in the Opera House on Sunday week, on The Democracies of Europe." He knows them all, and ■» ill have something worth hearing to say about the numerous democratic organisations of France Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, Belgium Holland, Spain, and Gieat Britain When farmers are crying out about the low prices paid to them for thenproduce, and consumers are deploring the high prices which they have to pay for commodities generally, the appearance of the prospectus of the Tow n and Country Co-operative Supply Federation, Limited, is opportune. There have been several attempts to float socalled co-operative ventures, but they have all been defective in some way or other — either owing to want of organisation or the failure to grasp the true principles of co-operation, which alone can ensure success. In the oase of the Federation now under notice, the evidence of effective organisation, and the features of the prospectus combined will probably commend the Federation to public support.