LIBRARY NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4659, 27 February 1894, Page 2

LIBRARY NOTES.

[BY THE BOOKWORM,] Many newspaper readers must at limes become a little weary of the daily record of murders, suicides, political orises and anarchist outrages, and would fain find something more congenial to their tastes in the columns of their paper. It is with pleasure therefore that I announce that the Editor of the Wairabapa Daily Times has allowed us lovers of books a little space wherein we may cbroniole matters of common interest and compare notes on literary matters.

The formation of a branch in Masterton of the' Australian Home ReadUnion is a gratifying evidence of the desire of some to read and discuss something better than the latest novel from the publio library. Mr T. Hutohison gave a most admirable opening address, fie expressed' a hope that tho meetings, which are to beheld fortuigbtly, would become an excellent substitute for the old Qreek syoiposium.

In these days of financial depression and temperance, it is doubtful whether even lemonade would be permitted by the A.H.R.U., much less a letip to the glorious revelry end disputations of the Attio immortal 1 !. How the branch will work oan only be satisfactorily answered by time, j The besetting faults of nil snob associations are pedantry and annotation, let this Union be on their guard against them, That the reading of the members will become methodized and properly directed, cannot be doubttd, and with so much desultory reading as most of us indulge in at present, this is one decided gain, The first meeting of tho Union is on Thursday nexh

' : The question of American pirated editions must be of interest to all readers, oapeotally in the colonies, where toots are costly und pulsus ofion limited. The temptation is great to buy a cheap edition of Buskin, Tennyson, or any other modern author of repute, but the dishonorable and mean practice should not be countenanced. L'et ue hope that no one in the Wairarapa is guilty of suoh contemptible conduct.- tu Wellington a number of these American books were seiz u d a few years ago, and sad to relate, the purchasers in many cases were clergyman and Indies. Charity would have us believe that they were ignorant of what they did.

The most colossal piece of Yankee cheek in this connection was the issue of a novel culled " Mr Clifton of Barrington," by " Mrs Reichhard/'which was a word lor word transcription with the proper names altered, of the well-known "East Lynne,"by Mrs Henry Wood.

Appended to the novel was the following appeal; -" Are you an American cirizen ? And are you in favouv of giving American authors an opportunity to make fame and fortune by the publication and sab of the work of their brain ? If so, we desire to call your attention to the fact that ire are the only house that publishes only the works of American authors, and we ask you to encourage theArnerioan author, who, for. many years, has been shut out of the field by the constant flood of European authors' works,"

Is this a specimen of the much vaunted American smartness in busi» ness?

A number of books, mostly novels, have reoontly been added to the Masterton Library. I shall have something to say on thorn next week,