The editor of "Salient" has asked me to write a short description of the Modern Books bookshop. Some of the older students will perhaps know more about it than I do. For, since students are people of intelligence and independence, caring less for the showiness of vast shop windows than for the value of the wares within, it has often been my lot to find Modern Books practically full of the cream of Victoria College buying up the latest consignment of good stuff before the miserable committee members could even look at it.

That the uninitiated may have knowledge of this shop, the best in New Zealand, I will explain that it is a co-operative venture started largely by University men and women to provide themselves and the public generally with the kind of literature University men want. It is supported in this effort by working people, people of progressive ideas generally, and by people who just want good literature to read. But I have not yet met anybody who hoped to become rich out of shares in Modern Books. The shop is run by a committee of seven. At this moment there is one College Lecturer and three students on this committee, which should be a sufficient guarantee that the shop is worth investigating. The combination of university and working people in the shareholding body is of particular significance in the culture of this country. To students who come to V.U.C. intent on sharing in the culture of the country and on widening its basis it is unnecessary for me to enlarge upon the importance of supporting such a venture as this by interest both as a customer and activity as a shareholder.

Publishing Takes On.

From Modern Books has been started what promises to be an even larger and more influential factor in the development of our national culture—a co-operative publishing company. For various reasons it was not possible for this company to exist as an independent body. It is therefore being taken over by Modem Books, in partnership with the Christchurch and Auckland co-operative book shops, and this branch operates under the name of Progressive Publishing Co. This means that there exists in this country a new cooperative, wholesale organisation in the book trade, which is not a profit-making unit in the ordinary sense, but has as it main object the serving of progressive literary interests. As students you ought to be in it perhaps your conscience can absolve you from taking your share in the evolution of our literary culture, in the publishing of scientific and artistic books. If so you may not wish to expend the princely sum of half a -crown as the first instalment of your one pound share in this business. If, however, you are a person of responsibility, if you have a spark of independence in you, you will have the grace and the guts and the intelligence to go right down and qualify for a vote and a share and a say in the biggest thing that has ever come into the book world of New New Zealand.

The address is 12 Woodward St., and the manager will be delighted to see you. Students have a particularly warm welcome but it must be clearly understood that membership of the Wellington Co-operative Book Society, alias Modern Books, is open to all who can read. R.C.T.