MUNICIPAL HANDBOOK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2842, 5 August 1916, Page 3

MUNICIPAL HANDBOOK

Receipt of the seventh issue of the "iutinicipal Handbook of New Zealand/ which has been .published biennially sTuce 1903, is. acknowledged. The book IS considerably larger than its predecessors. llr. Malcolm Eraser, F.S.S., Government Statistician,, who has prepared the handbook, under instructions of tho New. Zealand Government, has produced a most serviceable record of various places and l'aets in New Zealand. "It will be observed that although the "period of settlement in New Zealand covers little more than a lifetime, 'the principal towns'* possess all of the conveniences and many of' tlie luxuries that modern civilisation renders possible to the citizens of order countries," states an introductory paragraph oil boroughs in the new i£sue. The Government- Statisician explains in the preface that this edition has been considerably delayed owing to tho very great pressiyre of important work in the Government Printing Office, but there are compensations for the delay. A number of harbours and town districts have been added to the original plan of contents, and thus this State enterprise is a 6tage nearer the ideal of a complete local bodies' haudbook. Every effort has been made to make the volumo of useful information, icarefully arranged for easy referonco by those who are directly interested in local government, or by students of municipal development and management. 'The statistical- section covers the whole range of local bodies' revenue and expenditure in many comparative tables, which reflect tho varied spirit of enterprise or economy in different localities. This comprehensive guide-book, which gives particulars concerning ratepayers, and rent-payers, Now Zealand's prosperity, municipal development, cost of local government,. .and many other subject l ; should interest the average New. Zealandcr.