REVIEW.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4411, 10 May 1875, Page 5

REVIEW.

WISE’S NEW ZEALAND DIRECTORY, 1873-6. We are in receipt of an advance copy of “Wise’s New Zealand Directory for 1875-6,” in its new and enlarged shape. It is certainly the very best booh of the kind in the colony, and does infinite credit to the tadt, peseverance, and ability of the editor, Mr. Thomas. 11. Fielding, with whom the idea originated, and who has worked it out to a successful issue, aided by the spirited publishers, Henry Wise and Co., Princes-street, Dunedin. We feel bound to say thus much, because it was to this combination of skill and enterprise in question that New Zealand is indebted for this standard directory. Messrs. Wise and Co. had previously published a small, and necessarily imperfect, directory; but when Mr. Fielding visited Dunedin last year 1 , engaged in the compilation of the present volume, an arrangement was made by the Dunedin publishers, which has secured for themselves the foremost place in the colony, in addition to the copyright of a book which must become of very considerable pecuniary value. In the preface the editor modestly informs the public that “imperfections may, no doubt, be found in this directory, but the magnitude of such an undertaking in New Zealand, and the difficulties to be overcome, will, the proprietor trusts, elicit due consideration from the public.” What those difficulties are may be imagined from another statement in the preface : “To those acquainted with the difficulties incidental to travelling in New Zealand, it is unnecessary to say that many vexatious delays have been encountered, and great expense incurred, in gathering together the mass of information that the work contains ;—over 4000 miles have been travelled in order to collect this information, every place of importance having been personally visited, and, to do this, has occupied a period of twelve months.” Considering the time and labor spent in the compilation, it is not to be wondered at that there are mistakes at all, but that these are so few and unimportant, as we are in a position to state they are, having gone carefully through the directory. Our space only admits of glancing at the contents. “ Wise’s New Zealand Directory for 1875-6,” contains an alphabetical directory of each city and town in the colony ; a legal directory ; banking and insurance directories ; medical, ecclesiastical, and educational directories ; a Corporation directory ; postal and telegraphic directory ; mining and companies directory ; squatters’ directory. (incomplete); and General and Provincial Government official directories. This catalogue of contents, however, does not nearly exhaust the volume. It contains, besides the foregoing, an account of the colony taken from Dr. Hector’s paper in the “Official Handbook of New Zealand ;” together with descriptions of the provinces, cities, towns, and districts, statistical tables, and Government and local information. The descriptions, some of which are original, are generally well written, and contain a great deal of valuable information. There are thirty-seven colored maps and plans, including a map of the Polynesian islands and Australia, showing the position of New Zealand to the Australian mainland and the outlying islands in the South Pacific. As a book of reference, no mercantile house can well afford to do without “ Wise’s New Zealand Directory,” and we anticipate a large sale for it in England and Australia, in addition to the subscription circulation secured in advance in the colony. The next issue of the directory will be in 1877, and the publishers promise to improve upon their present edition. Considering what has been accomplished by them, we accept this promise as made in good faith. The directory is well printed, the plans and maps are creditably executed, and altogether the book is one that does credit to the typograpical art in New Zealand. We may simply add, that it has been printed, lithographed, and bound in Dunedin.