HANDBOOK OF NEW ZEALAND.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1156, 6 March 1874, Page 4

HANDBOOK OF NEW ZEALAND.

The delay in bringiug out the promised Handbook of New Zealand to be published by the Colonial Government has become a subject of comment in Wellington and clsewlicrc. The Post says :—" Unless the book is published before the next session of the Assembly, its publication will certainly be indefinitely postponed. The Parliamentary business taxes the resources of the Government printing establishment to the utmost during the session, and for some time before and after it. The only chance of getting the Handbook published in time is, therefore, to have the copy put in hand at once, but we fear that as the preparation of this copy lias been delegated to the various Provincial Governments, the work is not likely to be either quickly or well done as a rule." But the Shakespearian quotation, " If it were done! When 'tis done then 'twere well it were done quickly," does not strictly apply. It is no doubt essential that the handbook should be issued and widely circulated. The want is abundantly evident, for of few places under the sun does greater ignorance prevail in Britain than of New Zealand. In fact in New Zealand itself topographical and geographical knowledge is at the best but hazy. We heard an instance a few days since of an official in the Provincial service gravely enquiring whether Grcymouth and Westport were situated on the same river ! But the hurried publication of the book for the mere sake of getting it out and in the hands of the public will not be held as a valid excuse for errors in compilation. The " Handbook " will be a subject of close criticism, and all sins of omission arid commission will be widely paraded, but sveh criticism will not remedy defects, for the book will circulate where critiques and opinions on its merits will be never read or heard of. Judicious delay, if tending to prevent errors, will be better than the haste afterwards leading to k'iiurcly repentance,