THE NEW ZEALAND ALMANAC, 1876.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5726, 29 January 1876, Page 3

THE NEW ZEALAND ALMANAC, 1876.

To the Editor : tSn, — A friend has just sent me a cutting fiom the firming Star containing a letter headed " Chapman's Almanac," and signed " A Master Manner." From the tenor of the letter it 18 apparent that the master niru iner, on the stall of the tvvinkler, can manage the scissors bettei than the pun The subject of the letter is the Manukau Harbour and the N T ow Ze iland Almanac ; but the evident intention and object is Chapman himself, because he w ill neither advertise in the Star nor take it in— in fact, I ha\e been threatened with a leader for the last three years. I am veiy sensitive to criticism, but the New Zealand Ahaanac is not, for it is an old stager, with a char ictei known whoiever the English language is ; it requires no puffing nor praising now after beiug pationised and trusted by the public for the past seventeen years. In answer to the iirst charge contained in the letter, I assert that what 13 stated in the New Zealand Almanac, lS7b',is correct — there is but one entrance to the Manukau fiom the south— I couldgivethelnstory of the two South Channels, and how the bank shifted towards the coast, theicby leaving one almost straight course up to the South Enhance Head. The next charge is, that "strong S.W. galc-3 do not shift the banks." What about Lieut. Wood's survey six or seven yeais ago, that cost several thousand pounds ' It is a fact that after hib suivey, and befoie the draft for the new chart could be got leady in this city, the b.m'vs had shifted so much that the matter was given up. The thud chaige is that Captain Wing's Sailing Directions are more reliable than what I havo copied from the New Zealand G«~clt<>, and had corrected annually by Captain Johnson. Now this is where the twinkling manner floundeis ; he 13 so anxious to give another puff to what he calls the " Evening Star Almanac," but it fits in veiy badly, the stissois want cuttling— and he finishes up with trying to take a rise out of the tide because the tides will not come up to the sciatch marked out for them in lteed and Brett's Almanac. I have watched this " inastci manner" for thiee yeau and observed how he manipulates the contents of the pievious yeai 1 New Zealand Almanac in making up the Star Almanac for the year next ensuing! I will gi\c one simple out ot many, to show how utt lly worthless this pretentious thing is Hi -.t dipped into fi igments and then n>parted like -,o many newspaper par.igiaphs by thn mechanical sub. In the sailing cim ws and distances 111 the New Zealand Almanac, 1874, at page 82, thci e is a mistake. " lted Mercury to Opotiki, S.E. by E., 73 miles " should b.> " S.E. £ E , 103 miles." Now, examine the St<n' almanac for 1875, page 103, and obsc.ve how theso courses are tiansposud, and the distances altered by a mile, just to make it seem as if tho facts had not been taken fiom my almanac and spoiled in tho stealing "Channel Islet to Kangitoto Channel, S. W. by S , 32 miles" [as in the New .Zealand Almanic], is made in the Star almanac, " Kdii-itoto Channel to Channel Islet, N.E. by N., 31 i mile«." " Channel Isleb to Red Mercury, 30 miles " [111 tho New Zealand Almanac] is made "31 miles " in the Star book.

"Itud Meiiuiy to M.vtakawau 1'oint, 127 miles," j-j made " 1'2(J miles " [ted Meicury to Whale Island, 70 miles, ' is made " 7S miles." " Ited Mercury to Opotiki, 73 iniles," is made " 72 miles ;" although the actual distance is, as I have said, 103 miles. Oh, s -lssors ! but such it the way opposition almanacs are got up. Almost every year, since 1859, when the tii st number of the New Zealand Almanac was published, advertisers in Auckland have been lecommended by pretentious prospectuses and verbal promises to encourage some rival annual. In 1860, Laurance's Registry Office Almanac came out, and thanked the advertising public for their liberal support. In 1864, Florence's Metropolitan Almanac was issued, professing to be " the only correct one ever published " In 18C6, Stevens and Bartholomew published a New Zealand Directory, and it contained the greater part of the New Zealand Almanac for that year. Sincere thanks were returned for ' ' the liberal manner in which they had been encouraged by advertisers." In 1867, Mitchell and Seff era's Auckland Directory and Almanac, published at 12s. 6d., was to be " issued annually and embrace the entire province." In 1868, Wayte's Almanac was "to supply a want very genet ally felt. " Mr. Way te ' ' cordially rendered his very best thanks to his numerous friends, who had so liberally come forward with their advertisements " In fact, the very liberal support induced him to issue another one next year ; but his advertising friends failed him, and he gave it up. In 1870, the Auckland Commercial Directoiy, compiled and published by a general mercantile agent, with all rights reserved, next darted across the horizon. Then, in 1871, the Auckland City and Suburban Directory came out, without thanks, and without a publisher ; but, in 1874, a more permanent luminary make its appearance, not to set after one year's existence, but destined to gather "fire mist " and " ethereal vapour " in it3 annual revolution, and live for ever in boriowed light ! G-. T. Chapman, Compiler andpubhsher of the N.Z. Almanac.