The public of New Zealand, m its dealings with the various departments of Government, has numberless oppor tunities of taking comfort from the old proverb of " better late than never." The recollection of the time-honoured saying may occasionally serve to ward off, or mitigate, a spirit of untbank fuluess m the minds of people, who at length witness the fulfilment of Minis terial promises made m the remote past. Governments, and the individual members of Governments, are not suffi ciently alive to the enormous loss of influence and of goodwill they subject themselves to by neglecting to do promptly, and with an appear ance of cheerfulness, a thousand and one acts which, though insig nificant from a colonial point of view, .ire perhaps of great importance to sections of the community. A re presentative or a deputation interviews a Minister about some such matter, and is sent away pleased with a. courteous reception und rejoicing m a promise that the little public boon sought for shall be granted. It makes thingß easy and comfortable to bow the visitors out with the assurance that " instructions to prepare plans and specifications shall be issued at once, and the work shall be put m hand without a moment's un necessary delay." It would make things 3'ct more easy and more com fortable if the promises thus given were oftener carried out. But m too many i istances the thing a iked fir is allowed to drop out of sight either by the Min ister or his subordinates, and it requircß frequent applications, much pressure, and trouble of various kinds, before the work is actually taken m hand. An instance of the sort has just been brought under our notice with reference to a comparatively small matter, which nevertheless is of con siderable importance to many m tbis part of the colony. Two years ago, or thereabouts, a petition was forwarded to the Government by stockowners and other residents m the Tiinnru and Ash burton districts, asking that the Raugi tata railway bridge might be so altered as to be available for the use of foot passengers and for sending sheep across tho river. There appears to have been no action whatever taken on that occasion, though we presume the receipt of the petition was duly acknowledged. 