Utopia, But Not Gastronomically

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30954, 10 January 1966, Page 10

Utopia, But Not Gastronomically

An Arizona newspaper editor has told his readers that New Zealand is a prosperous paradise for sportsmen and a modern Utopia—but that fried and scrambled eggs are apt to be cooked in mutton grease, and ruined.

Gastronomic misfortune apparently befell Mr William R. Mathews, of the “Arizona Daily Star,” when he visited Auckland in December. He tells his readers in Tucson that New Zealander.i are worse cooks than the English.

“They grow some of the best beef and lamb and mutton in the world,” writes Mr Mathews, “but they come close to ruining it in their cooking. They dry up the natural juices and leave no taste or flavour.

“It so far has been impossible to get a good juicy cut of prime rib of beef or a real filet mignon. “They cook scrambled eggs and fried eggs in mutton grease and thereby ruin the taste of good eggs. I now order soft-boiled eggs, which I open myself on toast.” Found Chilly

Mr Mathews found Auckland a bit chilly in early December. He complains that “the old hotels downtown do not provide any kind of heating.

“However,” he says, “the building of two new skyscraper hotels downtown may change the central heating habits. MoSt of the other hotels are 60 to 80 years old. “But the new skyscraper office buildings have no central heating or cooling. Of course they are not needed?” Of the Maoris (“pronounced Mory with ‘o’ like in cow”), Mr Mathews says: “They have an inclination to keep to themselves, but they are much farther advanced than our Indians.

“They do not live on reservations. They have to get out and root for themselves. The result is they are not a problem.” Legislative Council As Mr Mathews tells it, the Legislative Council vas abolished “because it became

loaded down with aged Labour Party members who disgusted their brethren and others in the House by their continued opposition to legislation.” Mr Mathews also tells Tucson readers the following things about New Zealand:—

“Public utilities of all kinds are owned by the Govern-) ment.” The Government “finances) the construction of all new homes.” The New Zealand debt is 2.5 m dollars. (In fact, it is roughly a thousand times that figure.) “Nearly all of the Labour Party legislators are recognised trade union leaders. The Labour Party has a reasonable chance to win the election that comes in 1966.” “New Zealand is not about to go on the decimal system like Australia.” Immigration “This country adopted this all-white [immigration] policy years ago under the protection of the British CroWn. She now maintains it under the protection of the United States. The battles of the Coral Sea and Midway determined that.” “New Zealand does not do much to protect herself . . . Were it not for the protection of the United States, she would be open to invasion in the more distant future by the yellow and brown races. She could do much more today, if she would.” “When it comes municipal housekeeping they are superb in the way they run their cities. Everything is clean and tidy.” “These people show no ill effects from their lack of central heating. Children and old people radiate with good health.” “Modern Utopia” Cooking and lack of heating aside, Mr Mathews fairly glows when describing the attractions of New Zealand. “It is a sportsman’s paradise,” he says in one article. “It comes pretty close to being an island paradise like Hawaii,” he writes in another. “The climate is pretty close to ideal . . . New Zealanders are strong, vigorous, healthy people . . . This modern Utopia . . .”