The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JANUARY 23, 1905. A CANDID CRITIC.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1360, 23 January 1905, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, JANUARY 23, 1905. A CANDID CRITIC.

The Christchurch Press- has been informed by a correspondent in Berlin that Dr, 1 lerz, or Cbris'tokurch, has been, contributing weekly to the Berlin Tageblalt some articles about New Zealand, and sends some extracts which ho thinks may, interest and surprise New Zealanders. From among other statements made by this candid critic, he says he has picked out the following :»—" .The New, Zealander lias a right to be proud '.of his country, but, it remains a strong fact that he does not know it at all, except from photos., and from the information of strangers. /The New Zealander travels little, or not at all, for pleasure in his own country. If he does travel he goes Home to England. The New Zealander speaks bad English, and with a ' twang - which to the ear is horrible. Ho pronounces paper ’• ‘paiper ’ ; ‘ home,’ ‘ heome.’ The ‘a ’ lie generally pronounces ‘ ai,.’ and the whole pronunciation has a greater similarity to cat music than to the King’s English. One always hears of ’am and lieggs.’ The New. Zealander puts no importance on outer appearances, and there is not. a good tailor to bo bad. Nothing fits, and clothes are terribly dear. My. l'ricud ■Dick will be shocked .when he hears that his people wear loose cull's, ready-made ties and dickies, and one generally, observes woollen shirts with t.umod-down collars and soft caps. The main tiling is to be dressed. As far as the ladies are concerned, L am too big a coward to express the truth. 1 hope what I say wiil not be read in New Zealand, anyhow not until I have passed Cape Farewell, The ladies circs* without taste* and their dresses hang on them like sacks. There combination of colors is indescribable, and one’s liair stands on end when we see them and their, hats. Good gracious ! Directly a new fashion appears everybody, wears the same within twentyfour hours. .Worst of all is their hair-dress. Quite horrible. They wear their hair down to their nose, and with young girls of IS and. 10 it is still worse. They pay. no attention to their foot'gear, and •American shoes are mostly, worn in this colony. At dances, whether public or private, they arc |vcry loud, and the womeu never look pretty. .Cards play, a considerable part in their amusements.. .Young ladies, boys, and old men arc invited to poker and cuclire parties. In fact everybody; plays cards, a horrible si gilt !’■'■ In the same paper of Nov. 6th, Dr. I-lerz goes on in a similar strain, stating that e>very village has a racecourse. The Englishman considers Ins sport not as a pleasure, but as a labor. 'ln tlie pamper of Nov 13 he runs down the volunteers, and says it is all a play with thorn, and even in the schools there is only joking going oil 1 - ** Tlic whole .of New Zealand,” lie says, ” is like one big family, where everybody knows everybody else. Every wedding appears in the papers, and each couple is photographed therein. Everyone has his own little house. his Bathroom (daily, used), and, unfortunately. his piano. Most people have false teeth. The New Zealander loves his Lea. lie drinks at seven, before washing himself, at half-past eight a.in., at eleven, at one for lunch, and four in the afternoon, at seven p.ui., and at ten p.m. as a nightcap.” Dr. Hei:z may be described as a base slanderer of the people of this colony, but his slanders have the advantage of piquancy, and are unlikely to 'deceive anyone. It looks as if some New Zealanders of a humorous turn have been doing what would be fittingly described In vulgar parlance as - pulling the Doctor’s leg.”- '