SURPRISED VISITOR

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1930, Page 3

SURPRISED VISITOR

i-ii ■'fevS';.. j I-.; GOIMWiATiIRik) criticism. !M. /i.|L';,ri . •.' t " ;i j' ■! ■’' • ( AUCKLAND,' ’Aug- ni Tri opiriioii of jVir- E. Norman : ;iTori9j ! a’-'iviiitjiug:jEriglish writer anu the’people of New Zealand possess- many striking qualities and »v----..vptlie same f; time . many | defects J which - to a'stranger. ■ These were, discussed in a humorous manner by Mr Torry in a lecture last : evening. ■ ‘VNeiv Zealanders are the freest i: people on the globe,” Mr-. Torry said. “Your climate is moat equitable ail'd % your ( scenery - exquisite. While tilt 'Q. smaller towns are 25 years ahead oi / towns- of the same -size in England, r- to tackle your problems ii' in a very half-hearted way. You are A the most pleasure-loving and plea's-ui-e-obsessed people in the world and T. the riipst. nomadic. On any excuse at /a IP y(ou'f'.'ti i aVel' by' ! road,- rail or sea,- ’■ and'TL you have no excuse you still 'S- ?• /'' i / The New, “Zealander, however, ac- | cording to Mr Torry, speaks the best English-that; is, ; to be heard anywhert;”and“with' him class distinctions . are almost, .invisible. He is patriotic to a degree - which “is almost aggressive; and in Auckland, where one hears the greatest amount of talk about patriotism, one finds people buying American thirigs whenever they can. . “Here, too,” Mr Torry added, “the youths of the city are busily cultivating the slang of the New York Bowery, as witness the terms ‘Jane and’ ‘slip Hah/ which are commonly ‘ used'W'describe girls and women. “While your speech in general is , excellent your vernacular is most curV : ious.' One of the queerest expressions- to English ears is that of ‘too p .’rightd; ,t.o. indicate that things, are as ... or as agreed. Where we would i 'say a riofsdri had ‘gone to the dogs,’ f : you say he lias ‘gone to the- pack.’ li /Then there is your wonderfully exhHpressive word ‘jake,’ while anything /" which incurs your disfavour, he it a. '* /.man/ woman or a tiling, is classed t s vas a- 'fcoA*:’ ■ “You have- Die four fetishes of the ■lv-Briton—the Bible, Shakespeare, the -medicine bottle, a-nd respectability, j but‘ yo u have added three others—j.horsft racing, Rugby football, and 1 ! Your drink bill as shown in statistics is appalling; I notice , that , you also drink a great amount of tea',' hut I can understand that, fo r I have tasted your coffee!”