“REAL BOTCH UP.”

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1931, Page 7

“REAL BOTCH UP.”

SCHOOL JOURNAL. ARTICLE. DUTCHMAN’S PROTEST. An article on “The Quaint Land of Holland,” which appears in the “New Zealand School Journal” of July, is severely crietieised by Mr E. W. F. J 3. Hendricks, a retired Dutch East Indian municipal officer, who is now living in Remuera, Auckland, states the ‘Star.” Mr Hendricks said he was amazed when he read the article in a journal that had been brought home by his boy. “Being a Dutchman,” he writes to the “Star,” “I have the right and also the duty to tell you and your readers that the article is a real botchup of childish, ridiculous nonsense. Apart from the fact that it has not the least literary value—in my opinion it is only equl to the poor composition of a hot very clever primary school pupil—the writer of this brilliant travey story talks stuff and nonsense.”

LUDICROUS IMPRESSIONS

Mr Hendricks says it gives quite' a wrong and ludicrous impression of the beautiful, interesting, and important little country on the borders of the North Sea. He quotes numerous instances, which he says are quite contrary to fact, and says the author merely gives the impression that Holland is a quaint and topsy-turvy land and nothing more, Mr Henclyicks points out that Holland has given the world some of the most famous names in the world of painting architecture, music, philosophy, science, and medicine, as well 'as eminent linguists, explorers and jurists. Mr Hendricks says that except in country districts and some out-of-the-way places, the people of Holland d ess just as do people in Britain or any other of the great European countries, or people in New Zealand.

WRONG CAPITAL. He was surprised to find such “silly nonsense” in a school journal supposed to give sound instruction and knowledge concerning foreign countries—which was specially essential in a place like New Zealand which was so far aivay from things. As an instance of wrong information he mentions that in the Pacific Geography for Standard V., page 109, The Hague is given as the capital of Holland, whereas the capital is Amsterdam. The article on Holland in the “School Journel” is “to be continued, “but he hopes the rest of it will be abandoned, and that in future the Government will be more careful in choosing the reading matter published in the “Journal.” Mr Hendricks says the name “Holland” does not mean “hollow,” which the writer of the article must have invented himself. Probably, says Mr Hendricks, the mime means “holt,” or woodland, because in the olden times the whole country wa« covered with dense forests. Among some of the mis-statements to which Mr Hendricks takes exception are the following: “The whole country is flat; the greater part has been reclaimed from the sea,”

“Comparatively there are few trees; the windmills are a feature of every Dutch landscape. “The water pumped up from the low lands is conveyed by canals to the sea,” !

“The ambition of every Dutch woman seems to be to make herself as bulky as possible; their social importance is estimated by the number of petticoat? they wear; most of the Friesian servants will wear nothing but gold.” “In the big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam high buildings are built on piles and the shifting soil causes the buildings to lean at all angles.” “Two or three babies will sleep with their father and mother in one of the cupboard beds.” “In the towns the milk is supplied in milk cans drawn by dogs.”