As Others See Us Sometimes

NZ Truth, Issue 1216, 21 March 1929, Page 6

As Others See Us Sometimes

. THE curious thing about educationists and others who pay short, or comparatively short, visits to New Zealand, is the holus, bolus, superficial way m which they write about the country and its people. V .'".*' ' The ingenuous, often patronising, way m which they describe our modes of living, the general structural planning of our homes, and any other attributes whichi they cloud about us are as 'disarming as they are misinforming. -'.','• V '•'•'■- A London school-teacher who is m New Zealand under ,the exchange system, enlightened the readers 'of the London "Daily. News" with a glut of piffling "first iriipressions" of the Dominion, intermingled with some highly complimentary observations upon our "naturalness" and lack . of servility. According to him, ours is a land of "detached bungalows, built of wood, with roofs , of corrugated iron . . . brick residences are, few ..' '. twostoreyed houses are to be found only here and there, where some wise,, wealthy settler has realised his, ambition, and built for himself an English two-storeyed house] with Colonial improvements. . . ." The' idea of Colonials realizing their ambitions by building English twostoreyed houses is excruciating, humor. Evidently the impressionist was surprised that New Zealanders had discontinued living m daub and wattle shacks, and a good many of us will regret any- pain which enlightenment may have brought this worthy English teacher. The height of New Zealand's ambition is to see the country painted m faithful tones m the columns of old-world newspapers, instead of muddy streaks of misinformation laid thickly by overseas visitors. V