SINGULAR INACCURACY.

Shannon News, 25 July 1924, Page 4

SINGULAR INACCURACY.

NEW ZEALANT)ERS DANCE ROIWD TRAMWAY POLES! Wiv.'ii h e was telling an Auckland ! audi, nee at the Grafton Library about Kipling marvellous skill in conjuring up an image of a place with just a few of his magic words—his verse about Canada and that ■. about New Zealand were quoted as examples—Mr. J \v Shaw, T>J.A., contrasted the poets singular accuracy with some recent instances of the other sort of thing. A writer named Maurice Baring, quite a well-known man, had recently written "that he regretted he had been unable to visit the great! sight of New Zealand— Roto-roa." If the traveller had really gone to that address and stumbled on the unfortunate people down the HaUraki Gulf trying to slough a taste for strong drink he would have wondered where the great sight came in. Another iristance_ of Mr. Baring's "accuracy" that Mr. Shaw mentioned was his passing reference to someone who had told him lie ought not to omit seeing "Millbank Sound." Even more amusing was an article that appeared in an American magazine of repute. There the writer stated that the people of New Zealand the result of a combination of the white and Polynesian races were quite white, and had white characteristics, except at one season of the year, when they went home, donned the garb of their Polynesian ancestors, and danced rou.d the* tramway pole's" in Qneen St. Au; kland. The writer said he himself haii seen sulky races in Queen Street. ••W .at lie really saw." said Mr. Shaw "was not tin example or atavism but the university students having their annual carnival and playing fantastic tricks in Auckland's main thoroughfare."