The Ways of the New Zealander.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7716, 19 January 1905, Page 4

The Ways of the New Zealander.

CRITICISM IN A BERLIN PAPER. PRONUNCIATION. LIKE A CAT. SEVERE ON THE LADIES, A correspondent in Berlin informs the Press that Dr. Hcrz, of Christchurch, has been contributing weekly to the Berlin Tageblatt some articles about New. Zealand, and sends some extracts which he thinks may interest and perhaps surprise New Zealamders. From among other statements made by this candid critic, he says he has picked out the following : "The New Zealander has a fight 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 toad Eglish, and with a 'twang' which to the ear is horrible. He pronounces paper ' paiper,' home ' heome.' The '"a ' he generally pronounces ' ai,' and the whole pronunciation has a greater similarity to cat music than ito King's English. One always hears of 'am and eggs.' The New Zealander puts no importance on outer appearances, and there is not a good tailor to be had. Nothing fits, and clothes are terribly dear. My friend Dick, will be shocked when he hears that his people wear loose cuffs, ready-made ties and dickies, and one generally observes woollen shirts with turned-down collars and soft caps. The main thing is to be dressed. As far as the ladies are concerned, I am too big a coward to express the truth. I hope what I say will not be read in New Zealand, anyhow not until I have passed Cape Farewell. The ladies dress without taste, and their dresses hang on them like sacks. Their combination of colour is indescribable, and one's hair stands on end when we see them and their hats ! Good gracious ! Directly a new fashion appears everybody wears the aine within twenty-four hours., Worst of all is their hair-dress. Quite horrible. They wear their hair down to the nose, and with young girls of 18 and 19 it is still worse. They pay no attention to their footgear, amd American shoes are mostly worn in this colony. At dances, whether public or private, they are very loud, and the women never look pretty. Cards play a considerable part in their amusements. Young ladies, boys and old men are invited to poker and euchre parties. In fact, everybody plays cards, a horrible sight !"■ In the same paper, of November 6th, Dr. Herz goes on in a similar strain, stating that every village has a racecourse. The Englishman considers his sport not as a pleasure, but as a labour.

In the paper of November 13th, he runs down the volunteers, and says it is all a play with them, and even in the schools there is only joking going on. "The whole of, New Zealand," he says, "is life 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 and, unfortunately, his piano. Most people have false teeth. Tho New Zealander loves his tea. He drinks- at seven, before washing himself, at half-past eight a.m., at eleven, at one for hinch, and four in the afternoon, at seven p.m., and at ton p.m. as a nightcap.