Auckland Society.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2968, 20 August 1878, Page 3

Auckland Society.

When one goes to another part of the colony from Aucklaud, the stereotyped question put to you is, " How did you like Auckland." We- have found that the answer inva.'iably is, " Very well. It is a handsome and thriving town" But in nine cases out of ten when one is

asked- " How did you like the people,"

the reply is a shrug of the shoulders and a decided " Not at all." Although such a large proportion of visitors to Auckland are unanimous in their derogatory verdict

respecting the Auckland people very fewcan define the cause of their dislike. One reason given is that as a rule the genus Aucklander is intensely selfish—not caring for anything outside his own little circle, and having a pernicious habit of judging others by his own sordid nature. We believe there is something in this. A stranger in Auckland unless he has a good long purse or something to commend Hm specially, may look long without finding a helping hand extended to give him a s!art. A new tradesman is looked on with dislike by the brethren of bis craft, who all srem

united in an endeavor to keep him from lji)anting his feet on the first rung of the ladder ; and when he is established—if he is not crushed out in the attempt—he is generally quite prepared to treat (he next comer after the same way lie has been done to. This and a thousand other little things, if iaken singly, do not amount to much, but, taken as a whole,

indicate that the representative Aucklander is an intensely selfish animal. So much for one general cause of dislike to the inhabitants, of the provincial capital generally ; another is the misplaced pride of her purse - proud suobocracy, which we can state as a fact is a matter for amusement yet to a distinguished visitor, who graced the city with his presence some eight or nine years ago, and was excessively diverted and not a little bored at the little bigness of the —to be a little vulgar—Auckland bigbugs. Here's De SJumpkins, Esquire, the retired ragman, who, by energy and lucky speculations, is very wealthy, and owns the entire rent roll of a suburb. Gould you expect him to mix or have anything in common with the common herd ? Ho, certainly not; death rather than dishonor has been the motto of the De Slumpkinses for centuries (not of years) ; and is it to be for one moment to be expected that the present holder of the name will disgrace it. He did once though, but in an entirely different way to the one we have been hitting at. De S. went to see a certain great colonial personage with a handle to his name, and whilst there—let us hope under the rosy influence of champagne— became quite oblivious of the existence of such works as "Dod's Peerage," and talked wildly of the antiquity and nobility of the De Slumpkinses. The distinguished personage searched long but fruitlessly for some clue to the ancestry of his would-be great acquaintance. Another instance of Auckland snobocracy : A well educated and gentlemanly young man, who was formerly the favorite of the Epsom and Eemuera drawing rooms, universally got the cold shoulder because it became kno.wn that at the time of the war he had belonged to the Armed Constabulary. This snobocracy is the root of the disfavor with which Aucklanders are looked on by strangers. The young snobocrats with a great deal more money than sense live very fast lives, and are a bad example to others who desire to ape those whom custom has brought them to regard as their superiors. And so it has a very bad effect on society generally.—Contributed.

[We do not endorse the opinions of our contributor. Auckland people are not behind any community in the Colony in hospitality, while in their treatment of distinguished visitors they are rather inclined to gush.—Ed.]