A CRITIC OF NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 13, 16 January 1905, Page 3

A CRITIC OF NEW ZEALAND.

.1-11 ■» . —%- n DR. HEBZ'S TJN<X>MPIJMENTafiY VIEWS. (By Telegrapn.—Own Correspondent.) CHRISTUM URCH, Sunday. A correspondent in Berlin informs the "Press" that Dr. Herz, of Cnristehnrch, and not aaknown in Auckland, I fancy, has been contributing weekly to the Berlin newspaper, the "Tag-Matt," some articles about New Zealand, and he sends some extracts which he thinks may interest and perhaps surprise New Zealand readers. From among other statements made by oar candid critic the correspondent had picked out the following:— The New Zealander has a right to be proud of his country, but it remains a strange fact that he does not know it at all except from photographs and from the information of strangers. The New Zealander* speaks bad English, and with, a twang which to the ear is horrible. He pronounces "paper" "paiper," "home" "heome," "a" he generally pronounces "ai," and the whole pronunciation bas a greater similarity to eat music than to the King's English. One always hears of " 'am and heggs." 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, says the "Press" correspondent, 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; in what is a secondary consideration. "As far as the ladies are concerned, I am too big a coward to express the truth," writes Dr. Herz. "I hope what I say here wont be read ia 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 colours 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 same within 24 hours. Worst of all is their hairdress; 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, and 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 amusement. Young ladies, hoys and old men are invited to poker and euchre parties; in fact, everybody plays card—a horrible sight!" In the same paper of November C, 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." You further read that "the grain business*is in the hands of Germans." In the paper of November 13 he runs down the volunteers, and says it is all play with them, and even in the schools there is only joking going on. "The whole of New Zealand." he says, "is like 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 used), and, unfortunately, his piano. Most people have false teeth. The New Zealander loves his tea; he drinks it at 7 (before washing himself), at 8.30 a.m., at 11 a.m.. at 1 for lunch, at 4 in the afternoon at 9 p.m. and at 10 p.m. as a nightcap." CHRISTCHORCH, this day. Dr. Herz explains that the extracts from articles written by him which appeared in Saturday's '-Press" arc, apart I from the context, altogether misleading. !He states that he has written some 20 j articles to the "Tageblatt," all highly j hiudatorv of New Zealand. These articles have been dredg.'d for everything ; that could appear depreciatory of the ! c-olonv. His meaning has been altogether distorted in translation, and remarks that were merely humorous when translated appear spiteful and malicious. Some of the most disparaging of the references arc merely quotations from Bernard Shaw, and others are used illustratively, but in general.