WE NEW ZEALAMDERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 188, 11 August 1930, Page 3

WE NEW ZEALAMDERS.

ENGLISHMAN'S APPRECIATION "PLEASURE-OBSESSED PEOPLE." Mi-. Norman E. Torry, an English visitor, delivered an interesting address last evening at the meeting of the Rationalist Association in the Majestic Theatre. Striking qualities and surprising defects which he had observed in the people of New Zealand were dealt • with in a humorous manner.

"2s T ew Zealanders are the freest people on the globe,'-' said Mr. Torry. "Your climate is the most equitable and your scenery is exquisite, while the smaller towns are 25 years ahead of towns of the same size in England. Yet you seem to tackle your problems in a very halfhearted way. You are the most pleasure-loving and pleasure-obsessed people in the world, and the most nomadic. On any excuse at all you travel by road, rail or sea, and if you have no excuse, you still travel."

In his opinion, Mr. Torry said, New Zealanders spoke the best English to be heard anywhere, class distinctions were invisible, patriotism was aggressive, but in Auckland he found people were buying American goods whenever they could. New Zealand youths of the city were busily cultivating the slang of the New York Bowery. There was everlasting talk by New Zealanders about "going Home," as if they were only sojourners in this country, and yet there was great civic pride in the four cities. To the four fetishes of the Briton, the Bible, Shakespeare, the medicine bottle and respectability, the people of New Zealand had added three others, horse racing, Rugby football and "spotting." "I notice," added Mr. Tony, "that you also drink a great amount of tea, but I can understand that, for I have tasted your coffee."