Former Consul’s Views On Sunday Sport

Press, Volume C, Issue 29624, 21 September 1961, Page 13

Former Consul’s Views On Sunday Sport

After living in Holland for about five years, Mr T. A. N. Johnson has “more or less” changed his opinion on Sunday sport. Mr Johnson has returned to Christchurch from The Hague, where he was New Zealand consul and migration officer. He has been succeeded by Mr J. G. Hale.

In Holland, nearly all sports, including horse racing, were held on Sundays, he said yesterday. Restaurants were also open. Before leaving New Zealand he had been opposed to these things, but he had more or less changed his mind since he had lived in Holland. He had noticed young men .hanging around Cathedral square on Sunday because apparently they had nowhere to go. “We might have to revise our opinions on Sunday observance,” he said. Restaurants in Holland served most kinds of alcoholic drinks in addition to coffee and soft drinks, and they were open to all hours. Yet he did not think he ever saw a drunk man in Holland. He was not contending that bars should be open at these hours. One

restaurant Mr Johnson frequently patronised seated perhaps 500 persons and had an orchestra.

“You could have a cup of coffee and sit there as long as you liked. You could buy any drink you wanted and any food you wanted at any hour of the day, but I never saw a drunk person in all the times I was there. It is a way of life for the Dutch, and it might take New Zealand a long time to come to that system,” he said. Less Meat Eaten “We have been finding it difficult to accustom ourselves to the quantities of meat served with meals in New Zealand,” said Mr Johnson. Meat was expensive in Holland, and not so much was eaten there. Clothing, particularly for the working man, was cheaper in Holland than in New Zealand. Rents were lower there than here. Tremendous blocks of flats had been built and the flats were let to workers at 25s a week. The Dutch were quite happy in these intensive housing areas. A New Zealander wanted a big garden.

Mr Johnson said he had not realised before how spread out were the towns and cities in New Zealand. Because of the concentration of population in the cities in Holland the services there were cheaper. A milkman, or a baker for instance could supply a large number of customers from one spot. Migration

It was a tribute to conditions in New Zealand that so many Dutch migrants were coming here, said Mr Johnson. Holland was in a very prosperous economic condition. There were thousands of vacancies in industry and single workers were being recruited from Italy. In addi tion, many Belgians crossed the border by bus each morning to work at Eindhoven.

Migration was a long-term policy with the Dutch. There was a steady inquiry about migrating to New Zealand. The Dutch had heard it was a good country to work in ana live in. Many of the intending migrants had relatives here.

“The Dutch migrant is fairly choosy. He makes a lot of inquiries before coming to a decision. He wants to know what sort of job he will get. the wages, the standard of living, the cost of living, accommodation and so on before he leaves. “It is not just a case of a bunch of people wanting to leave the eountrv. They have opportunities in Holland, too. It has its lowest unemployment figures since the war. Yet we had many, many inquiries from young married couples with families about migrating to New Zealand. In manv instances where a -oung familv had left for New Zealand their parents were following them a short *ime afterwards.” said Mr Johnson. “Great To Live In” Holland was a great country to live in. though the climate could be trying at times and the summers were not very good. All kinds of goods were available in the shoos, and all makes of cars were on sale. “It surprised us that such a range of roods was available.” Mr Johnson said. The main roads had three or four lanes. Motoring was intensive, vehicles often travelling bumner to bumper. If it was not for the sneed at which vehicles travelled it would be difficult to clear the streets. Traffic travelled faster in Holland than in New Zealand. Iffiere were no parking meters in Holland. A parking place could usually be found. An old car was seldom seen on the roads. One thing that struck him on his return to New Zealand was the lack of crowding on the roads.