“REAL BOTCH-UP”

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 25 August 1931, Page 7

“REAL BOTCH-UP”

SCHOOL JOURNAL ARTICLE

\n ai'tide on “The Quaint Land of Holland.” wliicli appears in the “New Zealand School Journal” of July, is severely criticised by Mr. E. AV. F. B. Hendricks a- retired 1) utch East. Indian municipal, officer, who is now living in Keniuera Auckland, states the '“Star.” Mr. Hendricks said he was amazed wlien he read the article in a journal that had been brought home by his boy. , ... “Being a, Dutchman,’ he writes to the “Star.” “I have the right and also the duty to tell you and your readers that the article is a real botcSi-up of childish, ridiculous nonsense. Apart from the fact that it has not the least literarv value—in my opinion it is only equal 'to the pool- composition of a not very clever primary school pupil—the writer of this ‘brilliant’ travel story talks stuff and nonsense.”

L UDICRO US IMPRESSION

Mr. Hendricks says it gives _ quite a wrong and ludricrous impression of the beautiful, interesting and important little country on the borders of the North Sea. He quotes numerous instances, which he says are quite contrary to fact, and says that Holland is a quaint and topsy-turvy land and nothing more. Air. Hendricks points out that Holland has given the world some of file most famous names ui the world of painting, a rehite eture, music, philosophy, science, and medicine, as well as ominent linguists, explorers, and jurists. Mr. Hendricks says that except in country ditricts and some out-of-way places,' the people in Holland dress just as do people of Britain or any other of the great European countries, or people of New Zealand.

WRONG CAPITAL

He was surprised to iind such “silly nonsense” in a school journal supposed to give sound instruction and knowledge concerning foreign countries — which was specially essential in a. place like New Zealand which was so far away from things. As an instance of wrong information he mentions that in the Pacific Geography for Standard V., page 159, The Hague is given as the capital of Holland, whereas the capital is Amsterdam. The article on Holland in the “School Journal” is “to be continued.” but he hopes the rest of it will he abandoned, and that it future the Government will be more careful in choosing the reading matter published in the “Journal.” Mr. Hendricks says the name “Holland” does not mean “hollow’’ which the writer of the article must have invented for himself. Probably, says Mr. Hendricks, the name means “holt” or woodland, because in the olden times the whole country was covered with dense forests. Among some of the mis-statements to which' Mr. Hendricks takes exception are the following:— “The whole country is flat; the greater part has beeii reclaimed from the isea.”

“Comparatively there are few trees; the windmills are a feature of every Dutch landscape.” “The water pumped up from the low lands is conveyed by canals to the sea. ’ ’

“The ambition of every Dutch woman seems to be to make herself as bulky as possible; their social importance is estimated by the number of petticoats they wear; most of the Friesian servants will wear nothing but gold.” “In the big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam high' buildings are built on piles and the shifting soil causes the buildings to lean at all angles.” “Two or three babies will sleep with their father and mother in one of the cupboard beds.” “In the towns the milk is supplied in milk cans drawn by dogs.”