SOME AUCKLAND TRAITS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 15094, 10 September 1912, Page 4

SOME AUCKLAND TRAITS.

Sir,—As one - who ■ appreciates Auckland i great , soenio and commercial ;' _ and Gs one of those who would r>ee ' her ' ; fame spread to wider; bounds, I should ''jSfaßtgM ' to bring . before : tho ' notice of your reattor^sl^ • .some traits of "Auckland character that giat^j^l • unpleasantly on the nerves of the stranger within her gates. I. refer ,to. the unfortunate i .prevailing ignorance with regard to the j elementary rules for behaviour at places i public entertainment. - A philosopher said that we should eat to live not. live*;teM||| eat. > Personally I think that what and when a|| a man cats is largely his own affair, 'hut--1 do ? maintain' that gastronomic experiments s 5 with ' paper-covered' caramels and " milk 1 . 1 ' kisses" are ■' best appreciated when not cai^gg > ried on in the" midst of a ball "full of pecpfe*"'®^> • who are doing their best] to appreciate . merits of a performer: who niay be one o| i the world's greatest' artiste. In, - concerts are timed, as rule, to commence ; at eight o'clock. Br. that; hour niiJe-teDtfcf||| of tho audience are in their seats. The v maining tenth (the submerged tenth wait for the performance to begin before faKifejl • ing cheerfully .to the surface. • They axe i 5 in the least disturbed at being late, and sees o ; p ■ their seats with what they no doubt eoMK»m|>& • to be leisure and dignity. M©anwhi.o per-- . i formers and audience alike ; have to ■ gnu,- > and bear it. By half-time, full audienotfgg - may : l>o said to have arrived.. Tho resump* > i tion of the performance ; is < marked by.. ; rf*4B:^| ■ newed exhibitions of leisure and dignity " the tenth," made, a little more bearable •_ I this timo by tho : fact that their women ] have graciously condescended to remain mj; ■ V|- ' the building during the intermission. HaW; * fan-hour before the entertainment . clc-dcS^ Jig the timo chosen - by the tenth for makuiK « ' their dignified exit. Thar are very caref^y^g I not to choose: an interval that may < ' between items :as a fitting time to |gj i They feel, no doubt, that the applauso_m^^w,|| ; dental to ,a change of performers would de* i fcraot from* the effect of their own httle^cc^^l i mbution to the fun. Tho first word otm* > last verso of tho last song is apparontly^|^| ■ signal for . the -audience to ' rise and swam / ~ ' the exits. It may be news to AucklanaeW . I J to'know that the last sinsrer at a;cono^»^^g ■ not puldiclv insulted iin other towns as J here. What is the reason? Xs it innate: R Wl?fe|i garitv. or merely the force of tho;^*Mi|w|g|y [. of the noble Auckland tenth? -In ; conclusion, ><■ 1 I would suggest to the coaoert-gomg put>UO ! of Auckland as the main, attnbutejot|*p^ ' gentleman that "he is never conspicuous., ; p. j| ■' September 7, 1912. Tor.EABOJ^-^4