SUPERIOR IGNORANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2541, 26 November 1902, Page 46

SUPERIOR IGNORANCE.

(Natal Mercury, Sept. 1) {Ye have been permitted to copy the following from a letter received in Durban from a former Natalian, now resident in 'Auckland, New Zealand: — Now, about this place and its people: 'Anywhere south of Auckland is unfit for (human habitation, as the cold is awful, except, perhaps, for a few wild stockmen $hat grow hair on their teeth—you know the sort I mean. This climate suits us well 9S far as health goes, and my wife is very touch stronger for the change here, and so ire all the children. The New Zealander proper 13 the most narrow-minded, ignorant being on the face of the earth—at least, 50 to 75 years behind •Natal. We are called "Boers" wherever we have been, as they never heard such a< name before. The children are asked if they are not Boers, and is their mother a Kaffir? They have been told that they •have picked up English very well, considering the time they have been here ! Full-grown men have asked me if they •knew how to make bricks in Africa, and, when I have told them that I once designed '» house, they ask, quite seriously, if it was for a Boer or a Kaffir; also, if there were any schools at all where English could be learnt? They asked if our father was not a Boer, still fighting, and our mother driving his waggon'/ If the children ever saw any white people before they cam© to ■New Zealand? Only two days ago a man came into the works to ask me if there were any ironworks in Durban, as he thought of going over to make kitchen T»nges, *8 there must be a large demand •fter all the houses have been destroyed. j They all seem to think that they only J have to land in Africa and they can pick up gold anywhere, as the people there are too ignorant to know the value-of it. I have ahown them some photos, and they «eem quite astonished; they had no idea that the place was anything like that, and tome look at me as if I was an awful bar. Only to-d*y one man told me that he had never heard of any railways there; they must have been built very secretly for the English Government not to have known Anything about them. And Dick Seddon telegraphing here that New Zealand had nothing to learn from Africa about railways 1 Well, I have seen all the principal stations, and they are no better than Pinetown in the largest towns. The whole of the platforms are only lft above the rail j level, *nd one has to climb down from the carriages three steps to get to the platform; j and i)he steps are all plumb one over the other, and one haa to climb out backwards to be safe. Where one train passes another there is only one platform at the station, ■o, on the offside, there are little boxes scattered about, which may be near the tteps of a oarriage or may not, and if a ptout old lady has to get out a fellow passenger has to get a little box for her, or she must fall out as best she can. The Only outlet to the carriages are at the end, so that all the getting in and out has to lie done through, the same doorway on to Cttle narrow platforms at the ends of the carriages, which are mostly occupied by youngsters, smoking, and they do not care to be disturbed, and look at you as if you !had no business to want to got out till they had come to their journey's end. The Beats are all along the sides, with your back -to the window, which only opens halfway up, and then only one in five will open at all without a 10-ton crane to help you. The guard walks right through the train twice between each station to examine tickets. The trains have been known to tun as fast as five miles an hour on special occasions. Ten to 30 minutes is spent at all stations where there is anything to be talked about. Only a few days ago the train passed the eight-mile post an hour And 20 minutes after leaving Auckland. A New ZeaUtnder is a great hand at doing down a ebranger, and talke of it the rest of hia life. They have very little idea of the value of money, and, if they snake £5 at a race meeting, it is a fortune. They oan then afford to go on the " bust" i Cor from three to six months. The greatest J industry of the place is horse-racing. There ia usually a meeting Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday every week, 10 months in the year, with pony race, hack race, trotting raoe, or a coursing match between. Footrail or cricket must be attended to every Saturday afternoon, and yachting every Sunday, throughout the summer. They had a plague ecare here, and are Ilow waking up to the fact that there ia •uoh a thing as drainage and sanitation. The first drainage scheme I can hear of was done (or, I should say, not done) oloae here, where a man had a contract to lay pipes along a certain road. He broke the ground at the bottom and laid in one pipe, He then disturbed the surface to the other end, and put in another pipe, got it passed, fend got his money; and it was not found out ror some time, till it was to be extended. Another had to lay a drain through rocky ground, co, to aave breaking out the lumps of rook that oame in the way, the contractor knocked hole 3in the pipes, and kid them over, so that they looked all right from the top. Yet another, who did not get so far as to get hi* money, like the other two, laid about 100 pipes, epiggot to ■piggot, and flange tc flange, alternately, «ad, when told to take them up and lay them properly, asked if the engineer wanted to ruin him. These are facts. The professional accountants here find it bard to get a living, as in most of the small places of business the books are kept by the proprietor, or the man who dri^e* the cart and deliver* goods looks after the books at night. They are all very susp cious of strangers, and, if they can keep thorn out of the place are only too delighted. The free schools here give a very good education, but most of them believe greatly in the stick for everything. Children here •re fairly healthy up to three or four years of age, after which they go as thoy plea«e — eat all day long, no regular meals, seldom in bed till 10 or 11 o'clock at night. The boys emoke cigarettes, and. generally loaf. The girls are out to any hour afr night by themselves, or with another. The other night I was late at a board meeting, and on my way home, about 10 o'clook, I met scores of girl*, and one in particular, about 17 • jrears old, was leading home a young fellow, not mere than 20, if that, and he was as • drunk as possible. Girls of 17 or 18 often frequent the opium dens of Chinamen, especially if they happen to have been in Sydney. Should you decide to try this place, be prepared to do nothing for 12 months at feast, and also to booome a Freemason.

Oddfellow, Forester, Wesleyan, or Roman Catholic, or, for preference, the whole lot; also a Presbyterian, and shout for King Dick, and never try and tell a New Zealander that there is any other place in the world where a white man knows anything, ot they will get the .sulks, and never speak to you again.

I lid not know how ill and run down we all were till we got here, and the last few months we have gained strength wonderfully. We look back with horror at the dreadful heat of Durban, and think of the restless nights, and aiaety, lurking, loathsome Kaffir. Here the Maoris do not interfere -with the whites in any way. Mot* people here believe Sc-ddon is to be Governor of Africa!

Ur J. H. Maiden (director of Sydney Botanical Garden*) has gone to Norfolk Island to report on the possibility of improving its crops and to classify its flora. The Commonwealth Postal Department has given up all hope of securing the construction of a telephone line between Melbourne and Sydney. Twelve ten-wheeled passenger engines and tenders have bsen ordered by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company from the Hyde Park Locomotive Works, Glasgow.

2. MAIDEN PLATE, of losovs Weight for age. For horses that have never won an advertised Tace of more than lOsovs. Horses that have not won public money allowed 51 b. Entrance, 15s. One mile. 3. WAIRIO CUP HANDICAP, of 35sovs; second horso ssovs from the stake. Nomination, 20a; acceptance, 15s. One mile and a-quarter. i. FIRST HANDICAP TIME TROT (Saddle), of 20sovs ; second horse seov from the stake. Minimum weight, lOst. Nomination, 10s; acceptance, 10a. Two miles. 5. WELTER HANDICAP, of 20sovs; second horse 3sovs from the stake. Nomination, 10s; acceptance, 10s. One mile. 6. HANDICAP STEEPLECHASE, of 30sovs ; second horse Ssovs from the stake. Nomination, 20s , /cceptance, 10s. About two and a-hali miles, over such course and jumps as the stewards may dnect. 7. FLYING HANDICAP, of 25sovs; second horse, osovs fiom the stake. Winner of Wairio Cup to carry 7lb extra. Nomination 15s , acceptance, 10s. Six furlongs. 8. SECOND HANDICAP TIME TROT (Saddle), of 20sovs; second horse ssovs from the stake. Minimum weight, lOst. "Winnei of Fust Handicap Trot may be re-handicapped. Nomination. 10s; acceptance, 10s. One mile and R-hal/. Bates of >'oinlnatioss. Acceptances, Sec. NOMINATIONS for all Handicaps, including both Trotting Races, close with the Secretaiy on THURSDAY, December 18, 1902, at 930 p.m. Handicaps will appear in Southland News and Times airout January 5, 1903. Acceptances for all Handicaps and also entries for Maiden Plate close on FRIDAY, Jamiary 9. ISO 3, at 9.30 p.m. Rules and Regulations. All Entries and Acceptances must bs in sealed covers, addressed to the Secretary, and contain entrance money, age, and description of the horse and colouis of the rider. Any person running a hor3e in co'outs other than those named at time of entry or registered in his own or assumed name shall be fined lsov. Totalisator dividends will be paid in the proportion of 75 per cent, on the first and 25 per cent, on the second horso in races in which seven jr more horses in separate interests start. The three previous performances must be forwarded with nominations for the Trotting Races. By entering a horse the nominator and every perton having any interest in such horse shall be deemed to accept all the conditions and restrictions imposed or implied by these Rules, and to be debarred from questioning any action or conduct of any official of a Trotting or Racing Club, in respect of such horse or of any person connected therewith otherwise than is provided for by Rule 92, Rules of Trotting, and Rules 118 and 168, Rules of Racing. The New Zealand Rules of Racing will be strictly adhered to. The Trotting Races will be run under the Rules of the New Zealand Trotting Association. All Stakes paid m full. Bookmakers or their agents will not be admitted to the course or enclosures. J. COSGRIFF, Secretary. P. 0., Nightcap-3. 26n