THROUGH Our EXCHANGES.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXV, Issue 23, 25 January 1913, Page 7

THROUGH Our EXCHANGES.

In comparison with Canadian women tiie fair sex of Now Zealand lost points in tidiness, said Miss Wrench (a visitor to the Dominion after a six weeks’ tour). Those of the Greater Dominion taught Doth the Old Country and New Zealand a distinct lesson in tidiness and natiness cf appearance. But the women of New Zealand, she added, struck her as being extraordinarily capable and adaptable. Their cooking was excellent, but, as one with vegetarian leanings, she did wish more- vegetables were grown. Intellectually, she had been impressed with the “liveliness” of the women of New Zealand. They were interested in al! sorts of questions. In Dunedin especially she had been struck by the number of people concerned in up-to-date development. She doubted if any town would ever show her the same number of earnest “live” people who impressed her as being of those who did things and not only talked of them.

“The beds are always clean, but otherwise New Zealand hotels are slovenly,” said Miss Wrench, of hotel housekeeping. The corners of rooms and drawers, she proceeded, were not tidied out. She had found, time and again, in the drawers of the furniture, hats, trousers, papers, whisky bottles, etc. This should not be. It showed carelessness and lack cf supervision somewhere. There were none of those sweet little perfectly clean hotels such as abounded in rural England or France. There seemed in New Zealand a disposition to avoid bother and trouble—perhaps because everything came so easily. For instance, this was the only country where one bill-of-fare only was supplied for a room full of people. In two seconds one could not always decide between pineapple and plum-pudding. She took this inadequacy of menus, with other things, as an indication of a tendency towards slackness. Two things, however, about New Zealand hotels she did appreciate. The first was morning tea at seven, without request or payment, and the other was the freedom of the bathroom. In England and on the Continent baths were luxuries, and had to be paid for as such. The last observation of all that she would make, sh<s said, was that she was great'y struck with the kindliness and courtesy of New Zealanders. It was a pleasure to ask the way, the response was so gracious. She had never met such friendly people, and felt absolutely atone with them.