Poor Little New Zealand.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7, 14 August 1912, Page 3

Poor Little New Zealand.

The current issue of lite London weekly journal, “John Bull," which is one of the pet ventures of the notorious Horatio Bottomley, contains the following paragraph, which may possibly bring those New Zealanders who have the audacity to think that their little country counts for anything to a proper appreciation ot the Dominion’s place in the scheme ot things mundane:—“New Zealand sounds so far away that we do not often bother about advertisements in its newspapers, but the following seems to strike a new note: ‘Matrimony.—Genuine, healthy, virtuous Christian gent., no bad vices, good parentage, wishes acquaintance short lady, 24 to 32, equal qualities, live Ghrist-likc life essential; country home; correspondence confidential.’ A virtuous Christian ‘gent.,’ who desires to live a Christ-like life in the company of a short lady with equal qualities, is surely too modest when he informs a wondering world that ho has ‘no bad vices.’ What is the difference between a good vice and a bad one? The redundancy seems to imply that lie has no out rageous ones, but it leaves a sad snspi cion in our niinds that he may. perhaps, possess inclinations which are not quite consistent with our idea of Christian virtue. However, as we said before. New Zealand is so far away that noth ing matters there except to delude emi grants who go out in the expectation of picking up pieces of gold and silver." I’oor little New Zealand! What has it done to the egregious Bottomley that he should treat it in this brutally .on temptuous manner?