World News in Story and Picture

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 230, 28 September 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

World News in Story and Picture

SIR GEORGE GREY. Last week occurred the anniversary of the death of a man whose name must for ever take a foremost place in the history of early New Zealand. Sir George Grey, D.C.L, K.C.8., Governor and Prime Minister of this country, died on September 18, 1898, and widespread grief existed throughout the country both among the Maoris and the white population. He waa an extraordinarily gifted man. He had a fluent use of the native tongue, and his understanding of the Maori people resulted in their sincere conviction that he worked with their well-being at heart. In Parliament his eloquence was well known, and his learning was apparent in the interest he invariably took in scientific questions, and in his devotion to the cause of general culture. Sir George Grey's first visit to the South Seas was in 1837, when he went out to the Swan River, West Australia, to conduct an expedition to the northward in order to find out whether any large river emptied itself into the Indian Ocean on the west coast of Australia. These explorations involved considerable hardships, pluckily borne by the young explorer. For some time he was resident magistrate at Albany, in West Australia. In 1840 Captain Grey, as he then was, was appointed to the Governorship of aouth Australia. Five years later he

was made Governor of New Zealand, and in 1848 was knighted. He retired later and paid a visit to England, but soon returned. He was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1877 to 1879, and his name is one of the most honoured ones in the history of this country.

ROYAL POSTMASTER. It is probably very few who are aware that such a person as a Royal postmaster exists. He does, however, and, furthermore, is an official of no little importance. Captain Francis Mason, until recently the King's postmaster, retired in recent weeks, and a new Royal official, Mr. G. P. Wyles, has been appointed to the post. The position carries with it quite a vast amount of responsibility. For instance, at jubilee time the King and Queen received no- fewer than 17,000 telegrams from all over the world in a single week. All of them had to be answered. The King's birthday means about 800 telegrams in one day. During the Duke of Gloucester's tours in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Ceylon, the King and Queen kept in almost daily touch with him through the Royal post office. This meant long telegrams and large air mail parcels for Captain Mason and his. postmen to dispatch.

WOMAN EXPLORER. An outstanding example of the way in which women are taking their place side by side with men in the advancement of scientific and research work is to be found in the account of the amazing expedition at present being undertaken by Dr. L. Jobe Akeley, widow of the late Carl Akeley, sculptor, naturalist and explorer, who died some little time ago while exploring in the Belgian Congo country. Dr. Akeley has already left New York for Africa, and it is her intention to explore Swaziland and Zululand. In the Transvaal and Rhodesia she will make a study of wild life and collect material for the museum. In Swaziland and Zululand she will make Alms of animal life and the I ceremonials of the primitive tribes with which she comes in contact. Amazing though it Dr. Akeley will travel alone for the greater part of her journey, living in the open under a small green terit. She has already passed 15 months in' Africa, having assisted her husband' on his last expedition—an expedition in the Belgian Congo from which he" never returned alive. Before her marriage Dr. Akeley made several mountaineering expeditions into the Canadian JHockies, arid in 1925 the Geographic Board of Canada named a high mountain in Northern British Columbia.after he-r," i in recognition of her explorations.

FROZEN FLOWERS. That in every possible avenue science and invention are progressing apace is to-day a recognised fact. Even in small matters like frozen flowers, which a year ago were regarded as impossible, there is to be found wonderful advancement. Recently at the Newcastle horticultural flower show in Australia dahlias from California were exhibited. The flowers, which were more than Ift in diameter, were embedded in ice. Uncommon West Australian wild flowers, similarly packed, were also exhibited, while daffodils from New Zealand, sent in cold storage, were listed among the prizewinners. ELECTRIFICATION OF TURKEY. The Turkish Government has decided on the immediate electrification of the country, and a party of experts has left. for the : * United" States to seek technical aid -'and to purchase plant. , " Tlje watershed of'the/Caucasus and Taiir.us Mountains will provide an admirable 1 source <■ of supply to the Turks,: whose trail ways and .new industries are sadly in need of power. These industries have grown with amazing rapidity in the past few 1 ;; years, especially . when one remembers that in -1914 the country was entirely pastoral.