WRITING UP NEW ZEALAND

Evening Star, Issue 21820, 8 September 1934, Page 9

WRITING UP NEW ZEALAND

GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY’S UNDERTAKING [Special to the ‘ Stab.’] AUCKLAND, September 7. “ Altruistic ” was the description givdn of the aims of the National Geographic Society by Mr Geo. W. Hutchison, secretary of that body, who passed through Auckland by theMariposa today in company with Mr W. R. Moore, a member of the society’s staff, who is to spend six months in Australia and New Zealand preparing data for a series of articles and photographs in colour and ordinary black and white. Mr Hutchison said the trustees of the •society received no remuneration for their services. The three heads of the organisation were the president, the vice-president, and the secretary, who were all salaried officers, and controlled a staff numbering 750. The society’s monthly magazine went to approximately 1,000,000 members, 4,000 of whom were in New Zealand, and 8,000 in Australia. With a view to allowing their members to know a great deal more about Australia and New Zealand, the present tour by Mr Moore had been arranged. “ The society,” said Mr Hutchison, “ financed the recent stratosphere balloon ascent in America which came to a disastrous end after reaching within 600 ft of the record, and had financed Dr Wm. Beebe's most recent descent into the sea, when a world’s record was obtained. Dr Beebe had taken photographs’ at a depth of 3,020 ft near Nonsuch Island, close to Bermuda. “ All tho profits of tho society,” he, added, “ are used for geographical and scientific purposes.” The society had nontnLilted 50,000 dollars to Admiral Byrd’s first trip to the Arctic regions, and also had made donations for the present Antarctic expedition, and for tiio Ellsworth Expedition. Mr Moore said he hoped to be able to inform members of the society of what was to be seen in Australia and New Zealand. Both countries appeared to be little known in the United States, and it was quite common for people to think that New Zealand comprised a couple of small islands off the coast of Australia, while the country itself was looked upon as being a lost continent. Ho proposed to give a pen picture of both countries.