THE FOREIGN IDEA

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 May 1928, Page 8

THE FOREIGN IDEA

GEOGRAPHICAL IGNORANCE

The Postal Department is frequently called on to decipher some weirdly addressed letters and they must wonder whether a letter recently received by the secretary of the Southland League (Mr. J. S. Dick) has Reached the intended destination. It ws addressed to “The Postmaster, Queensland, New Zealand,” and is as follows: —“Dear Sir, —Please state the name of your largest wholesale meat packing company located directly on the coast furtherest south. I expect to make the trip with Commander Byrd, and would appreciate a little information. Thanking you in anticipation for any information wou could supply.—Yours faithfully, Sydney Greason, Atlanta Athletic Club, Atlanta, Georgia.” The letter was originally received by the Postmaster at Queenstown, who, being unable to answer the enquiry, forwarded it to the Southland League. No definite information has as yet been received to indicate from what country Commander Byrd is to make a start in his Polar flight and for this <,reason it is difficult to say whether the writer was referring to Australia or New Zealand. The secretary, however, is forwarding full information regarding Southland, but he is rathe]' puzzled by the term “meat packing company.” The Ocean Beach, Works are, however, the most southerly, and meat canning is carried on at Woodlands. This information should be sufficient to satisfy Mr. Greason, but it is astonishing that thecombination of Queensland and New Zealand should be used by a member of the party which intends to reach the South Pole by air.