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Regarding the outstanding advances to soldiers, it should be understood that through loanees breaking down in health, reduced ability, or misfortune a proportion of these loans will not be recoverable and will require to be written off. During the year the funds previously held by the High Commissioner were transferred to the National War Funds Council, the High Commissioner retaining an imprest of £500 to assist necessitous New Zealand soldiers in the United Kingdom. For some time it has been evident that for the purpose of considering the future control and disbursement of funds and arriving at a common policy in connection therewith a conference of patriotic society delegates is necessary and desirable. With the approval of the Hon. Minister in Charge of War Funds, societies have accordingly been circularized inviting representation at such a conference and suggestions for consideration. The date of the conference has been fixed for the Bth June, 1926, at Wellington, and in addition to the patriotic societies the Returned Soldiers Association and the Canteen and Regimental Trust Funds Board have been invited to send delegates. Government Astronomer and Seismologist. Astronomical Observations. —Observations of the meridian transits of the stars and of the sun have been made for the purpose of controlling the time service. During the year the sun was observed 135 times, and 98 observations were made of stars. Reception of Wireless Time Signals at the Observatory.—The following wireless time signals were received at the Observatory: Mean-time signals from Honolulu, 113; from Malabar, Java, 180; from Nauen, 173; from Bordeaux, 23; from Annapolis, 2; and from Sydney, 1. Scientific time signals were also received at the Observatory as follows : Saigon, 186 ; Nauen, 65 ; Honolulu, 55 ; Bordeaux, 11. The wireless time signals received at the Observatory generally agreed with the Observatory clock within one second of time. Time Service. —An improvement was made in the time service, and the signal at 23 hours, G.M.T. (10.30 a.m., N.Z.T.), is now sent every day of the year, including Sundays and New Zealand Government holidays. The improved service began on the 2nd August, The total number of time signals sent from the Observatory was 1,638 ; of these, 443 were sent by wireless telegraph, 722 were sent by special circuit to the Telegraph Office, 251 by the signal-lights at the Observatory, 101 by switching off lights on the Harbour Board Building at Auckland, 101 by dropping the time-ball at Lyttelton, and 20 by telephone. Sunspots.—Sunspot observations are made every day when the weather permits, except Sundays, and the reports are published in the Monthly Notes of the New Zealand Astronomical Society. The total number of observations during the calendar year 1925 was 271. Spots were seen on 156 occasions, and 127 separate groups were observed. Annular Eclipse of the Sun, 20th to 21st July, 1925. —An important annular eclipse of the sun took place on Tuesday, the 21st July, and the only land, with the exception of some small islands in the Pacific, from which the annular phase was visible was at the extreme north of New Zealand. Arrangements were accordingly made for observing the eclipse from Te Paki, a homestead near the North Cape, and for the taking of photographic records. Successful photographs of the eclipsed sun before, during, and after the annular phase were obtained, and from these pictures much valuable information has been derived. The late Mr. Thos. Allison, F.R.A.S., who accompanied the Government Astronomer on the expedition, observed the sun with his own telescope for the time of commencing and ending of the annular phase, the duration being 160 seconds. Mr. Allison observed for Baily's Beads, the corona, and for any prominences, and reported that there was no trace of any of these, due probably to the light from the annulus, which was 63 seconds wide, and to the slight clouds that covered the sun at this time. A volunteer observer who had charge of the visual observations with the spectroscope reported that no trace of the green coronium line was visible. Accurate times were kept of the various phases, and the clock correction was determined by wireless time signals from Wellington. The annular phase began at 20 h. 29 m. 14|s., G.M.T., and ended at 20 h. 31 m. 54|5., G.M.T. The principal lighthouse-keeper at the Cape Maria van Diemen Lighthouse reported that the eclipse was well seen there, and that the duration of the annular phase was 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Successful photographs of the partial phase were taken at Wellington, and the Publicity Department obtained a film of the complete duration of the partial phase visible there. International Astronomical Union. —By courtesy of the Central Astronomical Bureau the Observatory received telegraphic advice of a number of important astronomical discoveries made during the calendar year 1925. Several of the new objects thus made known were observed throughout New Zealand, and reports of the observed positions were sent to the Observatory. With reference to Nova Pictoris, the new star discovered by Watson at the Cape of Good Hope, a number of accurate estimates of its brightness have been forwarded by members of the New Zealand Astronomical Society, and notes were published in the publications of the society. Longitude by Wireless Signals. —Reference has been made in former reports to the important proposals by M. Le General Ferrie, President of the International Commission of Wireless Longitudes, for the determination of longitudes of certain selected stations, including New Zealand. At the Rome meeting of the International Astronomical Union in May, 1922, astronomers were invited to undertake preliminary work in this project.

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