General News.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19448, 23 October 1928, Page 8

General News.

An error was made by the Education Board in the report of the Board's Buildings Committee regarding the Beckenham School, as supplied to the Press. The report, as supplied to us, was that it would be "inadvisable" to increase the accommodation. Actually the committee reported in favour of increased accommodation. Interest aroused at the Wellington Winter Show in the fine collection of model engines culminated in the formation of the Wellington Model Engineering Society, with an initial membership of fifty. The objects of the society were explained by Mr L. S. K. Murray, and a committee was elected. Membership includes several men from the Zealand railway workshops, and the ample field of railway engineering is expected to be well represented at the next Winter Show. Attention is drawn to a forthcoming exhibition of paintings by Owen Merton, an accomplished artist, who was born in Christchurch. When he left, at the age of 21, Mr Merton's ability was already manifest, and one of his pictures had been secured for the Permanent Gallery of Wellington. Those who have watched, his career have seen this early promise amply fulfilled. Mr Merton's work has been shown for many years in America, where a large water-colour of his was bought some time ago for the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York. He recently held an exhibition at the Leicester Galleries, London, and the critics have been unanimous in appreciation of his delicacy of conception and original methods. Practically every one of the ten opossum areas on the Mount Egmont reserve had been extensively poached, said the ranger, Mr A. R. Larsen, at a meeting of the Egmont National Park Board last week. It appeared to be the custom for a poacher to have a friend in another district to whom the skins were sent to be stored until the selling season. This made it unlikely that the stored skins would be The poachers started about January, and went on till the opening of the season, and, said Mr Larsen, he understood the January skins were practically as good as those obtained at other times of the year. The Manaia to Pembroke road district, in which there had been no poaching last year, produced 643 skins, while in the muchpoached area alongside six trappers could obtain only 340 skins.

It is possible that three New Zealand astronomers will be able to be present in the Malay States in order to observe the eclipse of the sun next May, and subsequently to attend the Pacific Science Congress to be held at Batavia a few days later. If a party is sent, it is almost certain to include the Director of the Dominion- Observatory. and it is possible that the other, two -will be Mr P. O'Dey, of Hawera, and Mr 0. B. Michie, of Kaitaia, North Auckland. So far there are nine investigators from England who have signified their intention of attending, excluding any from New Zealand, and from other parts of the world. In order to be able to make a study of certain radio phenomena related to signal fading, Dr. Barnett, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, hopes to be present also. During this coming eclipse further tests of the Einstein theory will be made. These were not possible in the last eclipse-observ-ed from Giggleswick, England, owing to the very short time of totality, a matter of only 26 seconds. Dissatisfaction with the action of the Fire Board in appointing a member of the brigade who failed to get as many votes from "the firemen as did another aspirant for the post of deputy-super-intendent has resulted in II of the 16 members of the Wailii Volunteer Fire Brigade deciding to go on "strike." When the matter of /an appointment was before the Board recently the decision not to select the member favoured by the firemen was reached on the ground that his irregular hours of work would not permit of his giving the same attention to the duties involved as would the candidate chosen. The dissatisfied brigadesmen, however, state that while they have no grudge against the member selected for the post either as a man or a fireman, they feel that there are others more fitted to occupy the position. They also say that he has attended very few late fires since joining the brigade, and has been absent from 33 out of 80 musters during the last 12 months. These grievances were placed before the members of the Board in the form of a petition, and the dissatisfied men claim that they have had no satisfaction. They declare the "strike" will continue until the deputy-superintendent resigns.