SOLAR ECLIPSE.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19942, 31 May 1930, Page 14

SOLAR ECLIPSE.

EXPEDITION TO ISLANDS.

CABINET UNABLE TO MAKE grant. [THE PEE S3 Special Service.] WELLINGTON, May 30. Interviewed to-day regarding the possibility of the Government financing a New Zealand expedition to make observations of the total solar eclipse visible at Niuafou in September of the present year, the Prime Minister (the Hon. G. W. Forbes) said the matter had been very carefully considered by Cabinet, but it had been decided that in view of the altered financial situation, the Government could not undertake to finance such an expedition. It had been anticipated that such an expedition would be arranged, and with this in view certain instruments had been borrowed from England. In the meantime, however, it had been ascertained that a United States expedition numbering twenty people was to proceed to Niuafou, taking with it considerably superior equipment to that which would have been at the disposal of the New Zealand party, so that the value to the world of the New Zealand observations probably . would have been overshadowed by the value of those made by the larger eclipse expedition. It had been estimated that the cost of the New Zealand expedition would have been £IOOO, and in the circumstances it was regretted that the Government could not see its way to finance it, particularly as assistance was being given to the Mawson Discovery expedition. One line of work in connexion with the eclipse will, however, be carried out, the Radio Research Committee, in conjunction with Mr Gibbs, Chief Telegraph Engineer, having arranged for observations on the transmission of radio signals across and along the path of the eclipse, observations which may well throw light on some of the interesting problems of radio transmission.

It is pointed out by Dr. E. Marsden, secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, that Cabinet's decision not to finance the eclipse expedition will not prevent private enterprise from furthering the project. Should members of the New Zealand Astronomical Society or others interested desire to proceed with the arrangements already tentatively made, every facility would be accorded them which was in the power of the Department to grant. The whole question will come op for consideration at next Thursday's meeting of the Council of the New Zealand Astronomical Society. Members are quite hopeful that some wav will be found to overcome the financial obstacle in order that New Zealand may carry out the programme entrusted to it by the British Permanent Eclipse Committee.