570
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 26

Notice under Section 25 of the Shops and Offices Act cancelling Notice fixing Closing-hours of Booksellers’ and News-agents’ Shops in the City of Nelson.

WHEREAS a requisition in writing, signed by a majority of the occupiers of all the booksellers’ and news-agents’ shops in the City of Nelson, has been forwarded to me, desiring that the notice gazetted on the 4th day of March, 1909, fixing the closing-hours of booksellers’ and news-agents’ shops in the City of Nelson be cancelled:

And whereas the Nelson City Council has certified that the signatures to such requisition represent a majority of the occupiers of all the booksellers’ and news-agents’ shops within the City of Nelson:

Now, therefore, I, William Ferguson Massey, Minister of Labour, in pursuance of section 25 of the Shops and Offices Act, 1908, do hereby direct that on and after the 25th day of February, 1918, such notice shall be cancelled accordingly.

Dated at Wellington this 19th day of February, 1918.

W. F. MASSEY,
Minister of Labour.

War Regulations Act, 1914.—Appointment of Military Authority.

Office of the Minister of Defence,
Wellington, 7th January, 1918.

I, JAMES ALLEN, Minister of Defence for the Dominion of New Zealand, in pursuance of the authority conferred upon me by an Order in Council made on the tenth day of November, 1914, and published in the New Zealand Gazette on the same day, do hereby appoint the undermentioned military officer as a “Military Authority” for the purpose of the regulations made by the said Order in Council; and declare that the Military Authority so appointed shall exercise jurisdiction and authority as such throughout New Zealand:—

Colonel GEORGE JOHN SMITH, Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Commander, Canterbury Infantry Brigade).

J. ALLEN,
Minister of Defence.

Dismissal of Territorial from the N.Z. Defence Forces.

Department of Defence,
Wellington, 30th January, 1918.

HIS Excellency the Governor-General has approved of the dismissal of the undermentioned member of the Territorial Force from the N.Z. Defence Forces, under section 6 (b), Defence Act, 1909, he having been convicted by the Civil power:—

10/2871, Private JOSEPH JOHNSON, 11th (North Auckland) Mounted Rifles.

Dated 18th January, 1918.

J. ALLEN,
Minister of Defence.

Award of Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers’ Decoration.

Department of Defence,
Wellington, 13th February, 1918.

HIS Excellency the Governor-General has been pleased to approve of the award of the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers’ Decoration to

The Reverend REGINALD HERMON, Chaplain to the Forces, 2nd Class, N.Z. Chaplains Department,

he having a total commissioned service to the 19th January, 1918, entitling him thereto, of twenty years and twenty-nine days.

J. ALLEN,
Minister of Defence.

Protective Apparatus on Vessels against Mines.

Wellington, 14th February, 1918.

THE Marine Department is advised that the Admiralty intend to apply the provisions of the Defence of the Realm Regulation No. 37 (c) to British ships of Dominion registry which visit the United Kingdom, and which have a mean loaded draught of not less than twelve feet.

The general effect of this decision is that—

(a.) Such vessels as are mentioned above must, on next arrival in the United Kingdom, be fitted with the “Otter” protective gear;

(b.) Their crews must be properly instructed in its use;

(c.) The master of a vessel so fitted is responsible, under the Defence of the Realm Regulations, that the apparatus is always in good order, and that it is efficiently used at such times and in such areas as the Admiralty may direct.

Owners concerned should communicate with Messrs. Vickers (Limited), Broadway, Westminster, London S.W., with a view to arranging for the necessary gear to be fitted on each ship’s next visit to the United Kingdom.

THOMAS M. WILFORD,
Minister of Marine.

Hector Observatory Bulletin 9.—Occultation of a Star by the Planet Venus.

Hector Observatory,
Wellington, N.Z., 18th February, 1918.

THE following information of an occultation of a star by the planet Venus has been supplied by the Hon. Secretary of the Leeds Astronomical Society, Private Arthur Burnet, of the British Expeditionary Forces, France:—

“The star is No. 2895 in the Cape Catalogue (1900) = 7 Aquarii, magnitude 5·7. Its position reduced to 1918, March 2, is R.A. 20 h. 52 m. 28·97 s, decl. 10° 0′ 45″ south.

“The planet is almost stationary in R.A. at the time, and the chord of occultation lies along the western limb. After making the necessary corrections for parallax, I get an occultation beginning in New Zealand at 4 h. 25 m. G.M.T., and ending at 5 h. 48 m. G.M.T.”

The New Zealand times of beginning and ending are respectively 1918, March 3, 3 h. 55 m. a.m., and March 3, 5 h. 18 m. a.m.

At Wellington the sun rises at 5 h. 32 m. on March 3. The moon is nineteen days old, and rises on March 2 at 8 p.m., and sets on March 3 at 10 h. 27 m. a.m. Venus is 10° above the horizon at the beginning of the occultation, and is 25° above the horizon at the ending.

Observers who require accurate time for checking their chronometers are asked to communicate with the Observatory, so that suitable arrangements for this purpose may be made. It is highly desirable that careful observations should be made, both visually and photographically, to check the predicted times of the beginning and the ending of the occultation.

C. E. ADAMS,
Government Astronomer.

Public Service Stores Tender Board.—Supply and Delivery of Stores.

Wellington, 14th February, 1918.

TENDERS will be received at the office of the Chairman, General Post Office, Wellington, not alter than 4 p.m. on Monday, the 11th March, 1918, for the supply and delivery of 10,000 arm-combiners and 4,000 ironbark blocks.

Particulars and conditions of tendering may be obtained at the office of the Controller of Stores, Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington; the District Storekeeper, Post and Telegraph Department, Christchurch; or at the offices of the Telegraph Engineers at Auckland and Dunedin.

J. ORCHISTON,
Chairman.

Officiating Ministers for 1918.—Notice No. 5.

Registrar-General’s Office,
Wellington, 19th February, 1918.

PURSUANT to the provisions of the Marriage Act, 1908, the following names of Officiating Ministers within the meaning of the said Act are published for general information:—

Presbyterian Church of New Zealand.

Mr. JOHN LANG.

Congregational Independents.

The Reverend THOMAS WILSON POTTS.

Waihi Spiritualist Society.

Mr. HENRY ALFRED DRUMMOND ANDERSON.

W. W. COOK,
Registrar-General