POLYNESIAN SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12731, 18 February 1907, Page 4

POLYNESIAN SOCIETY.

■ a (rEESS ASSOCIATION MXEORAM.) NEW PLYMOUTH, February 15. The fourteenth annual meeting of Uio Polynesian Society was held tonight. Mr 8. Percy Smith, F.R.G.8., was re-elected president, and Mr W. H. Skinner, secretary. The rejjort stated that tho object for which tlie society was founded—the preservation of original matter connected with tho Polynesian been fairly well carried out, and the journal—tho medium of such preservation—as far as tho first two quarterly numbers were concerned, appeared with regularity. Owing to a disastrous firo in Wellington at the promises of \Yhitcombe and Tombs's, the Society lost the whole of tho third number of the journal, involving tho re-printing of the whole edition. Tho Society also lost the whole of the,blocks used for illustrating from the very first issue. A considerable amount of original matter of great value waa now on hand, and should bo mado available for members and students of Polynesian patters. There was a large amount" of such matter in tho Maori language aa yet untranslated, and also in the Raro- " tongan dialect. Tho report abo stated '• that it would be some timo before the Maori dictionary, now being compiled by tho Rev. H. W. Williams appeared. The consent of the Cape Colon; Trwrif lature to tho transference-Tib fKjfljr." Zealand of the valuable '' #ocumentß .of tlie Sir collection had not, yet-been ob-j tamed, although th© 1 tower House ' had passed a Bill authorising the! transference. Tho Niue vocabulary was going slowly through the Government I Printing Office. From December 31*1, last the - Society's correspondence, papers, etc., ceased to go free through the Post-offices within tho Empire. 'Unices the Government made an allowance, this would make a considerable ! difference to the Society, which had; spent over £2500 in preserving to fu*T ture generations the .records of thfe , history, manners, and customs of the.: Polynesian race. > ~•.« I The report was adopted. Several, new members were elected. V