N.Z. INSTITUTE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 109, 31 January 1908, Page 5

N.Z. INSTITUTE

ANNUAL MEETING. ]PROPOSED ASTRONOMIC OBSERVA- . TORY. SUGGESTION BY VICTORIA COLLEGE ~. ■ . council." • : Th'e fourth annual meeting of the Board of Governors, appointed under the New Zealand Institute Act, 1903, was held yesterday, at the Museum' Buildings. Mr. G. M. Thomson, F.L.S., F.C.S. (Dunedin), presided arid.' the delegates present. were Messrs. O:'G., : Hamilton (Wellington'*, J. Stewart (Auckland). 11. H. Hill, 8.A., F.G.S. (>vapior),- D. Petrie. M.A., F.G.S. (Auckland), T.-J; Young (Wellington), K. Wilson, M.A. (Palmerston North), E. Tregear, F.L.S. (Wellington), M. Chapman, K.C. (Wellington), Dr. Chilton (Christchurch), Dr. Farr (Christchurch), Professors Benham, F.R.S. (Duncdin), and Easterfield (Wellington), and Mr.'H. Gill, M.A., LL.B. (Westlnnd). THE REPORT. The annual report stated that during the. vear three honorary members had died, viz.: iMessrs. Alfred Newton, F.R.S., Mr. Robert J; Ellery, F.R.S., and Lord Kelvin, F.R.S., leaving 26 on the roll. It would bo necessary to elect four others in their places. The -,world of sciencc in general, and the Now Zealand Institute in particular, had sustained a great- loss by the death of Sir Jamos ITcctor. F.R.S., a former president of the Institute, and the question of considering what steps should be taken :o ] irpetliate his memory in a suitable D'lii ner would bo brought up. Two years ago the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury had taken the initiative in tho matter of instituting thfi Hutton Memorial Research Fund, and the New.Zealand Institute had set up a special cri'mmittee. It would be necessary to determine when the fund should become operative. The members now on the roll of the various incorporated societies .were as follow: —Auckland Institute, IG4'; Wellington Philosophical Society, 101; Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 1-17; Otago Instjtufco, llG; Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, 4G; Nelson.lnstitute, 30; Westland Institute, <16; Manawatu Philosophical Institute, 63; total, 713. i *• BALANCE SHEET. The balance sheet showed a credit balpnco of-£361 us. lid. The receipts amounted to ;£87,5i: 19s. 3d., of which* a balance was brought- forward from tho previtms year of £314 14s. 8(1., and a Government grant of £500 was also recorded. The. sale of Transactions had brought £3 4s. The expenditure was £514 13s. 4d., the main item being £359 18s. paid to -the Government- Printing Office, The Carter Bequest Fund showed a credit ;(invested by the Public Trustee) of £2634 lis. lOd. • ... LIBRARIAN'S REPORT. . < The-Honorary Librarian reported that only 78 persons had taken out books during the year: Regarding the Carter Library, none of the books reported missing last year had yet;been recovered. j V.V, DISCUSSION ON REPORTS. ' Tho Chairman referred briefly to the death during the year of Sir James Hector, and on his-motion a committee was set up to frame a suitable resolution to be put on record; Some discussion ensued regarding the late issue of the volume of Transactions. Special complaint was inailu in this direction by Drs. Beniiam and Farr.. Tho latter said that it was felt at- Canterbury that little inducement was offered contributors in tho fact that nearly twelve months elapsed beforo papers were published. Mr: Hamilton suggested that, tho edition of tho Transactions be reduced from 1200 to 1000./ Ho said th.it out of last year's edition 750' books were stored as unsold. He also suggested that, the exchange list of tho scientific hooks held by tho branches of the Society throughout the Dominion bo revised, This would enablo a saving in expense, because there would be no need, for instance, ,for two Societies paying £10 for'tho samo volume. They could adopt the principle of exchange and obtain a larger supply lor tho samo outlay. Mr. Tregear) referring to the fact that only 78 books had been taken out last year, said that this, in his opinion, was because tho books were so " uuuseful." The Society did not add to their readahlo books by eminent men on matters of research. A small committco was set up to go into these various matters. 1 The various reports and the annual balancesheet wcro adopted. - THE CARTER BEQUEST. '. .

A communication was received from Messrs. T. 11. Fleming and H. i). 8011, K.C., slating that they had been appointed by tho Governors of the Victoria Cojiego to submit a proposal that the Council of tho Victoria College should be entrusted by tho Instituto with the duty of expending the Carter Dequest' strictly according to tho terms of Mr. Carter's will. Professor Mndaurin, tho la to Professor of Astronomy at the College, had recently resigned, but the Council proposed to appoint another qualified -professor of astronomy, and if tho fund were entrusted to them the Council would expend it strictly in tho provision of a suitable building, and tho' -purchase and erection of a telescope therein, and in such fittings as could be provided. It was submitted that tho College was a public institution established by Statute and affiliated to the Nov.' Zealand University, and that a .suitable sito could bo provided free of cost ; and, further, that tho College could provide tho'professor and staff, and the building necessary for the purpose. An extract from tho will of the lato Mr. C. 11. Carter was enclosed. The will set out '.'that the" residue (if any) of the said net proceeds of the sale conversion and getting in of the estate should be transferred by tho' Trustee to the Governors of the New Zealand Institute at Wellington, to form the nucleus'of a'fund for the erection in or near Wellington, and in the endowment of a professor and staff, of an astronomic observatory fitted with tclescopo and the suitable instruments for tho public use and benefits of the Dominion, and in the hope that the fund might be augmented by gifts from private .donors, and that the observatory may he subsidised by tho Colonial Government without imposing any duty or obligation in regard thereto." Messrs. Bell and Fleming waited on the Institute during tho-morning, and discusscd the matter. The Victoria College, Mr. 1101 l said, was really the only body able, to carry out, the terms of the bequest. He repented the, statements . mode in the above letter, and said the facilities I he College possessed led them to hope, that they could fulfil the te'rms.of the bequest. The money was unliving idle; and tlicy were willing' to submit to any reasonable regulations the Institute might impose, so long, as the public were granted the advantages desired by the donor. Jf the Institute held any doubt as to their power to hand the money over, the deputation would he pleased to have the statement of the Supreme Court. Speaking as a lawyer, he saw no technical difficulties lii the way. Mr. Hill pointed out that, tho terms of the bequest said the money was to ho the nucleus of a fund. Had they any right to expend that money? Was it not mc-ant that the interest on the. fund should be used for tho benefit of the Dominion as a whole, and not only of a Wellington College? Tho Victoria College was a local affair, whereas tho matter was placed in the hands of the Institute, which was a colonial body. It was argued, in reply, that the terms of the will would enable the suggestion of tho A'iotoria College to he carried out. In reply to Dr. Farr, Mr. Bell said the intention was to have tho observatory primarily for educational purposes, but wiien not so used it could be open to tho general public. It was resolved, on tho motion of Mr. Chapman, that tho institute agree to the expenditure of tho Carter bequest for th« purpose of tho purchase, and erection, etc., of a telescope, and accessories, as proposed by the deputation, and to allow the same to- be under the control of tho governing body of the Collego. Conditions were imposed as follow:—(1.1 That tho buildings be erected out of other funds; (2) that a professor of astronomy and stall bo appointed

and maintained by the Victoria Collogo outof funds other than tho Carter bequest; and (3) that the Honrd| bo advised that the expenditure is lawful. THIS ANNTAL • TRANSACTIONS. A committee was appointed to make arrangements for the preparation of nn index for the 10 annual volumes of tho society's Transactions. It was also decided to approach the Government for a grunt to cover the cost of the printing. AVith a viow to rendering the annual volume of Transactions of as great value as possible, it was decided, on the motion of Mr. Hamilton, that tho next volume ho divided, into two separato parts, oiie part to contain scientific papers and reports, etc., and the other the; annual address of the president of the Institute, the proceedings of the various committees and their presidential addresses; the reports of the funds connected with the Institute, seismological and' meteorological reports and diagrams, and other matter already published, but to be rearranged. THE MUTTON MEMORIAL. •. Tho committee appointed to report on the Hut-ton Memorial Research Fund submitted a statement of expenditure and receipts since the. last report was made. Ffirther subscriptions to tho amount of £12 9s. had been, received, and £18 Is.-3d. earned as interest. Tho amount now standing to the credit of the fund was £063 2s. 3d. No applications for,grants from the fund had been received. The committee recommended that until the fund reached £1000 a small proportion of interest be added to the capital every year. Full instructions had been sent to London for tlie striking of a J-lutton memorial inedal. / It was hoped that copies of' tho medal would ho received before long. It was suggested that persons living outside New. Zealand and conversant with geology, zoology, and botany, be appointed to . make suggestions from time' to time as to the person, in their opinion, best entitled to the mede.l. . The report was adopted. — Messrs. T. Irodale and W. K. B. Aliner, of Christchurcb, asked for a grant out of the Mutton Memorial .fund to their expedition to the Kermadec Islands to study the flora and fauna of tho islands. Tho letter was written in August last, before the expedition loft. After brief discussion it was decided that the letter be received. It was resolved that the money in the hands of tho Hutton . Memorial Committeo bo transferred to. New Zealand Institute, and that the Committee be discharged. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. ' ' Mr. G. M. Thomson was re-elected president of tho Institute, Sir. Chapman treasurer, Mr. Thomson editor of the Transactions, and Mr. Thomsoi], Drs. lienham, Chilton, and Fan' a Publishing Committee. Mr. T. King was appointed secretary. GENERAL. Mr. Hamilton moved that the next annual meeting ho held at Wellington J, on January 20, 190!), and that a special general meeting of members of the. institute be held on January 21. The mover said the advisability could then be considered of holding a meeting of members of the whole of the Institute at some central place, where they could organise research parties. . This concluded the business of.the meeting.