NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20317, 27 January 1928, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE.

BOARD OF GOVERNORS. THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, January 26. Scientists from all parts of the Dominion gathered at Victoria University College to-day, when the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute held its annual meeting. There were present; Mr B. C. Aston (president), Dr P. Marshall (hon. secretary), Mr M. A. Elliott (hon. treasurer), Professors F. P. Worley, and 11. W. Scgar (Auckland), Mr H. Hill (Hawke's Bay), I •- L. Cockayne, Mr G. V. Hudson, and Dr J. Allan Thomson (Wellington), Professor T. H. Easterliold' (Nelson), Professor C. Coleridge Farr, Mr A. M. Wright, and Dr C. Chilton (Christchurch), Mr G. M. Thomson, and Professor J. Park (Otago), ami Mr Johannes Anderson (lion, editor). The event of the year, said the president in his address, has been the issue of the transactions as a quarterly journal. The New Zealand Institute Act could be amended in several directions with groat advantage, to the working of the institute. At present they were compelled to hold their annual meeting in January, which often entailed inconvenience to members and to the staff, and meant that the financial reports of Auckland, the chief incorporated society, were nearly a year old when they were received. By arranging for the financial year to terminate on March 31, and ’ olding the annual meeting in the university midwinter vacation, the position would be improved. Provision for the appointment of a vice-president, who should be eligible for re-appointment year by year, and who should be resident in Wellington, also was necessary. This would enable the office of president to be distributed without regard to his place of residence, for the vice-president could act for him in Wellington. The section incorporating various societies required redrafting, eliminating such bodies as were defunct and when opportunity offered. Sir Frank Heath’s objection that medical and engineering societies were not adequately represented on the board should be met. The balance sheet for the year ended December 31, 1927, showed a debit balance of £6OB 0s 7d, as compared with a debit balance of £163 19s for 1926. The* cost c.f volume 57 was considerably greater than was anticipated, owing to its size (1220 pages), and to the very large number of corrections in authors proofs, cx‘ i for special setting, process and line blocks, etc. The contract price was £lOl6 13s 4d, but these extras brought the total cost up to ildbo lis. The trust accounts continued to show a satisfactory condition. The barter bequest capital had increased by £4OO during the year. ~ , Professor J. A. Bartrum, of Auckland University College, and Dr H. « i V of the Feilding Agricultural High School, were elected fellows of the institute. The following honorary members were elected:—Dr J. S. Haldane, Dr A W. Hill, Sir David Orme Masson, Sir John Russell, Professor A. C. Seward. Professor John Arthur Thomson. The Hector award for 1928 was left to the standing committee. It was decided that the next annual meeting should be held at Auckland, and that a preliminary meeting should be held at Wellington. It was decided to ask the Government promptly to place approved applications for research grants before the Minister concerned to avoid unnecessary delays. At present the applications go before the council of scientific and industrial research. The institute passed resolutions expressing its regret that the Government had opened up a public road through the Waipoua Forest, when one which it is considered would have served the needs of the district and of the settlers of the neighbourhood could have been constructed round the forest area, at the same, or only slightly increased, cost, and that as the forest contained the only large tract of kauri forest left in New Zealand it was desirable that it should be preserved intact, no trees being removed save by the officers of the Forestry Department when it was considered that this removal was essential for the regeneration of the forest, j The following officers were elected: President, Dr J. Allan Thomson; hon, secretary, Mr B. C. Aston ; hon. treasurer, Mr M. A. Elliott; hon. auditor, Mr Johannes C. Anderson ; hon. returning officer, Professor H. W. Segar; hon. librarian, Professor D. M. Y. Somerville; trustees, Messrs B. C. Aston and M. A. Elliott.