GAS INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 4014, 17 February 1931, Page 22

GAS INSTITUTE.

SEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING. i The Gas Institute of New Zealand com- , mcnced its seventh annual meeting in the i Town Hall buildings, Dunedin, on Wed- . nesday morning. The chair was occupied by the president, Mr A. Couper (Dunedin), and there was an attendance of 45 members. _. Mr A. Morrie Taylor, of Timaru, w the bon. secretary. A number of apologies for non-attend-ance were read from members in different parts of the Dominion. The president said he very much regretted the absence of their worthy member. Mr W. H. Cattell, who had been recalled to England by his firm. It was possible his services would be retained by his firm for England. Members would mips his genial company, and his ready help and advice in all matters pertaining to his line of business. WELCOME TO DUNEDIN. The Mayor of Dunedin (Mr R. S. Black) welcomed the visitors to Dunedin. “We shall be very sorry,” he said, “ n you go away from Dunedin without making new friends and strengthening the ties with the people you already know.” The fact of holding conferences in different parts of the Dominion not only advanced the knowledge of engineers but gave them an added knowledge of the country they lived in. Thia knowledge would help them to fulfil their avocation in life. The world had much to be thankful for to engineers for the light they had brought to it. Many people were now hopeful that in time the gas engineers would be able to solve the problem of using coal in the driving of motor ears, so that it would not be necessary to import petrol from America. He trusted the visitors would take the opportunity of seeing the beauties of this city. Mr Black also mentioned that Dunedin had for its citizens supplies of gas and electricity at a cheap rate. When electricity was installed it was a question, how the gas would sell, but as a matter of fact the Gas Department was now selling more gas than ever before, showing that competition was truly the life of trade. The Mayor also spoke about the feeling of provincialism which existed in the Dominion. He hoped the provinces would break away from such a position. What ■was wanted was to keep together. Let them come together and work for New Zealand, because New Zealand was their country and their home.— (Applause.) Or J. J. Marlow (chairman of the Gas Committee of the Dunedin City Council) also welcomed the visitors. The committee had asked him to convey to Mr Couper its appreciation of the fact that the institute had elected him to the high position of president. The gas industry, he added, was one that had great possibilities, and the labours of the various conferences always added much to the value of the work the members of the institute carried on in their respective spheres of work. The president, on behalf of the institute, thanked the Mayor and Cr Marlow' . for their hearty welcome to the delegates. ANNUAL REPORT. The council of the institute, in its report for the year ended January 31, 1931, stated that the membership now totalled 92, as compared with 86 for the previous year .Six new members were elected at the last annual meeting, but during the year there had been a loss of one member by death and two associate members had resigned (Mr P. R. Scott and Mr N. L. Bain). The council recorded with the deepest regret the death of Mr W M'Auliffe, of Lyttelton. The late Mr M'Auliffe was one of the oldest gas managers in New Zealand, and was held m high esteem by every member of the gas fraternity in the country. Four applications for membership had been received—one as member and three as associate members. The names would be submitted to the meeting.

As a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased member, the members of the conference stood in silence. MR PRINCE’S ABSENCE. The president said that the vice-presi-dent (Mr O. Prince, of Gisborne) had found it necessary to withdraw from that office owing to ill-health and his doctor’s orders. Members, he was sure, would regret to hear this. Mr J, Learmonth, gas manager, of Masterton, had kindly consented to fill the position of president for the ensuing year. It was resolved to write to Mr Prince expressing the regret of the institute at the necessity for his withdrawal from the office of vice-president and the hope that he might soon be restored to his usual health and on some future occasion occupy the highest office of the Gas Institute. HAWKE’S BAY EARTHQUAKE. The president said it was needless for him to draw attention to the sad calamity that had taken place at Napier and the surrounding district. He was sure the sympathy of the members went out readily to those who had suffered. It was just a year ago since the members of the institute were gathered in Napier, discussing their business, as well as receiving the hospitality of the Napier Gas Company and that of the worthy manager, Mr Pickering. To-day, what a change! It was pleasing for him to report that from a telegram he had received Mr Pickering and hie family were safe, though the works both at Napier and Hastings were extensively damaged. “ We miss Mr Pickering from our midst,” added the president, “ but we know his services are in far greater demand where he is, as I feel sure he will prove a tower of strength to those requiring hie advice.” It was resolved to forward a telegram to the Mayor of Napier expressing the sympathy of the institute with the people of the district in the calamity that had overtaken them. PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. The president thanked members for the honour they had conferred on him in electing him their president of the institute for the year, and it was one that he would always prize. It was very gratifying to see so many members present considering that the majority had such a long distance to come, but it was a further proof of the interest taken in those conferences, and, he thought he

might also state, the benefits derived from them. Personally, he felt that the conferences were increasing in interest at every additional one held. The various papers which had been read and discussed had been of very great benefit to the members as a body, and were eagerly looked forward to at each conference, but apart from that members were able, by personal conversation, to compare their various problems with one another far more freely, as more intimate association took place with one another.

Quite a number of important matters had been dealt with during the year. The committee set up at the last conference to deal with the coal question and others matters had met the representative Ministers concerned, and he felt sure they were able to convince them of the justness of their complaints. The Minister of Railways in particular highly complimented the deputation on the manner in which it had stated its case, being concise and to the point without monopolising too much of his time, and, although he could not promise anything of a definite nature owing to the financial position of his department. he stated that due consideration would be given to all the points mentioned, and he would certainly do his best to remedy them if possible. Since that interview the Dunedin gas department was now charged only on the weight of coal in the six-ton wagons, and not on the maximum, as previously, and at the same time had had refunded to it all overcharges on those trucks of coal since the commencement of the year. As the Dunedin gas department had for some considerable period had the concession of weighing all coal over its own weighbridge, and the weights thereof accepted by the Railways Department, he trusted that as the result of the interview with the Minister of Railways, that concession would be more freely granted to the industry where possible. The Railways Department had of recent date seen fit to increase the rate on all coal by 10 per cent., which we considered an injustice to all gas companies so charged, giving no incentive to the use of New Zealand coal compared with Australian from which better results could be obtained and at a lower figure than New Zealand coal. That was a matter which he thought should be taken up by the institute, and strong representation made to the Minister concerned. Speaking as regards Dunedin, however, no extra charge had so far been made. As regards the interview with the Minister of Mines and the mine owners, members would realise that Mr Belton dealt most fully with this matter, and he felt sure that the Ministers and mine owners now realised the necessity of greater care being taken in the class and nature of the coal provided. As far as the Dunedin gas department was concerned, the coal it was receiving from the Liverpool State mines and also from a few of the co-operative parties mines left no cause for complaint. No doubt their being able to receive supplies direct by rail from the mines and in such quantities as meet daily requirements had gone a long way towards receiving a more uniform quality of coal. With respect to interviewing the Minister of Marine, the committee, after discussing the matter together, came to the conclusion that possibly more headway could be made in the matter by interviewing the Secretary of Marine and chief inspector instead, and he felt sure that proved to be the better plan. The president said he must express his thanks to the members of the committee appointed by the institute to take up these and other matters along with himself, and also to their secretary for the able support given and also for the lucid manner in which the members of the committee put the various points before the representative Ministers. There was another point he wished to mention —that the thanks of the institute as a body be expressed to the directors of the Wellington Gas Company for granting the comi mittee the use of their board room for their meetings when in Wellington, and also for the hospitality to the various ' members. He also -wished to express his i appreciation to Mr Kennedy, their general manager, for his share in arranging all the meetings, and so facilitating matters considerably for all concerned. Another point he wished to bring before the I conference, and one which he trusted they ' ivould freely discuss, was that serious con- ’ sideration be given by the Gas Institute as regards the institute in the future , bearing a portion of the expenses of en- ' tertaining the members at those conferences. This would enable some of the members of the smaller works to > accept the higher office at some ■ period of their membership. It was an J honour which should be every member’s j ambition to attain, and be felt sure they I were well able to fill the position, but as . their companies or councils were not prepared to bear the cost, and it was not reasonable to expect the members themselves to do so, it thus prohibited them from accepting the higher office. Mr • Couper also gave a brief review of the ’ Dunedin gas department’s operations since > its inception, and a number of lantern > slides were shown of the works in pro- ' gressive stages of their construction.

OIL FROM COAL. Mr W. A. Joiner, M.Sc., New Zealand Government Laboratory, read a paper on “ Oil from Coal.” -Apart from natural petroleum, he said, coal had come to be considered as one of the chief raw materials from which liquid fuels and motor spirits could be prepared, and a certain advance had been made in this direction. The processes whereby oil might be produced from coal fell under three general types—(l) Hydrogenation of coal at high pressures. Bergius process; (2) synthesis of oils from carbon monoxide and hydrogen; (3) low-temperature carbonisation. Probably the first attempt at hydrogenating the coal substances was made as long ago as 1870, and it was not until 1913 that Dr Bergius, in Germany, announced the results of his experiments on the direct hydrogenation of coal by hydrogen under great pressure and at elevated temperatures. Since 1922, investigations on the hydrogenation of coal had been carried out at the University of Birmingham, and had, in general, confirmed the results of Bergius. In the case of a South Yorkshire coal, the petrol fraction amounted to approximately 10 per cent., or 25 gallons, per ton, and consisted chiefly of paraffin and naphthene hydro-carbons. The yield of gas was considerable, almost as much as would be obtained in gas-

works practice or about 20 per cent, by weight of the coal. It had a high calorific value, and contained fairly large propor- ] tions of methane and ethane. The yields ] of oil depend largely on the kind of coal treated and those with a carbon-hydro- i gen ratio of 15.5 to 16.5 were found to . give the best results. In addition to coal, . the hydrogenation of a variety of other , carbonaceous substances has been studied, and by this means it has been found possible to utilise low-temperature tars'and ( petroleum residuals for the production of motor spirits. Speaking of the synthetic processes, Mr Joiner said that in the neighbourhood of 1000 degrees centigrade, carbon, in the form of coke or semi-coke, reacts with steam with the formation of carbon monoxide and hydrogen according to the well-known w'ater-gas reaction. Under favourable conditions, and in the presence of catalysts, carbon monoxide can be reduced by hydrogen to give liquid products. This is the principle upon which are based the various synthetic methods for the formation of oil from coal. -Mr Joiner -went on to say that he would not describe the principles involved in the distillation or carbonisation of coal at low temperatures. A great variety of low-temperature carbonisation plants had been designed, and comparatively few of these had reached full scale working dimensions. In concluding his paper, Mr Joiner said: My brief review has shown the possibilities of converting coal into oils, and although commercial exploitation has not yet proceeded very far, particularly in connection with the hydrogenation and synthetic processes, we may expect before long to see some of these established in those localities where there are abundant and cheap supplies of raw materials. It is possible to make coal produce oil which, in many instances, can be made to take the place of petroleum products, but at the present time it is a fairly costly business to treat coal solely for the production of oil. The cost of a hydrogenating plant is very great, and owing to the . high pressures and temperatures employed, maintenance charges would be of a high order unless future research can provide materials which will withstand prolonged treatment under such rigorous conditions. Large sums have been spent by the I. G. Farbenindustrie on the investigation of hydrogenation, and it is significant of the importance of this subject that an arrangement has been made between this company and the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey for the exploitation of hydrogenation processes outside Germany by a company known as the StandardI.G. Recently Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., have reached- an agreement with the Standard-I.G. in connection with the development of hydrogenation, and in the last annual report of Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd., it is stated that great progress has been made by that company in the conversion of coal into petrol and fuel oil by hydrogenation, and that a semi-technical plant is in operation, and is to-day producing first-class petrol from British coal. The manufacture of oils by synthetic methods is not yet, so far as is known, a commercial process, although considerable quantities of methyl a’cohol and similar substances are being produced commercially ’ by this means. Owing to the flexibility ! imparted by the use of different catalysts it should be possible to produce a variety of organic compounds of great value to chemical industry, and it is along these ' lines that one might expect future development to take place. The case of s low-temperature carbonisation is perhaps > a little different, for this process aims : primarily at the production of smokeless > fuel or semi-coke to combat the smoke ! nuisance in large cities, or to enhance the I value of coals of low calorific power. At • the same time, however, if low-tempcra- : turc distillation becomes an established ■ industry, considerable amounts of coal - oils will become available, and it is of ; the utmost importance that the industrial ■ applications of such oils should be in- ■ vestigated in order that they may be made to yield the highest possible finanI cial return. Ordinary methods of coal- • tar distillation will not be altogether > suitable, and it is here that hydrogena- • tion processes will be usefully applied. 1 The final test for any industrial process ■ must be whether or not it will pay to • operate it, and although in many cases ! the methods of obtaining oil from coal ’ have reached a high stage of technical • advancement, it is highly necessary that ! local conditions be closely studied before ! undertaking commercial production. In ■ most cases it seems hardly, likely that • coal oil could compete with natural ! petroleum, if the present rate of produc--1 tion of the latter is maintained. It is ! not possible with our present knowledge 1 to arrive at an accurate estimate of ! the world’s petroleum resources, but it r seems reasonable to suppose, if due con- ! sideration be given to the improved methods now operating in the petroleum ■ industry, that the oilfields will continue ■ to produce for a good many years to 1 come. In addition, there are in exist- ’ 1 ence large deposits of shales and bitu- ! minous sands which would be made to ■ supply oil if a shortage of petroleum 1 should arise. It is well, however, that ■ one should face the future possibility of such a shortage, for it can be said without exaggeration that our present mode of life is almost entirely dependent on I oil for lubricants, motor spirits, and fuel, i Several questions were asked, and Mr I Joiner explained in detail a number of ! matters referred to in his paper. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr ’ Joiner for his address. 1 GENERAL. ’ Members were entertained at luncheon I by the Dunedin City Council Gas Com- [ mittee, and in the afternoon members j and ladies were taken to Portobello by . motors The concert chamber of the Town Hall was tastefully decorated in the evening, ; when the visitors were entertained at a ’ social evening. In a well-arranged proI gramme, items were contributed by Miss ! Holmes, Miss Winkel, Miss Sligo, Mr 1 Tennant, Major Dampen, and the Idlers’ Musical Quartet. At half-past 10 the room 1 was cleared for dancing, which was kept up until midnight, music being supplied > by the Kenz Orpheans’ Band. I SECOND DAY. , The meeting was continued on Thursday, the president (Mr A. Couper) in ■ the chair. There was a large attendance ■ of members.

GASWORKS CHEMISTRY. < Mr W. O. R. Gilling, of Christchurch, i read a paper on ‘'Gasworks Chemistry.” < He said it was a commonplace in the ; industry nowadays that successful gas manufacture was closely linked with 1 scientific control of all the processes involved. Chemistry here, as in all chemi- i cal industries, had an enlarged scope; ’ its primary sense of the study of matter 1 in its various forms, and the examination of its behaviour under varying circumstances, was extended to include the application of physical and biological methods to the elucidation of chemical 1 processes, and while it involved many simple reactions, it also might involve the most complex. Although the chemist’s field of inquiry was so extensive, he must keep within the limits of his sphere of control. To both workmen and manager his position should be one of reference, and as Dr Weynian had said, the laboratory should not be an excrescence, but the nerve centre of the works. In the field offered by a gasworks, the materials upon which a chemist was called to work were extremely varied. Coal, coke, gas, tar ammoniacal liquor, oxide of iron, lime, boiler fuel, water, lubricating and other oils, etc., all require careful examination if the best results were to be secured. The sampling of such materials for analysis was extremely important; m fact, the value of a test depended upon conscientious and thorough sampling first as much as upon thorough analytical work in the laboratory. Solid materials should be reduced to a coarse powder and carefully “ cored and quartered,” until* a sample of reasonable size for the laboratory was obtained. Liquids should be well mixed, or the" sample should be taken by a “ dipping tube ” h* such a way as to reach all the possible layers in the containing vessel. In the case of gases, excess should be blown off before and during the taking of the sample, whether a spot sample or an average sample extending over some time was required. In every case the principle to be kept m mind was that the value of the sample depended upon it being thoroughly representative of the material from which it is taken. The essential material for gas was coal, and much of the success attained in the manufacture of gas depended upon the quality of the coal used. It would therefore be readily recognised that the testing of the coal received is of vital importance. The ordinary method of analysis was that of “Proximate Analysis,” whereby data could be obtained which indicated the comparative value of various coals for gas-making purposes. Such analyses were not by themselves sufficient to determine the suitability of coal for gas manufacture; but only when taken in conjunction with experimental carbonisation tests. The data given by such an analysis were: Fixed carbon, volatile hydrocarbons, ash, moisture. At the same time determinations of the calorific value were usually made, and of sulphur and nitrogen if required. The lecturer went on to describe in detail the scientific methods of determining the constituents of coal and the methods used in the testing of gas in its various stages. Mr H. Rands (Wellington) suggested that the smaller works in New Zealand should do something in the way of es--1 tablishing a control laboratory for themselves. Ten works, for instance, might ' combine and put up £lOO each for such 1 a laboratory with a man in charge, and if they put up £l5OO among them they could have two men in charge. If such a step ’ were taken he was sure the larger gas- ’ works would give every assistance in their ’ power. He would like to see a practical ' move made in that direction. ’ Mr O’Toole (Invercargill) said this suggestion, had been made before, and the i time had come now, he thought, for steps to be taken. H was very necessary that

the smaller works should have a consulting chemist,. and he hoped the matter would come before the council for consideration. The proposal had been made year after year, but so far nothing had been done. Mr Learmonth (Masterton) said that

Mr Rands had hit the nail on the head when he advocated a combined laboratory. Mr Rands had suggested £lOO apiece, to which, he thought, no one would object. How much would it take to fit up a laboratory? Everything in the chemical line was pretty expensive, and he would be glad, therefore, to know something about the cost.

Mr Hamilton (Rangiora) said that the supervision exercised by the Government in the large centres protected them from defects that the smaller works had no chance of arresting. He would like to know what benefit would come to the smaller works if they were brought under the supervision of the Government. In reply, Mr Gilling said he hoped the smaller works would push the question of establishing a central laboratory. The equipment would cost from £3OO to £5OO, and the remaining cost would depend on what was undertaken. A vote of thanks was accorded Mr Gilling for his paper. VIRTUES OF TAR.

Mr T. Dix, Cambridge, read a paper on “ The Value of Tar to Small Gasworks.” He said: “ It might be asked why it should be considered necessary to send out statements about the virtues of tar. Surely it must be admitted that the experience of the last 30 years has firmly proved that tar is an ideal road-making and road-preserving material, but the very fact that it has proved so successful ever since it was first used has led to its virtues being taken for granted. Little or no publicity has been given to the fact that tar was just as capable of meeting the exact requirements of the road-maker of to-day as it was satisfying the conditions existing when it was first used many years ago. This may seem rather out of place to be read at a Gas Conference, but I would like to have the opportunity of explaining what success we have had and the process we put the tar through in a works the size of Cambridge. The large dehydrating plants in the cities are not possible in a small gasworks, so I would like to give a description of our small plant which is giving every satisfaction in the preparation of tar for roads. The plant consists of an ordinary 600-gallon secondhand boiler, fitted on a brick foundation, and lagged with a coating of ashes. The outlet pipe consists of a flinch pipe three feet high, then a one-inch pipe is led to a coil submerged in water

constantly flowing when the plant is working. The plant is a very crude one, and could easily be erected in any small gasworks at a comparatively small cost. The question why is it necessary to dehydrate tar may be brought forward. Well, the answer is this: Tar in its crude form is not a suitable compound for road-making, but when properly dehydrated is second to no other material for that purpose. In Cambridge dehydrated tar coated with fine sand was tried on a section of road subjected to very heavy and fast traffic for approval or otherwise of the Main Highways Board. This road was given two coats of _tar and sand the first year, and one coat the next two years, and gave entire satisfaction. After an inspection by the Highways Board it was decided to approve of a tar-sealed road from Cambridge to Hamilton, a distance of 13 miles, provided the tar was prepared to the same specification as the piece just mentioned. In Cambridge the tar is pumped from the tar well, then run across to the boiler, no extra labour being necessary. It is then heated slowly until the light oils, etc., have evaporated, which generally takes about four hours. The firing from now on is very heavy, and continues so until the tar has been heated to 200 degrees to 212 degrees Centigrade. When this heat has been obtained the fire must not be drawn, and the tar left to cool. The only satisfactory method we found after a lot of experimenting was to bank the fire up and let the tar toughen until two days after the boiling. We also found that the tar was too hot to work satisfactorily the day after boiling The spirits of tar and phenols that come away we use in the exhauster with good results, and by this have saved a considerable amount of money by supplying our own product instead of purchasing from outside. Local body engineers are very hard to please, and often place obstacles in the way of tar, but if we are able to show them we have a material that is of good quality, the prospects of commanding a ready sale for our tar should be much brighter. There is quite a lot of cold emulsion bitumen, coining on the market at a fairly reasonable cost, but there need be no fear of that for first coat w’ork, as there is no material known that can take the place of tar for the first or second coat on a gravel or sand road. We in Cambridge sell dehydrated tar to the Streets Department at 9d per gallon, and have no trouble to sell all we make. The cost of dehydrating tar works out at approximately Id per gallon, so you see it is a paying proposition to have a good material to offer at a reasonable price. I do not wish to make a long subject of this paper, but am of the opinion that small gasworks can enjoy the same benefits as large ones if they desire to do so. I trust that this paper will have been of some use to serve as a guide to the good qualities of tar, and that it will be the means of a better tar being supplied to local body engineers from smaller gasworks than before, as we all have to remember that unless we supply the correct material we cannot expect to get business and success with local body engineers, who will not risk their reputation I on an inferior article.” A vote of thanks was passed to Mr ’ Dix for his paper.

CONSUMPTION OF GAS. Mr H. C. Ridley (Christchurch) read a paper on “ Hot Water and Gas Tariff.” Electrical and other competition, he said, was getting more and more severe, and it was time -the position was looked into. He contended that electricity for cooking, water heating, or heating generally could not give the service to the householder that gas could, and this being so, it was their own fault if they let it go.—After a criticism of the paper, Mr Ridley was accorded a vote of thanks. Mr F. E. Bird (representative of West’s Gas Improvement Company, Ltd., Manchester), in a brief paper, gave his impressions of the gas industry in Great Britain. He said he could see that the industry in the Old Country was more than holding its own against all competitors, amply justifying its claim to be the most modern, the most efficient, and the most convenient method of treating coal for the purpose of supplying light and heat in every form suitable for nearly every class of domestic and industrial consumption.—Mr Bird was thanked for his contribution. SOCIAL EVENING. A social evening, concluding with a dance, was held at the Tudor Hall, members and their friends being tbe guests of Mr and Mrs W. R. Brinsley. THE FINAL SITTINGS. The institute continued its meeting on Friday morning, the president (Mr A. Couper) in the chair. There was a good attendance of members. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The following officers were elected for the ensuing year:—President, Mr J. Learmonth, Masterton; vice-president, Mr W. B. O’Toole, Invercargill; hon. secretary, Mr A. Morrie Taylor. Timaru (reelected) ; hon. treasurer, Mr G. A. Macfarlane, Christchurch (re-elected) ; members of council—L. Pickering (Napier), A. Couper (Dunedin), H. Appleyard (Petone) ; auditor, Mr J. J. Hurley, Christchurch (re-elected) ; trustee, Mr F, W. J. Bolt. PAPERS. Mr J. H. Pennington (Dunedin) read a paper on “ The Lubrication of Modern Gas Plant,” in which he dealt with the quality of various oils and with the necessity of keeping a plant properly lubricated. The paper was illustrated by a selection of lantern slides, showing portion of gasworks plants.—A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Pennington. A paper on “ Some Points on Dry Gas Meters ” was read by Mr C. E. Hibbird, of Wellington.—A vote of thanks was accorded Mr Hibbird. “ Some Notes on the Purification of Coal Gas” (No. 8), prepared by Mr C. Singleton, of Melbourne, was laid before the meeting. LEAKING MAINS. Mr L. Pickering, manager of the Napier' Gasworks, in a telegram wishing the eon-

ference every success, said that a reconstruction of his works being commenced, and he asked for advice from the conference regarding tj)e discovery of leaking mains. A number of delegates gave their experiences, and Mr O’Toole (Jn vercargill) suggested that the big gasworks of the Dominion might offer the services cf trained men to help in the work with 'which the stricken area is faced. Mr Kennedy (Wellington) said that on the day after the earthquake the Wellington Gas Company, through the Government, offered any assistance it could give. Later the company was informed that Mr Pickering, when the work was commenced, would be glad to receive any assistance he could get. Mr Appleyard (Petone) offered his services in any way they could be used. NEW MEMBERS. The following new members were elected :—Full members, Messrs Thomas Burr (Pahiatua) and Thomas Wynne (Dunedin) ; associate members—Messrs ■A. J. Pratt (Wanganui), R. S. Ormsby (Christchurch), J. R. Duggan (Melbourne), P. N. Jeffrey (Christchurch), and H. Williams (Wellington). GENERAL. It -was resolved—“ That in future the annual meetings of the institute be confined to three days.” This, it was stated, ■would cut out some of the entertainment items. It was decided to devote 20 guineas to the Hawke's Bay Earthquake Relief Fund. Mr J. Learmonth (Masterton), the incoming president, took the chair and was Welcomed with applause.—Mr Cooper, the retiring president, thanked members for the support they had given to him during his year of office.—Mr Learmonth thanked members for the honour conferred on him in electing him to the position of president, and assured members that when they visited Masterton next year they would have a happy time and a good business meeting. . The customary votes of thanks were passed, and the conference closed. Subsequently, members were the guests of the Dunedin City Corporation Gas Department to afternoon tea at the Gasworks demonstration hall, after which an inspection was made of the Gasworks.