PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume II, Issue 563, 29 November 1915, Page 5

PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

THE ANNUAL REPORT. The annual meeting of the philosophical Institute of Canterbury will be held in the old chemistry lecture room, at Canterbury College on Wednesday evening next.,.

The annual report states that the number of council meetings held during the year was 11. The council nominated Dr Charles Chilton to be representative of the Institute on the Board of Trustees of the Ricearton Bush. Eight meetings of the institute were held during the year, at which addresses were delivered. In addition to these, 20 papers were read, which may be classified as follow: —Botany 7, Geology 3, Mathematics 1, Zoology 6, Engineering 2, Chemistry 1. During the year 26 new members were elected, and. 11 either resigned or were struck off the roll, so that the number now stands at 179. The following members of the institute are now on active service in various parts of she Empire:—Hon; R. Heaton Rhodes, Drs Acland and Whetter, Messrs L. S. Jennings, H. Lang, F. S. Wilding, A. Taylor, and A. Dorrien Smith. In connection with the Arthur's Pass Tunnel investigation, the usual temperature observations had been continued, and specimens of rocks were received for examination, thus keeping the series complete. The - council, at several of its meetings during the year, had under consideration the question of the publication of an account of the natural history of Canterbury, but after due consideration, while approving of the scheme, the council decided that, in view of the present war conditions, further consideration of the matter should be postponed until 1916. The council expresses its appreciation to Mr T. D. Burnett, who had offered to donate the sum of £lO towards a certain portion of this investigation. The institute's ' reresentative on the Board of Trustees of the Ricearton Bush reports that the control of the* bush has been taken over by the trustees and a ranger appointed. The bush has been securely fenced, elderberry and other introduced plants are being carefully removed, and a few narrow paths have been made. It is hoped, as soon as sufficient funds are available to erect a cottage at the bush for the ranger, and to allow the bush to be visited by members of the public under the conditions, necessary for its due preservation. The library has been maintained in an efficient condition during the past year, .and has been considerably increased by various gifts and pur-: chases.

The balance-sheet showed that during the year the receipts were £227 2/11. This included a balance of £22 11/5 carried forward from last year, and a sum of £52 transferred to the ordinary ac: count from deposit with the Permanent Investment and Loan Association. The expenditure amounted to £ll2 13/3, of which £73 12/- was spent on the library. The balance to the credit of the institute in the Bank of New Zealand was £ll4 9/8. The council had decided to accord all members who were on active service the jjrivilege of membership without payment of subscriptions.