344 Proceedings. 



The committee held twelve meetings, and its final report was adopted by the society 

 at its September meeting, and was forwarded to the New Zealand Institute for con- 

 sideration. The report will be printed at the end of a parliamentary paper dealing with 

 the question of the relation between science and industry throughout the Empire. 



Tide-gauges at Outlying Islands of New Zealand.— The Council urged on the Govern- 

 ment the importance of establishing tide-gauges at the outlying islands of New Zealand, 

 in order that further investigations of the tides of the Pacific might be made. The 

 Government has deferred consideration of the matter until after the war. 



Proposed R<j<>nii < if the New Zealand Institute. — The New Zealand Institute having 

 forwarded Dr. Thomson's proposals for the reform of the Institute, a report by the 

 Council on these proposals was sent to the other incorporated societies, and replies 

 fully discussing it have been received from the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 

 the Otago Institute, the Auckland Institute, and the Manawatu Philosophical Society. 



Technical Library. — The Council endorsed a resolution of the Science and Industry 

 Committee urging the importance of a technical library, and forwarded the resolution 

 to the New Zealand Institute for transmission to the Government for its favourable 

 consideration and action. 



Journal of Science. — -A proposal made by the Minister of Internal Affairs for the 

 establishment of a Journal of Science was considered, and the following resolution was 

 adopted and endorsed by the Council : " The Technological Section of the Wellington 

 Philosophical Society is of opinion that the publication of a Dominion Journal of Science, 

 open to contributions from all sources, is a necessity and satisfies a long-felt want, and 

 hereby offers its heartiest congratulations to the Minister of Internal Affairs upon his 

 action in founding and establishing the Journal, but respectfully suggests that the 

 title be altered to read, ' The New Zealand Journal of Science and Technology,' thereby 

 extending the scope of the Journal." The Minister has agreed to the change of title. 



Hamilton Memorial. — The report of the Hamilton Memorial Committee has been 

 received (see pp. 333-34). 



Jubilee of the Society. — The 13th November, 1017, is the fiftieth anniversary of the 

 foundation of the society. The Council considers that owing to the present state of 

 war it is not desirable to take any steps to celebrate the jubilee this year. 



Membership. — Since the annual meeting of 1916 twelve members have been elected, 

 one member has become a life member under Rule 26, one life member (Mr. R. Coupland 

 Harding) and one ordinary member have died, while one member has been killed in 

 action. Six members have resigned their membership. The roll now stands at nine 

 life member's, twenty-three members on active service or in camp in New Zealand, 

 and 146 ordinary members, making a total of 178 members. 



The following officers and Council were elected for the year 1918 : 

 President - G. Hogben, C.M.G., M.A., F.G.S. Vice-Presidents — R. W. 

 Holmes, M.Inst.C.E. ; C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. Council — C. A. 

 Cotton, D.Sc, F.G.S. ; T. H. Easterfield, M.A., Ph.D. ; F. W. Furkert, 

 A.M.Inst.C.E. ; C. Monro Hector, M.D., B.Sc, F.R.A.S. ; J. Henderson, 

 M.A., D.Sc, B.Sc (Eng.) ; S. H. Jenkinson ; H. B. Kirk, M.A. ; W. S. 

 La Trobe, M.A. ; E. Parry, B.Sc, M.I.E.E., A.M.Inst.C.E. ; D. M. Y. 

 Sommerville, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S.E. Secretary and Treasurer — J. Allan 

 Thomson, M.A., D.Sc, F.G.S. Auditor --E. R. Dymock, F.I.A.N.Z. 

 Representatives on the New Zealand Institute — G. Hogben, C.M.G., M.A., 

 F.G.S. ; H. B. Kirk, M.A. 



ASTRONOMICAL SECTION. 



The following papers have been read before the section during the year 1917: — 

 (4th October) " Long-period Variables," by C. E. Adams, D.Sc. : (1st November) " The 

 Hartness Turret Telescope," by C. E. Adams, D.Sc; "An Easy Method of Night 

 Marching by the Stars," by G. Hogben, F.G.S. : (6th June) Presidential Address, " The 

 Importance of Pure Science," by W. S. La Trobe, M.A. ; " Description of a Planisphere," 

 by D. M. Y. Sommerville,. M.A. ; "Comet a 1917 Mellish," by C. E. Adams, "D.Sc. : 

 (4th July) " An Appreciation of the Early Astronomers," by the Rev. B. Dudley, 

 F.R.A.S. ; " A Homogram for Transit Star Factors," by C. E. Adams, D.Sc. : (4th 

 August) " The Principle of Relativity," by D. M. Y. Sommerville, M.A. : (5th Sep- 

 tember) " The Nebulae," by A. C. Gifford, M.A., F.R.A.S. 



