Annual Meeting. 479 



The International Catalogue originated at a conference summoned by the Roj'al 

 Society in 1896, and the finance of the undertaking was secured by a loan of £7,500 

 advanced by the Royal Society. Germany formally mthdrew from the convention 

 in 1914, and the Royal Society undertook the direct control during the crisis. The 

 aggregate net loss for the first eleven years of issue is £2,556 2s. Id. A sum of £8,500 

 •was raised to relieve the Royal Society from the heavy liabilities they had incurred 

 down to the 14th issue. 



It seems clear that the catalogue, in its present form, cannot be self-supporting. 

 It can only be continued with the assistance of a permanent endowment or of external 

 subscriptions towards the expenses of the Central Bureau. The Royal Society Avill 

 not be able again to undertake responsibility for the whole catalogue. Faihng this, 

 it is recommended that the form of the catalogue should be simplified by the omission 

 of the subject indexes, and should consist simply of a quinquennial authors' list for 

 each science, the Central Bureau to co-operate with any organizations dealing with a 

 single subject, such as that at present responsible for Science Abstracts. 



In the opinion of your committee the catalogue could have little value iii such a 

 form, and the question for the Board of Governors to decide is whether the Inter- 

 national Catalogue is of sufficient value to warrant an annual contribution by way of 

 endowment. This can only be done, under present conditions, by a Government- grant 

 ad hoc. 



J. Allan Thomson, Hon. Librarian. 



Research Grant Committee's Report. — The Hon. Secretary read some 

 additions to the Research Grant Committee's report already circulated, 

 and moved, That the report be adopted. The motion was seconded by 

 Professor Thomas, and carried. 



Report of Research Grant Committee. 



(Professor Easterfield, Mr. F. W. Furkert, and Mr. B. C. Aston.) 



(For previous reports see Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 50, p. 333, and vol. 51, p. 462.) 



Mr. L. P. Syriies, who was in 1916 granted £50 (through the Philosophical Institute 

 of Canterbury) for investigating the decay of apples and other fruits in cold storage, 

 reported that for health reasons, as well as pressure of business, he was unable to take 

 up the investigation. On the 11th October, 1919, he therefore refunded the sum of £50. 



Mr. L. BirJfs, to whom £10 had been granted in 1916 (through the Philosophical 

 Institute of Canterbury) for investigating the electrical prevention of frosts in orchards, 

 was by reason of his transfer to Wellington unable to continue the experiments. 

 Therefore, on the 11th October, 1919, he refunded the grant of £10. 



3Iessrs. R. Speight and L. J. Wild, to whom £50 was granted in 1916 (through the 

 Philosophical Institute of Canterbury) for the investigation of the phosphatic lime- 

 stones of Canterbury, reported on the 19th December, 1919, that in the beginning of the 

 year they examined the limestone country at Mount Somers and in the Rangitata Valley, 

 and also the chalk at Oxford, with the object of finding phosphate. The results 

 obtained were almost entirely negative. This work necessitated the expenditure of 

 about £7, leaving a balance of about the same sum of the original grant. Owing to the 

 restrictions on travelhng in the middle of the year (and other causes) it was found 

 impossible to carry on the work ; but the grantees would be glad to receive permission 

 to expend the balance on further investigation, especially in the Mount Somers district. 



Professor R. .Jack, to whom £25 was granted in 1917 (through the Otago Institute) 

 for investigating the electrical charge on rain, reported on the 1st January that owing 

 to pressure of University work he had been unable to utilize the grant. As this 3'ear 

 Professor Jack expects to have further, assistance, and a graduate prepared to undertake 

 the work under his direction, he hopes that the New Zealand Institute will grant a 

 further extension for a year. 



Professor C. Chilton, to whom £50 was granted in 1918 (through the Philosophical 

 Institute of Canterbury) for investigating New Zealand flax (phormium), reported 

 on the 27th December, 1919, that it had been impossible to do much since the last 

 reports had been submitted. Mrs. Jennings (now Dr. Bella D. MacCallum) had made 

 the preliminary investigations ; but early in 1919 she had to leave for England. At 

 Cambridge University Dr. MacCallum has qualified still further for the investigations 

 necessary, and it is hoped that before long she will return to the Dominion and resume 

 work on the New Zealand flax. Out of the grant of £50 a balance of £39 is still 

 unexpended. 



