xxviii ., Presidential Address. 



for it is a guarantee that the holder is a scientist of exceptional merit, who 

 has prosecuted research of a high class, and usually for a long period. 

 This degree, if I may so call it, should rank in professional circles, and in 

 the Civil Service, equally with the highest University distinctions, which, 

 as I have already explained, it far outstrips. As time goes on it will be 

 as difficult to obtain as the Fellowships or Memberships, as the case may 

 be, of British, European, or American academies. 



A matter which comes up yearly for your consideration is the question 

 of finance. Thanks to the enlightened policy of the Hon. G. W. Russell 

 with regard to science, for some years past we have received a special grant 

 for research — but more of this later — and at the last meeting of this Board 

 he promised us £500 for our ordinary expenditure at once, and that he 

 would make provision for yearly adding a similar sum to our scanty income. 

 When the Hon. Mr. Russell resigned, his successor, the Hon. J. B. Hine, 

 arranged that the Institute should receive the additional £500 to its income, 

 and was most sympathetic regarding this becoming a permanency. It will 

 lie with this meeting to see what steps it is now necessary to take in order 

 to increase our income permanently from £500 to £1,000 per annum, and 

 it will be necessary also to act quic^fly. Even when we reach the latter 

 scale we shall be by no means well off. The' publications and ordinary 

 expenses will absorb, at a low estimate, £700 yearly. There is coming 

 before you the question of appointing a j3aid official to" assist the honorary 

 officers of the Institute. In considering such an appointment it is clear 

 that our other financial responsibilities must be carefully borne in mind. 

 There have been for some years certain important bulletins on the moss 

 flora by Mr. H. N. Dixon awaiting publication, as also others by the late 

 Major Broun, while others, again, too lengthy for the Transactions are also 

 in sight. At the same time, the Hon. Secretary's work has increased greatly 

 of late, but possibly an assistant at £100 would be sufficient for this branch 

 of our work. 



A matter to come before the meeting is the election of some one for 

 the important post of Editor. This comes about through the resignation 

 of Dr. C. A. Cotton. No one can regret more than myself this resignation. 

 During his long editorship Dr. Cotton has improved the annual volume to 

 no small degree, given sound critical consideration to the papers, and, in 

 short, has filled the difficult position most admirably. 



One of the phases of our activity concerns the research grant. It is this, 

 in part, which has added to the burdens of the Hon. Secretary. It has 

 also directly added to our financial burden. This has come about through 

 our inability to use any of this grant for purposes of publication, which falls 

 upon our slender income. Time and again has the Institute published the 

 results of non-subsidized economic research, but in the case of that which 

 is subsidized the subsidy cannot be used to pay for publication. Cases, too, 

 have occurred where the economic aspect of the subsidized research has 

 been nil, but some purely scientific side-issue has emerged and been pub- 

 lished in our Transactions. In short, except for its stimulation of research, 

 the grant is a dead loss to the Institute. But does this grant really stimu- 

 late research ? I doubt it greatly ; indeed, I am not sure that it is not 

 a hindrance. For the research must have — nominally, at any rate — an 

 economic bent. Nor is this all, but the offer conditionally of money leads 

 to research made to order ; whereas the subject of a research should not 

 be sought, it should come unbidden, it should be an inspiration. Then 

 there is drawn that vicious distinction — I can call it by no lighter word — 



