Wellington Philosophical Society. 487 



Owing to the general interest of the paper, the mefeting of the 6th Ai:^ust was made 

 a special society meeting. 



Committee. — Six meetings of the Committee have been held, and the following 

 subjects have been considered : Testing of sites for observatories ; Carter Bequest ; 

 Lectures in practical astronomy ; Determination of longitude ; Research at the 

 Observatory. 



Observatory, — During the early part of the year the Observatory was closed OAving to 

 difficulty in having repairs carried out ; latterly it has been ojaen on the second and 

 fourth Tuesday evenings, and good average attendances have resulted. The building 

 and instrument are in good repair ; a plate to commemorate the gift of the King 

 telescope is in preparation for attaching to the instrument. Arrangements have been 

 made with the Kelburn Tramway Company' for a combined tram and Observatory 

 ticKet ; and a sign notifying that the Observatory is open is lighted up in Tramway 

 Avenue on Observatory nights. Dr. C. Monro Hector has very generously presented 

 to the Section a bookcase and a cupboard to contain accessories, and a 20 in, celestial 

 globe. Professor Sommerville and the Honorarj^ Secretary have been in charge. 



Besearch. — A Government research grant of £55 has been made to the Section 

 through the New Zealand Institute. 



Committee and Officers for 1920. — Honorary Member — Miss Mary Proctor. Chair- 

 man — A. C. Gifford, M.A., F.R. A.S. V ice-Chairmen — D. M. Y. Sommerville, M.A., D.Sc; 

 W. S. La Trobe, M.A. Committee— E\a,n Parry, B.Sc, it.I.E.E. ; C. P. Powles ; 

 H. Clark, M.Sc, Ph.D.; C. Monro Hector, M.D., B.Sc, F.R.A.S. ; G. S. Hooper; 

 R. D. Thompson, M.A. Director and Curator of Instruments — C. E. Adams, D.Sc, 

 F.R.A.S. Honorary Treasurer — C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. Honorary Secretary — 

 C. G. G. Berry. 



Two members of the Committee having left the Dominion — viz., Mr. Evan Parry 

 and Professor H. Clark — their places were filled by Mr. J. Darling and Professor 

 E. Marsden, D.Sc. 



TECHNOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Six meetings were held, when papers were read as follow : — 



14th Maj% 1919 : S. H. Jenkinson, inaugural address, " The Design of the Modern 

 Locomotive." 



11th June: P. G. Morgan, "The Clavs of New Zealand." 



9th July: A. J. Paterson, "Carburettors." 



13th August: R. E. Robertson, •" The Progress and Development of Railway 

 Brakes." 



17th September : A. Seifert and T. H. Easterfield, " The Past and Future of the 

 Flax Industry." 



loth October : L. Birks, " The Mathematical Basis of Hydro-electric-power Rates." 



Date of Meetings. — From September the date of meetings of the Technological 

 and Geological Sections was interchanged, the former Section now meeting on the third 

 Wednesdaj' in the month. 



Committee and Officers for 1920. — Chairman — W. S. La Trobe, M.A. Vice- 

 Chairmen — J. S. Maclaurin, D.Sc, F.C.S. ; A. J. Paterson. Committee — R. W. 

 Holmes, I.S.O., M.Inst.C.E. ; F, W. Furkert, AssocM.Inst.C.E., A.M.LM.E. : H. 

 Sladden, member of Board of Surveyors ; E. Marsden, D.Sc. ; L. Birks, B.Sc, M.I.E.E, 

 Honorary Secretary — A. C, Owen, B.E., A. M.I.E.E. 



GEOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Six ordinarv meetings were held, when pa'pers were read as follow : — 



21st August, 1918 : G. L. Adkin, " The Post-Tertiary History of the Ohau River 

 and of the Adjacent Coastal Plain." 



18th September, 1918 : J. Allan Thomson, " The Geology of the Southern Wai- 

 rarapa District"; G. L. Adkin, " Further Notes on the Horowhenua Coastal Plain and 

 the Associated Physiographic Features." 



16th October, 1918 : G. Uttley, " Tertiary Geology of the Waitaki Valley between 

 Duntroon and Kurow"; W. M. Davis, "The Significant Features of Reef-bordered 

 Coasts." 



21st May, 1919: P. G. Morgan, "The Tertiary Beds of Central Otago"; P. G. 

 Morgan, " Glentunnel Coalfield, Malvern Hills, Canterburj^" 



