Wanganui Philosophical Society. 391 



WANGANUI PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



Annual Meeting : loth December, 1913. 

 Dr. Hatherly, President, in the chair. 



The annual report and balance-sheet was adopted. 



The financial position was satisfactory, showing a balance on hand and in bank of 

 £3.5 9s. 3d., after payment of a subsidy to the Museum of £21 lis. 2d. 



Abstract of Report. 



Membership. — The roll of the Society at date includes sixty-nine ^ordinary and 

 sixty-three associate members. 



Council. — The Council held three meetings during the year. 



It was resolved to record in the minutes appreciation of the services to science of 

 the late Mr. Augustus Hamilton, Curator of the Dominion Museum and ex-President of 

 the New Zealand Institute. Mr. Hamilton, it will be remembered, came to Wanganui 

 at the inauguration of this Society. 



Mr. H. W. Hesse, the Society's representative on the Board of Governors of the 

 New Zealand Institute, reported on the meetings of the Board held during the year. 



It was agreed to adopt a resolution of the Otago Institute deploring the removal 

 of the protection hitherto accorded to the fur seal, and asking the Minister of Marine 

 to restore the protection at an early date, before the number is diminished beyond 

 recovery. This resolution was communicated to the Minister of Marine, who has replied 

 that " inquiries are now being made as to the effect of the recent open season, and if 

 it is found that the numbers of the seals have been so reduced as to render it necessary 

 that the open season should be done away with until there has been a substantial 

 increase the close season will be extended." 



During the year the Society sustained loss through the death of the Rev. J. Ross 

 and of Mr. J. T. Stewart, both members keenly interested in its welfare and progress. 



Meetings. — The following papers were read at meetings of the Society : Mr. Walter 

 Grey — " The Worker's Attitude towards Immigration " ; Mr. C. -J. Wray — -" Unemploy- 

 ment in England " ; Mr. A. D. Brodie, LL.B. — " Objects of Local Historical Research 

 Committee of the Society " ; Professor C. W. von Zedlitz, M.A.— " Dante " ; Mr. T. W. 

 Downes — " The Wanganui River from an Historical Standpoint " ; Mr. G. D. Braik, 

 M.A.— " What is Technical Education? " ; Rev. J. LI. Dove, M.A.— "The Permanence 

 of the Trade Routes of Europe " ; Mr. Morris N. Watt — ■" Notes on the Eggs of some 

 New Zealand Moths " ; Mr. E. H. Clark—" The Theory of Harmonics " ; Sir Robert 

 Stout, K.C.M.G.— " The New-Zealander of the Future " ; Mr. J. T. Ward—" Evolu- 

 tionary Facts and Factors in the Origin of Life, with Special Reference to Professor 

 Schaefer's Dundee Address." 



Under the joint auspices of the Society and the Wanganui Astronomical Society, 

 two lectures on astronomical subjects were delivered by Miss Mary Proctor in aid of 

 the establishment in New Zealand of a solar physics observatory, a result fortunately 

 assured through the generous donation of £12,000 by Mr. Cawthron. 



On the invitation of the Savage Club, the members had the opportunity of enjoy- 

 ing a beautifully illustrated lecture, by Mr. C. R. Ford, on " Antarctica." 



Paper. — A paper was contributed by Mr. H. E. Sturge, B.A., advocating 

 the formation of subsections for special study. 



This, he held, would increase the value of the Society to the community, by stimu- 

 lating the members to individual effort, and by making it a factory of educated opinion. 

 At present, papers if popular represented an evening's amusement, and if technical 

 were practically useless to the members, serving mainly to enable expert to communi- 

 cate with expert by means of the printed Transactions. He suggested the establish- 

 ment of small groups — say, from six to twelve — from our members and associates for 



