3 64 Proceedings. 



Since Captain Scott first came to New Zealand in 190J in the Antarctic exploring 

 ship "Discovery" we have felt personally interested in Antarctic research, and early 

 last year we had been hoping to welcome back the " Terra Nova " with her officers and 

 men after the successful achievement of the work they had set out to do. The success 

 was achieved in spile of extraordinary and unusual hardships and dangers ; there is 

 no question of the value of the scientific results of the expedition ; and, though the 

 leaders sacrificed their lives in the work, their end was so nobly heroic, and surrounded 

 by so bright a cloud of glory, that but for our personal grief we could hardly wish it 

 otherwise. 



In connection with the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, under Dr. Mawson. in 

 which two New-Zealanders have played a worthy part, we have to record the same 

 mingling of successful achievement and sad loss of human lives. We trust that the 

 valuable results already gained will be greatly added to by the enforced continuance of 

 the expedition in the Antarctic for an additional year, and that in the near future we 

 shall be able to welcome the return of the party all safe and well. 



By the publication of the results of these two expeditions, and of the German expe- 

 dition in the " Deutschland," and by the further volumes recording the results of earlier 

 expeditions, our knowledge of the Antarctic is being gradually extended, and the parts 

 still unknown more and more narrowed ; while, undismayed by the known difficulties 

 and dangers and by the memory of previous disasters, Sir Ernest Shackleton, Lieutenant 

 Stackhouse, and others are planning fresh expeditions to solve the questions still requir- 

 ing answer. If these expeditions meet with the success they deserve — as we all hope 

 they will — the Antarctic will soon be one of the best scientifically explored portions of 

 the earth, and .the New Zealand problems connected therewith will be within measurable 

 reach of satisfactory solution. 



Of the various matters to be brought before your notice at this meeting there are 

 only. a few that 1 need specially call your attention to now. 



At its last annual meeting this Board supported, with certain alterations, the 

 proposals previously made by a parliamentary Committee for the establishment of a 

 Scientific Board of Advice, with the object of securing greater uniformity in the various 

 scientific publications of the Government Departments, and of giving advice in connec- 

 tion with these and other scientific questions likely to be brought before the Govern- 

 ment, and we had hoped that effect would lie given to these recommendations by Par- 

 liament at its last session. A Science and Art Bill was introduced providing for the 

 establishment of a Board to control the Dominion Museum and a National Art Gallery, 

 and to decide what scientific reports should be printed or reprinted. In this Bill as 

 introduced the proposed Board was also given control over the " Transactions of the 

 New Zealand Institute," both as regards the papers to be included and the price at 

 which the volume could be supplied to members. Strong exception to these proposals 

 was at once made by nearly all the local Institutes, and a special meeting of this Board 

 was summoned for the 5th September to consider the position, and as a result the 

 clauses dealing with these matters were struck out of the Bill, and the Act as passed 

 leaves to the Institute the full control of its own Transactions, as provided for in the 

 New Zealand Institute Act. 1903. 



The main reason for proposing to place the publication of the Transactions under 

 the control of the Board established by the Science and Art Act was to relieve the 

 Institute of the cost of printing the Transactions, so that it might have the annual 

 grant of £500 free for encouraging science in other ways. As you are well aware, the 

 annual grant is barely sufficient for the publication of the Transactions in ordinary 

 years, and it so happened that three or four years ago we had several years in succes- 

 sion particularly fruitful in the production of papers by members of the Institute 

 fully deserving of publication, and additional expense was also caused by the issue 

 of the Index to the first forty volumes, of special Bulletins, by the separate publica- 

 tion and distribution of the Proceedings, and by holding the Board's meetings for 

 two years at centres other than Wellington ; and the consequence was that the 

 credit to the balance of the Institute was for the time converted into a debit. In 

 consequence the Board was forced to stop the separate issue of the Proceedings, 

 to discontinue for a time to issue Bulletins, and to intimate to the members of 

 the Publication Committee that they must bear in mind the straitened finances 

 when deciding the papers that were to be printed in the Transactions. These 

 economies have been duly carried out, and in response to the representations of Mr. 

 G. M, Thomson and other members of Parliament the Government voted an additional 

 £250 for the funds of the Institute in 1912 and again in 1913, so that there seems reason- 

 able prospect of the Institute's funds being in credit at the end of this year. From one 

 point of view this will doubtless be regarded as satisfactory; but the reputation of a 



