Wellington Philo!<ophicul iSocidy. 497 



of a tide -predicting machine, weie recomnienclcd for approval. The Council was later 

 informed by the New Zealand Institute that the Minister of Internal Affairs had 

 declined to approve of the Institute's recommendation in regard to the grant to Messrs. 

 La Trobe and Adams. 



Formation oj nn Historical Section.— <dn tlie 28th August it was resolved that an 

 Historical Section should Ixj formed. Since that date one meeting of the new section 

 has been held, and a number of new members have joined the society as a result of 

 the formation of the section. 



Library Account. — The library was credited during the year with £89 los. 7d., 

 which, together with a balance of £68 Is. 7d. from las+ year's accovmt, makes a total 

 credit of £107 17s. 2d. The expenses amounted to £1S I4s. Id., leaving a credit balance 

 of £89 3s. Id. 



The following officers and Council were elected for the vear 1919 : 

 President }i. W. Holmes, I.S.O., M.lnst.C.E. Vice-Presidents— -C. E. 

 Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. ; J. Allan Thomson. M.A.. D.Sc, F.G.S. Council— 

 B. C. Aston, F.I.C., F.C.S. ; E. Best ; C. A. Cotton, D.Sc. F.G.S. : 

 W. Donovan, M.Sc. ; T. H. Easterfield. M.A., Ph.D. : F. W. Fiirkert. 

 Assoc.M.Inst.C.E. ; A. C. Gifford, M.A., F.R.A.S. : S. H. Jenkinson : H. B. 

 Kirk. M.A. : E. K. Lomas, M.A., M.Sc. : P. G. Morgan, M.A., F.G.S. 

 Secretari/ and Treasurer — C. G. G. Berry. Auditor -M. R. Dymock, 

 F.I.A.N.Z. Representatives on the New Zealand Institute — T. H Easter- 

 field. M.A., Ph.D. ; H. B. Kirk, M.A. 



ASTRONOMICAL S FACTION. 



The Observatory was open to the public early in the year, but has been clo.sed since 

 the 4th April owing to the erection of the King telescoiie and the alterations entailed 

 to the Ob.servatory. The 5 in. Cooke has been removed to the Hector Observatory and 

 stored, while the King telescojJe has been erected in the section's observatory, the 

 erection and adjustment being carried out by the Director of Instruments (Dr. Adams) 

 and members of the committee. It has been found necessary to renew the sliding 

 shutter, and an estimate is being prepared for the work. Urgent repairs to the roof 

 and dome were carried out during November, 1917. 



The following papers were read before the section during the year 1918 : — (5tli June) 

 "Is Earth-rotation the Cause of the Ocean Currents ?"" by A. W. Burrell : (3rd .luly) 

 "New Stars," by A. C. Gifford : (7th August) " Occultation by Venus of 7 Aquarii"' 

 by C. E. Adams : (4th September) " A Graphical Method of Predicting Eclipses and 

 dccultations," by D. M. Y. Sommerville : (2nd October) "A Novel Star Atlas," by 

 C. W. Adams ; " Maori Star Lore," by Elsdon Best. 



Committee and Officers for 1919.— Chairman— k. C. (4iffoid. M.A., F.R.A.S. Vice- 

 Chuirmen —J). M. Y. Sommerville, M.A., D.Sc.; W. S. La Trobe, M.A. Committee— 

 E. Parrv, R.Sc, M.I.E.E. ; C. P. Powles ; H. Clark, M.S., Ph.D.; C. Monro Hector, 

 M.D., B.Sc, F.R.A.S. ; G. S. H6oper ; R. D. Thompson, M.A. Director and Cvrator 

 of Instruments— C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. Hon. Trca-^vnr—V. E. Adams, D.Sc. 

 F.R.A.S. Hon. Sc"rptari/—C. G. G. Berrv. 



TECHNOLOGICAL SECTION. 



The following papers were read during the year : — (8th May) Inaugural address. 

 "Some Consideration on National Efficiency." by S. H. Jenkinson : (12th June) "The 

 Electrification of Railways," by Evan Parry : (10th July) " The Functions of the State 

 in Relation to Technical Education," by W. S. La Trobe: (14th August) ■" The 

 Distillation of Coal and the Resulting By-products," by Professor T. H. Easterfield : 

 (9th October) " Electric -arc Welding," by M. Cable: (llth Se])tember) "Littoral 

 Drift on New Zealand Coasts," by R. W. Holmes: (llth December) "The Suige- 

 <'hamber Problem " and " Control of Floods," by E. Parry ; " Compression Tests on 

 Papa Concrete," by F. Kissel. 



The officers for the year 1919 were elected as follows : Chairman- — S. H. Jenkinson. 

 Vice-Chnirmen — W. S. La Trobe, M.A. ; A. J. Paterson. Committee- — R. W. Holmes, 

 M.lnst.C.E.; H. Sladden, member of Survevor's Board; H. Clark, M.S.. Ph.D.; 

 J. S. Maclaurin. D.Sc, F.C.S. ; F. \V. Fnrkeit. Assoc.M.Inst.C.E. Ih^n. Srcnian/— 

 A. C. Owen. 



