462 Proceedings. 



Finatwial Position of the Institute. — The President detailed the steps he 

 had taken to bring before the Hon. the Minister the state of the Institute's 

 finances. On the motion of Mr. Hill, seconded by Mr. Eliott, it was resolved, 

 That for every copy of volume 51 of the Transactions received by the 

 incorporated societies a contribution of 2s. 6d. towards the cost of printing 

 shall be made during the current year by such society. 



Hutton Fund Grants. — The Hon. G. M. Thomson made a statement 

 concerning the Portobello Fish-hatchery. x\n account of the work, which 

 was assisted by a grant from the Hutton Fund in 1916, will be published in 

 a pamphlet entitled " A History of the Portobello Fish-hatchery," to appear 

 shortly. 



Research Grant Committee's Rejjorts. — On the motion of Professor Easter- 

 field, seconded by Mr. Aston, the report was received. 



Report of the Research Grant Committee. 



(Professor Easterfield, Mr. G. Hogben, and Mr. B. C. Aston.) 



(For previous reports see Trans. N.Z. In.st., vol. 49, p. 580, and vol. oO. p. 333.) 



Reports from the grantees have been received as follows : — 



Mr. L. P. SymC''', who was in 1916 granted £.50, through the Philosophical Institute 

 of Canterbury, for investigating the decay of apples and other fruits in cold storage, 

 reported on the 23rd December, 1918, that little progress had been made and no portion 

 of the vote had yet been expended. Grantee asks that the grant may be continued 

 for another year. 



Mr. L. Birks, to whom £10 had been granted in 1916, through the Philosophical 

 Institute of Canterbury, for investigating the electrical prevention of frosts in orchards, 

 reported on the 4th February, 1918, that none of the grant had then been expended, 

 but suggested that it be increased by £20 from the current year's vote, and subsequently, 

 on the 15th March, he asked for £30 additional. The matter was referred to a referee, 

 and on receiving his report the Standing Committee resolved to ask the Philosophical 

 Institute of Canterbury for further information. This not being forthcoining. the miittei 

 is in abeyance. Mr. Birks reported on the 30th December, 1918, that he regretted 

 owing to the shortage of staff it has again been impossible to do anything this yea.r. 

 but hoped to be able to detail an officer for the work next season. 



Messrs. R. Speight and L. J. Wild, to whom £50 was granted in 1916, through the 

 Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, for investigation of the phosphatic limestones 

 of Canterbury, on the 16th August, 1918. reported fully on the results of their work. 

 Although this is reasonably complete and not likely to be modified by subsequent 

 research, the grantees proposed to continue the investigation later in the year as occasion 

 offers, and they are therefore retaining some £14, unexpended balance of the grant, 

 reporting additional results when obtained. 



Professor H. B. Kirk, to whom £25 was granted in 1917, through the Wellington 

 Philosophical Society, for investigating methods of killing mosquitoes and larvae, 

 reported on the 30th December, 1918, that he had continued this work, and gave a 

 progress report of the results so far obtained. These confirmed the conclusions pre- 

 viously reported as to the value of light tar-oil as a larvicide. His statement of expenses 

 showed that £9 lis. 3d. had been expended in travelling-expenses. 



Messrs. La Trobe and Adams, to whom £.50 was granted in 1917, through the 

 Wellington Philosophical Society, towards the construction of a tide-predicting machine, 

 reported on the 12th December, 1917, having spent £64 Is. 6d., and applied for a further 

 grant of £75. The Standing Committee referred the matter to a sub-committee con- 

 sisting of Mr. G. Hogben and Professor Sommerville, and they having reported favour- 

 ably on the work already accomplished towards the construction of the machine, the 

 Standing Committee granted the application. The Hon. the Minister, under the term.s 

 controlling the issue of Government research grants (see Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 49, 

 p. 326), however, withheld his sanction, and no payment could therefore be made. 



Professor Jack, to whom £25 was granted in 1917, through the Otago Institute, 

 for investigating the electric charge on rain, reported on the -3rd December, 1918, that 

 he had not been able, owing to stress of work caused bj' war conditions, to take over 

 .the grant, and asked that it may be paid to him in February next. 



