526 Proceedings^ 



Report of the Standing Committee 



Five meetings of the Standing Committee have been held during the past year, 

 the attendance being as follows : Mr. Petrie, 2; Dr. Cockayne, 5; Professor 

 Easterfield, 2; Mr. C. A. Ewen, 3; Mr. Hill, 1: Professor Kirk, 2: Dr. J. Allan 

 Thomson, 5; Mr. G. M. Thomson, 2; Professor von Zedlitz, 1. 



Hector Memorial Aivard. — The presentation of the medal to Professor P. Mar- 

 shall, of Otago University, took place on the 4th October, 1915, at a meeting of the 

 Otago Institute, Mr. G. M. Thomson, a former President of the Otago Institute, 

 maWi-3g the presentation. 



Hector Memorial Fund Research Grant. — ^Of the two grants to research workers 

 rtiade at the last meeting, only that to Mr. Oliver was availed of. A progress report 

 from him has been received. Dr. Cotton, having received a grant from another 

 body, has surrendered the grant made to him by the Institute, for which he has 

 been thanked by the Standing Committee. 



Publications. — Volume 47 of the " Transactions and Proceedings of the New 

 Zealand Institute " was issued on the 12th July, 1915, and on the 16th three copies 

 were received, and one was laid on the table of the Legislative Council on the 

 21st July, and one on the table of the House of Representatives on the 20th July, 

 1915. On the 2nd August the Government Printer delivered 223 volumes, and 

 they continued to arrive in small lots, and were parcelled up and addressed until 

 enough had been received to fill the New Zealand demands, which was not until 

 the 20th August, when they were posted to members. An alteration in the manner 

 of binding the Transactions has been introduced with vol. 47, at the suggestion 

 of the Secretary, who pointed out that a binding in what is known as quarter- 

 bound boards, instead of the previous limp covers, could be obtained at very little 

 additional expense. It is hoped that the innovation will meet with general approval. 



Finances of the Institute. — In view of the many demands made on the Govern- 

 ment on account of the war, after interviewing the Hon. the Minister of Internal 

 Affairs on the matter of an additional vote it was decided not to proceed further 

 at present with the motion passed at the last annual meeting. The Government 

 Printer is willing to allow a portion of the debt for printing the publications to 

 stand over, providing the greater portion be paid. The Standing Committee is of 

 opinion that in view of the financial position of the Institute a levy on the incor- 

 porated societies should be made in the coming year. The motion regarding handing 

 over the Institute library to the Board of Science and Art has been referred to that 

 body by the Hon. the Minister of Internal Affairs. Other motions passed at last 

 annual meeting involving increased expenditure by the Government were also 

 allowed to stand over in the meantime. 



Decisions of the Standing Committee. — (1.) The storage of illustration blocks 

 having been brought up by the Government Printer, the difficulty was disposed of 

 by Dr. Thomson offering to store them in the Museum, an offer which was thank- 

 fully accepted. 



(2.) It has been decided to circularize all public libraries in New Zealand to 

 ascertain whether they would accept partial sets of Transactions as a donation 

 from the Institute. 



(3.) The following have been placed on the list of those to whom the Trans- 

 actions are yearly sent free : — 



Southland Museum, Invercargill. 



Royal Scottish Geographical Society, Synod Hall, Castle Terrace, Edin- 

 burgh. 



National Academy of Sciences, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, U.S. 



Other applicants for the exchange or the gift of isolated volumes have been 

 also dealt with on their merits by this Committee. 



(4.) The Standing Committee have accepted a suggestion by the Publication 

 Committee of allowing a Government Department to contribute the entire cost of 

 preparing the figures for a paper which was submitted by a Government officer, 

 who desired to publish the illustrations subsequently in a Government report. 



Annual Reports and Balance-sheets of the following societies have been 

 received : — 



Auckland Institute, to 18th February, 1915. 



Manawatu Philosophical Society, to 21st October, 1915. 



Otago Institute, to 30th Noveniber, 1915. 



Nelson Institute, to 31st December, 1915. 



Hawke's Bay Philosophical Institute, to 23rd November, 1915. 



Wellington Philosophical Society, to 30th September 1915. 



Canterbury Philosophical Institute, to 31st October, 1915. 



