Wellington Philosophical Society. 83 



WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 



Annual General Meeting : £th October, 1911. 



Mr. G. V. Hudson, President, in the chair. 



New Members. — Mr. Thomas Ward, A.M.Inst.C.E., Professor G. W. 

 von Zedlitz, Mr. Barclay Hector, Mr. E. K. Lomas, M.A., M.Sc, Rev. J. 

 Crewes, Major-General A. I. Godley, Colonel E. S. Heard, Mr. J. W. 

 Macdonald, Mr. W. Turnbnll, Mr. J. A. Bartrum, M.Sc. 



The Council's report for the session, and a statement of the receipts 

 and payments, were read, and, on the motion of Mr. A. Hamilton, 

 seconded by Mr. G. Hogben, both were adopted. The report was as 



follows : — 



Annual Eeport. 



The session opened on the 10th May with an inaugural address by the President, 

 Mr. G. V. Hudson, on the value of natural-history subjects. 



During the session no less than forty-eight papers have been read, and a number 

 of interesting exhibits have been brought before the Society. 



In addition to the six ordinary meetings, a special meeting was held at Victoria 

 College, when Professor Laby lectured on the principles of gyroscopic motion, and 

 exhibited his working model of the Brennan mono-rail, which, with other apparatus 

 used in the lecture, had been constructed in the College laboratory. 



Another special meeting will be held in October, when a lecture will be delivered 

 on the finger-print system by officers of the Police Department. 



The Astronomical Section has shown marked activity, and has now purchased an 

 equatorial mounting for the 5 in. Cooke telescope. It will be erected and an observa- 

 tory will be built at Kelburne as soon as the necessary formalities are completed. 



The Society notes with pleasure the successful formation of the Eugenics Educa- 

 tion Society of Wellington, and also of the Wanganui Philosophical Society. 



The Society made strong representations to the Government to reserve the whole 

 of Kapiti Island for native fauna and flora. 



The question of tidal observations at the outlying islands has advanced another 

 stage, and it is probable that arrangements will soon be made by the Government 

 for observations to be taken at Suva, Fiji. 



Since the last annual meeting twenty-four new members have been elected, nine 

 have resigned, two have died, and one has been struck off the roll for non-payment 

 of subscription. The total number on the roll is now 145, including six life members 

 and one honorary member. 



A statement of the receipts and expenditure for the year ended 30th September, 

 duly audited, is presented with this report. Inclusive of the balance brought for- 

 ward from last year (£55 7s. 5d.), the receipts amounted to £'172 9s. 5d., and the 

 total payments were £108 15s. 3d., leaving a credit balance of £63 14s. 2d. The 

 life subscriptions have been placed to the credit of a special fund, which has been 

 invested at interest with the Public Trustee. This fund now amounts to £20, and 

 the Research Fund, also invested with the Public Trustee, amounts to £39 10s. 2d., 

 making a total sum in hand of £123 4s. 4d. 



From the Librarian's report it will be seen that the Society, by purchase or 

 donation, receives over twenty scientific periodicals, but that only about ten of them 

 are taken out by members. 



The President announced that the following officers were suggested 

 by the Council for the year 1912 : — 



Election of Officers for 1912. — President — Mr. G. V. Hudson; Vice- 

 Presidents — Mr. Thomas King and Dr. C. Monro Hector; Council — Mr. 

 F. G. A. Stuckey, Professor D. K. Picken, Rev. D. Kennedy, D.D., 

 Professor T. H. Easterfield, Mr. A. Hamilton, Mr. Martin Chapman, 

 K.C., Professor H. B. Kirk; Secretary and Treasurer — Mr. C. E. 



