576 Proceedings. 



Abstract op Annual Eeport. 



The Council submits the thirty-fourth annual report, dealing with 

 the financial and general condition of the Institute and the progress it 

 has made during the past year. 



Twenty four new members have been elected during the year, a 

 numb-.r considerably above the average. On the other hand, seventeen 

 names have been withdrawn from the roll — five from death, six from 

 resignation, and six from non-payment of subscription for more than 

 two consecutive years. The netc gain is thus seven, the number on the 

 roll at the present time being 162. The members removed by death are 

 Mr. W. Aitken, Captain Colbeck, Mr. E. T. Dufaur, Mr. S. Eastham, 

 and Mr. W. Hill, all of whom have been associated with the Institute for 

 many years. 



The balance-sheets accompanying the report give full particulars of 

 the financial position of the Institute, so that a brief synopsis is all that 

 netd be given here. Omitting the donations reoeived for the purchase of 

 the Mair collection, which will be referred to in a special paragraph, 

 and also excluding the balance of £136 Is. 6d. in hand at the commence- 

 ment of the year, the total revenue of the working account has been 

 £759 8s. 10d., as against £897 7s. 4d. for the previous year. The interest 

 yielded by the invested funds of the Costlpy Bequest has been £365 

 8s. 2d., the amount for 1900-1901 being £436 5s. The Museum Endow- 

 ment has contributed in rents and interest £309 10s., the sum for the 

 previous year being £333 lis. 7d. The members' subscriptions have 

 amounted to £126, showing a substantial increase on the sum collected 

 during the last year. The total expenditure, omitting the amount paid 

 for the Mair collection and the Maori house, has been £869 3s. 10d., 

 leaving a credit balance of £76 6s. 6d. in the Bank of New Zealand. 

 The Council are glad to report that the invested funds of the Institute 

 are in a satisfactory state. The total amount at the present time is 

 £13,877 8s. 9d., showing an increase of £287 18s. 9d. during the year. 

 With the exception of a few hundred pounds lodged in the Bank of New 

 Zealand, the whole of this is invested in mortgage on freehold properties 

 or in Government debentures. 



The C.own Lands Board have sold two small blocks of country 

 lands during the year, and the proceeds, amounting to £413 12s., have 

 been paid over to the Institute for the purpose of investment. With this 

 exception, there is little to report under this head. The interest on the 

 capital sum invested has been regularly received, and the Crown Lands 

 Board has from time to time handed over the rents derived from those 

 endowments which are leased. The Council regrets chat there are several 

 endowments situated in country townships which are apparently unsale- 

 able at present, and from which no revenue is being obtained. 



Nine meetings have been held during the year, at which eighteen 

 papers were read. 



The most noteworthy occurrence in connection with the Museum is 

 undoubtedly the purchase of the Mair Maori collection. This, whioh 

 was deposited in the Museum by Captain Gilbert Mair in 1890, has long 

 been admitted to be the best private collection of the kind in existence, 

 and its removal would have done irreparable harm to the Museum. 

 Wtien Captain Mair intimated in September last that he intended to 

 dispose of the collection, and that offers had already been made for it by 

 several European museums, the Council at once recognised that an 

 eff rt, must be made to retain it in Auckland. The price asked was 

 £1,000, which was to cover not only the articles in the Museum, but a 

 considerable number of others which had been retained b) r Captain Mair 

 in his own possession, the total number of specimens being about four 

 hundred. The Council need hardly say that the Institute itself was 

 unable to make the purchase. For many years the whole of the revenue 



