Wellington Philosophical Society. 523 



Association to visit the Observatory, but advantage of it was not taken. The work 

 of keeping the telescope in order and opening the Observatory to the public has devolved 

 mainly on Dr. Adams, Mr. C. J. Westland, and the Honorary Secretary, and it is hoped 

 that other members of the section will come forward and help in this direction. 



Committee. — The following subjects have come before the committee : Astronomical 

 Union at Brussels ; determination of longitude 129° E. ; eclipse of the sun, September, 

 1922 ; the Yale offer of telescopes, &c. 



The section wrote urging the Government to send an expedition to Australia to 

 observe the eclipse of September, 1922, the only total eclipse observable from any point 

 as near as Australia for many years to come. In connection therewith valuable 

 information was obtained from the Commonwealth Meteorologist, Melbourne, concerning 

 the climatic conditions and the best site for an observing-station. 



The section notes with pleasure that a Bill is before Parliament denning New 

 Zealand mean time as twelve hours ahead of Greenwich mean time. 



Proctor Library Fund,. — A proposal to use part of the interest on the Proctor 

 Library Fund for purchasing books for the Observatory library is in abeyance, pending 

 a reply from Miss Proctor. 



Officers. — The following officers for the year were elected at the annual meeting 

 on the 1st October, 1919 : Honorary Member — Miss Marv Proctor. Chairman — ■ 

 Dr. C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. V ice-Chairmen— Mr. A. C. Gifford, M.A., F.R.A.S. ; 

 Professor D. M. Y. Sommerville, M.A., D.Sc. Committee — Professor E. Marsden, D.Sc, 

 F.R.A.S., M.C. ; Mr. C. P. Powles ; Mr. C. J. Westland, F.R.A.S. ; Mr. R. D. Thompson. 

 M.A. ; Mr. J. Darling ; Mr. D. J. Kerr ; Captain G. S. Hooper. Director and Curator 

 of Instruments — Dr. C. Monro Hector, M.D., B.Sc, F.R.A.S. Hon. Treasurer — Dr. 

 C. E. Adams, D.Sc, F.R.A.S. Hon. Secretary— C. G. G. Berry. 



TECHNOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Six meetings have been held, the August meeting having to be deferred until 

 September owing to the restriction in the tram service and electric lighting. The 

 meetings have been well attended. 



The thanks of the society are due to the various contributors of papers, and in 

 particular to Mr. L. M. Sandston, who came from Christchurch to read his paper on 

 " Highway Engineering." The following papers have been read : — ■ 



12th May, 1920 : W. S. La Trobe, inaugural address, " Technological Education." 



16th June : G. B. Bradshaw, " The Cement-gun." 



21st July : L. M. Sandston, " Highway Engineering." 



9th September : Professor E. Marsden, " A Simple Method for the Determination 

 of Peak Voltages " ; " The Interference of Transmission-lines with Telephone-lines." 



15th September: W. S. La Trobe, "Notes on the General Theory of Mechanism." 



20th October : R. Roberts, " Ring Problems peculiar to Electrical Machinery." 



Owing to his leaving Wellington during the year, it was unfortunately necessary 

 for Mr. Owen to resign from the position of Secretary, and Mr. G. B. Bradshaw has 

 been appointed in his place for the remainder of the year. 



Committee and Officers for 1921.— Chairman — L. Birks, B.Sc, M.I.E.E. Vice- 

 Chairmen — J. S. Maclaurin, D.Sc, F.C.S. ; W. S. La Trobe, M.A. Committee— 

 R. W. Holmes, I.S.O., M.Inst.C.E. ; F. W. Furkert, Assoc.M.Inst.C.E., A.M.I.M.E. ; 

 H. Sladden, member of Board of Surveyors ; E. Marsden, D.Sc. ; J. E. L. Cull, B.Sc 

 Hon. Secretary — G. B. Bradshaw. 



GEOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Six ordinary meetings have been held. A number of exhibits have been brought 

 by members to the meetings, and these have aroused considerable interest and given 

 matter for discussion. 



Eleven papers have been read and discussed. The titles and authors of these are 

 as follow : — 



20th August, 1919: Dr. J. Allan Thomson and Miss Mestayer, "A Study of a 

 New Zealand Limpet " ; E. K. Lomas, " Some Geological Observations in the Hatuma 

 District, Hawke's Bay." 



10th September : Dr. J. Henderson, " The Geology of the South-western King- 

 country." 



