102 Proceedings. 



])lace, it is our duty to do what we can to make the session a success from all points of 

 view, and to heartily co-oiDerate with the Australian societies in this matter. The other 

 point is that before long another British Antarctic expedition will be setting out from 

 the shores of New Zealand to make what we hope may be a final effort to attain the 

 South Pole. I have no doubt that many of us would like to have the New Zealand base 

 of the expedition at Wellington, yet our members at Christchurch have already shown 

 themselves so very keen in this South Polar matter that we have no hesitation in leaving 

 it in their experienced hands, and in assuring them that if we can in any way assist or 

 strengthen their hands we shall be pleased to do so. In connection with this South 

 Polar expedition there is one thing that I think we might consider. The Government 

 of New Zealand showed their hearty appreciation of Sir Ernest Shackleton's expedition 

 by making a grant in aid of its funds, which had the cordial approval of the people of 

 New Zealand. It is to be hoj^ed that the Government may see their way to unite with 

 the Australian Colonies in assisting the new enterprise. What I want to say, however, 

 is that I think we ought to represent to the authorities who are organizing the expedi- 

 tion, or request our own Government to do so, that for a great variety of reasons it 

 would be highly desirable to have several lines of soundings taken between the southern 

 portion of New Zealand and the Antarctic Continent — the more the better, in fact — but 

 I would not suggest a large number at first, so long as we have some definite scheme 

 by which the voyage of the expedition and of the relief -ships could be utilised for soundings. 

 I do not know whether the souiidings made by the " Nimrod " on her way back have 

 been published yet, but they would be of great interest. If the Canterbury Institute 

 have a special Antarctic Committee, I would recommend the matter to their special 

 notice, if they have not ah-eady taken steps to represent the matter to the authorities 

 in the proper quarter. 



Thei-e are certain points in the New Zealand Institute Act which I think should 

 be carefully considered by the Board of Governors, and I shall suggest later on that the 

 Standing Committee, or a special committee, be asked to consider the questions during 

 the year, and to make a report to the next annual meeting. I do not deem it advisable 

 to instance at the present time the points that I wish considered. It will be probably 

 convenient at the same time to go into the question of the position of two or three incor- 

 porated societies whose position is not well defined in some respects. 



Coming to the regulations, I have recently made a few suggestions to the Publication 

 Committee with regard to the rearrangement of some of the regulations, and also pro- 

 posed a few verbal alterations. Section / of the regulations regarding publications 

 provide that each incorporated society will be entitled to receive " a proportional number 

 of copies of the Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute to be from 

 time to time fixed by the Board of Governors." This matter has, so far as I can find, 

 never been dealt with, and the number supplied by the Secretary has been arrived at 

 in another way. I also suggest that inquiries be made as to whether the incorjjorated 

 societies are strictly complying with the regulations. It will be well to consider whether 

 it can be made possible for the annual reports of the societies to be available at our annual 

 meeting. The date of the meeting is fixed by the Act for the month of January. It seems 

 desirable, therefore, that the societies should have their financial year ending on the 

 31st December. If this were done, we could have their reports laid before the annual 

 meeting, and they could appear, probably, in the fourth part of the Proceedings for 

 the year to wliich they belong. I recognise that this would involve a short year in some 

 cases to begin with, but we must consider that the Ne^v Zealand Institute as constituted 

 by section 3 of the Act is not a publishing body only, but is the societies themselves, 

 notwithstanding that by Regulation 7 they are allowed to conduct their own affairs. 

 It would be, of com-se, open to the Institute to pass a resolution that this should be 

 done, but I trust the Governors will endeavour to bring their local Councils to fall in 

 with what I can only consider a reasonable and proper action. 



While on the subject of regulations, there is another matter provided for in clause 13 

 of the Act. This clause says, " All regulations, together with a copy of the Transactions 

 of the New Zealand Institute, should be laid upon the table of both Houses of Parliament 

 within twenty days of the meeting thereof." The practice hitherto for the forty-odd 

 years during which this clause has been operative has been to lay upon the table a printed 

 "copy of the Transactions containing the ]n-inted regulations. I think that the spirit 

 and letter of the clause requires more than this. Diiring the annual meeting of the 

 Board of Governors and the meetings of the Standing Committee held during the 

 year many matters are dealt with and decided which are to all intents and purposes 

 regulations of the society — for instance, during the last twelve months we found it 

 necessary to pass a resolution adopting the old seal of the New Zealand Institute as the 

 seal of the new one, for the purpose of sealing the diplomas of the honorary members. 

 It appears to me that all resolutions of importance affecting the policy of the Society 



