Manawatu Philosophical Sociefij. 35- 



There were seventy-one subscribing membeis last year (1907-8), as compared with 

 fifty-nine in 1906-7 and thirty-six in 1905-6, so that it will be seen that the member- 

 ship is steadily increasing. 



The balance-sheet shows that the total receipts were £93 14s. and the exjienditiire 

 £.54 17s. Id. We began the year with a bank overdraft of £79 Os. 7d. : this has now 

 been reduced to £43 3s. 3d. 



Our present total liabilities, including bank overdraft, are £46 6s. 3d., against which 

 we have current year's subscriptions due, say £60 ; telescope and observatory, which 

 cost £100 ; and show-cases and exhibits in Museum. 



Election of Officers for 1909. — President — Mr. M. A. Eliott ; Vice- 

 Presidents — Captain Hewitt, R.N., and Mr. W. F. Durward ; Hon. Secretnri/ 

 and Treasurer — Mr. K. AVilson, M.A. ; Hon. Auditor— Mr. E. N. Keeling ; 

 Council — Mr. J. L. Barnicoat, Mr. M. Cohen, Mr. A. A. Glendinning, Mr. 

 E. D. Hoben, Dr. W. R. Stowe, and Mr. J. E. Vernon, M.A. 



The following is the report of the Astronomer (Captain J. D. R. Hewitt) 

 for the year 1908 :— 



During the last year only seventy-four peo])le have availed themselves of using the 

 telescope, and a majority of these were visitors to the townr, also children, who have been 

 admitted free. 



During the winter the attendance fell off so much that the hours were altered to 4.30 

 to 6.30 p.m., but the attendance did not increase. 



From the 17th September to the 31st October the mirrors, which had been scratched 

 a good deal, were with ilr. Wai'd, the well-know^n astronomer at Wanganui, who kindly 

 resilvered them at actual cost price. The definition is now much improved. 



In August and September there were some remarkable groups of sun-spots, showing 

 great activity a.nd change of form, and some photographs were taken by Dr. Kennedy, 

 of I\Ieeanee. On application to the Surveyor- General as to magnetic disturbances at the 

 time, I received information a month afterwards which tends to show that there was 

 connection between the spots and magnetic disturbances; but until the magnetic ob- 

 servers can be induced to work directly with telescopic observers much will be lost : 

 applying for information through the Surveyor-General, though readily granted, takes 

 too much time, and both observers lose interest. The magnetic observer, having disturb- 

 ances graphically recorded for him, has little troiible., and could, if permitted, easily reply 

 to the telescopic observer, who must personally do his observing, and is naturalh^ diffi- 

 dent of raising false alarms about magnetic disturbances. Many spots may be sufficiently 

 large and active to create magnetic disturbance, but not necessarily at a magnetic 

 observatory nearest to his telescope. The problem before us is to fix the spot on the 

 earth approximately v/here the disturbance will be felt ; and to do so properly a magnetic 

 observatory should be attached to the ordinary obsei'vatory.j which is beyond our reach 

 at present. 



John Mack.\y, Government Printer, Welliogtoii. — 1909. 



