4 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



59 plates) has been completed in good time, and distributed, as 

 far as circumstances permit. It contains thirty-six papers, on a 

 wide range of subjects, read at the Meetings during the Session. 

 The recent decision of the Postal authorities that the annual 

 volumes of the .Society's Proceedings are not to be regarded as 

 "books" within the meaning of the Postal regulations, and can- 

 not be sent at book-rates per book -post, but are to be treated as 

 ''Printed Matter," and charged on a higher , scale, on the tech- 

 nical ground that one Part of each volume^ contains a balance- 

 sheet and report, means a substantial increase in postage on our 

 publications for Societies, Institutions, and individuals within 

 the Commonwealth, which cannot be delivered by messenger. 

 The decision applies also to the publications of Australian Scien- 

 tific Societies and Institutions generally, to University Calendars, 

 and to the Annual Reports of Government Depai'tments. Two 

 examples will show that the cost is almost or quite quadrupled. 

 The postage on single copies of the four Parts of last year's Pro- 

 ceedings, as "Printed Matter," was Is. 3d. [one Partat4id., three 

 Parts at 3|d. each]. Per Book-post, the amount would have 

 been 4^d. [one Part at l|d., three Parts at Id. each]. We have 

 recently received the last Calendar of the University of Mel- 

 bourne, as Printed Matter charged 8d., whereas at book-rates 

 the postage would have been 2d. The Annual Reports of mer- 

 cantile Companies or Institutions are not volumes of 800-900 

 pages, with from 40-90 Plates illustrating objects of scientific 

 interest only; so that the increase in cost falls most heavily on 

 Scientific and Educational organisations. Considering that the 

 balance-sheets and reports of Scientific Societies, like those of 

 Educational, Charitable, and Government Institutions, are not 

 recoi-ds of profits made, and dividends payable: and often, as in 

 our case, are largely concerned with the administration of trust- 

 funds, this increase in the cost of sending scientific publications 

 by mail — much higher than is charged on exactly similar publi- 

 cations containing balance-sheets, etc., which come to us per 

 book-post at book-rates from other distant countries — seems 

 rather like a tax on the diffusion of knowledge of scientific and 



