10 president's address. 



me give you an example. Weevils have been devastating the 

 wheat stored in Australia for shipment abroad. Professor Lefroy 

 was successful in defining the conditions under which the weevil 

 multiplies in wheat. He was able to show that when the moisture 

 in wheat fell below a certain figure, wheat will not be destroyed 

 by this pest. The problem of drying wheat became of practical 

 importance. Its solution was left to Professor Lefroy. Jt seems 

 to me that this problem is one for an engineer or a physicist. It 

 is a practical cpiestion that may carry several solutions. If a 

 dozen or twenty engineers had been put to work to dry wheat, 

 it would soon have, been possible to determine who had designed 

 the most economical and suitable mode of desiccation. It is a 

 mistake to ask a biologist to solve an engineering problem. 



My object in bringing this subject before you is to invite your 

 attention to the importance of work on applied science in the 

 the next few years. Our members include practically all the 

 trained scientists in this State with knowledge of biology. If 

 the country has to wait for others to be trained for special 

 purposes, time will be wasted. Again, most of our members 

 have already shown some ability to do scientific work. There 

 have been few rewards for the scientist, and what work has 

 been done has been carried out for the sake of Truth. Our 

 members have thus been selected by an aptitude to do scientific 

 work and by proved capacity to undertake research. Would 

 it not be of benefit to our country and to our fellow-citizens if 

 every member of this Society made an effort to do some work 

 in applied science? The Bureau of Science and Industry will 

 soon be established by the Commonwealth of Australia, and will 

 be ready to assist every worker who will take up the study of 

 an economic or industrial problem. May we not hope that every 

 scientist in Australia will consider it his duty to do some research 

 for the Bureau .' 



The Society has, during the year, prepared for a great change. 

 Our Secretary, who has so worthily filled the place of our muni- 

 ficent benefactor, Sir William Macleay, has tendered his resigna- 

 tion, which has been accepted by the Council. The Council have 



