Annual Meeting. 



Tlie Annual Meeting of tlie Academ\' was iield en Wednesday evening, 

 ]\Iay 19, 1915, in the Auditorium of the Friday Morning Club House. Pres- 

 ident Benton presiding. 



The Annual Reports of the Secretary and Treasurer were read and 

 ordered filed, and Reports were received from the Botanical, Geological, 

 Zoological and Astronomical Sections. 



A communication from the Pacific Division of the American Associa- 

 tion for the Adv-tncement of Science, inviting members of this Academy 

 to join said Pacific Division, was read. 



Tlie Ballot taken for Directors for the ensuing year resulted in the 

 unanimous election of the following named gentlemen, to-wit : 



Hector Alliot Samuel J. Keese 



George H. Beeman William H. Knight 



Arthur B. Benton Gkorce W. Parsons 



Holdridge O. Collins William A. Spalding 



Anstruther Davidson Albert B. Ulrey 



William L. Watts 



Air. James T. Armstrong from England, read a paper upon "Potash 

 Production in Southern California," giving statistics relating to its produc- 

 tion in the United States and th.e large quantities heretofore imported from 

 Germany. Owing to the great demand for potash in the manufacture of 

 explosives, as a fertilizer and in various branches of Science, the United 

 States faces a larger economic problem, than is generally realized. The 

 war in Europe has deprived us of the usual imports from Germany. 

 There is no potash on the market and no prospect appears of there being 

 any for a long period. The price has jumped from $35.00 to $150.00 per 

 ton since the commencement of that war. Germany and the Pacific Coast 

 and perhaps Japan are the only practical sources from which potash can be 

 produced. There is a necessity for immediate home production, and it 

 can be manufactured from the superior quality of our Pacific Coast kelp at 

 a price and in quantities to compete with the Japan and German product. 



Our Government is now doing all in its power to encourage the manu- 

 facture of potash on the Pacific Coast, as the conditions reported from all 

 potash-producing countries seem to indicate that, eventually, all potash must 

 be produced from kelp. 



A vote of thanks was tendered to Air. Armstrong for his very inter- 

 esting discourse, and the meeting adjourned. 



Directors' AIeeting. 



The Directors elected for the ensuing year held their first meeting on 

 Friday, June 4, 1915, in the ofiice of Mr. S. J. Keese. Present, Alessrs. 

 Alliot, Beeman. Benton, Collins, Keese, Parsons and Watts. 



The election for o.^cers resulted a^ follows, viz. : 



President Arthur B. Benton 



First Vice-President William L. Watts 



Second Vice-President Anstruther Davidson 



Third Vice-President Hector Alliot 



Treasurer Samuel J. Keese 



Secretary ....Holdridge O. Collins 



58 



