12 PEOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



considerable degree of those qualifications. Under these circumstances the Committee 

 could not recommend the Directors to appoint any of the gentlemen who had made 

 application. The Committee also considered the letters received on the subject, and 

 which were included in the remit to them ; and they were of opinion if the restriction 

 in regard to the entire services of the chemist being devoted to the Society were re- 

 moved, that much more eligible candidates would be induced to come forward. The 

 Committee also drew the attention of the Directors to the question of the absence of 

 laboratory accommodation, which was a serious complication in the matter. The Com- 

 mittee's report having been submitted to the Directors at their meeting on the 7th 

 instant, they approved of it, and resolved to report in terms of it to this meeting." 

 I have now to move — '• That the Society approve of the report of the Directors, and 

 agree to rescind the restrictions imposed at last General Meeting in regard to the services 

 of the chemist to be appointed being entirel}^ devoted to the Society." 



Sir Alexander Jardine of Applegarth seconded the motion. 



Mr D. Milne Home of Wedderburn said he was sorry to say that he could not agree 

 to the motion proposed by Mr Mackenzie— in the first place, because, looking at the 

 proposal, he considered it highly inexpedient, irrespective of anything that had been 

 done by the Society before, and also because it was entirely inconsistent with the reso- 

 lutions that had been come to at the last two General Meetings. The proposal was that 

 the Society should appoint a chemist with a salary of L.300, and be allowed to take 

 other employment from other parties, and at the same time to receive remuneration 

 from them. That was exactly the position of the late Dr Anderson. They were aware 

 that that appointment was universally condemned, because when a chemist had L.300 

 a year, and also got remuneration from those who chose to employ him, it was very 

 natural that a great deal of the Society's work should be neglected, and that as much as 

 possible of tlie work of the public should be received. Afterwards, Professor Dewar 

 was appointed, with a salary of L.150, to assist Dr Anderson. He would ask what was 

 ever done by Mr Dewar for the Society for the L.150 he received ! The proposal was 

 that he was to give lectures, engage in field exjDeriments, and make researches in agri- 

 culture. Now, did he ever carry out these things ? They knew that for years Dr 

 Anderson was unable to do anything for the Society. There was a sum of L.4o0 a year 

 paid to two chemists — these being allowed to work for the public ; and the result was 

 that the Society got no benefit at all from the employment of these parties. How could 

 they make such an injudicious appointment as was proposed? Every one complained 

 against a continuance of the system followed by Dr Anderson, and the last two General 

 Meetings adopted resolutions to the effect that the chemist should be paid with re- 

 ference to the work he should do. At the last January meeting, the Directors came 

 forward and asked that they should have leave to make an appointment of a permanent 

 character. On the motion of Colonel Innesof Learney leave was given only to appoint 

 a chemist in connection with the experimental stations of the Society, and who would 

 give his whole time to the work of the Society. That was unanimously carried. The 

 Directors concurred in it, and he was surprised that they, without any previous notice 

 that he was aware of, should have made the proposal they had now done, and that at 

 this meeting they should suddenly propose to rescind the resolution adopted at the last 

 General JMeeting and ask the Society to allow them to appoint a chemist without giving 

 them his whole time. The resolution adopted at the previous meeting said that it 

 was only in the event of experimental stations being established that a chemist was to 

 be appointed. What did the Directors do? They advertised for a chemist before 

 they knew that there were to be any experimental stations. He was surprised to hear 

 in the report reference to stations "about to be established.'' These were not the 

 words of the resolution. It declared that the whole time of the chemist was to be 

 devoted to the Society, and he was to be appointed if the experimental stations were 

 to be established 



Mr C. J. Mackenzie read the resolution which had been adopted at the previous 

 meeting, which stated that the employment of the chemist Avould be limited to the 

 organisation and management of the stations. 



Mr Milne Home said that there had been no stations established by the Society. 



Mr Mackenzie said that they had not yet been organised. 



Mr Milne Home said there was as yet no prospect of having stations established. 

 He had asked the Secretary if thei-e was any prospects of having them, but he under- 

 stood that there was no land offered 



Mr F. N. Menzies (Secretary)— On the contrary, I mentioned that there had been 

 offers made. 



Mr Milne Home— Then why has that not been mentioned? The' very first 

 thing that the Directors should have done was to say whether the stations were to 

 be established. He would ask, if they appointed a chemist to-day, what work was 

 he to do ? By the resolution the work he was to be allowed to do was in connection 

 with the experimental stations. He thought it was most inexpedient to get into the 

 old track, and especially as it was utterly inconsistent with the resolution come to 



