380 TRA.WSACTIUNS OF SOCIi'-TrF-S. 



were encountered, but another force, under General van De\enler, skirted 

 the fringe of the great Massi Steppe, traversing ahnost waterless stretche> 

 for distances of 40 to 50 miles. Pioneer water supply parties accompanied 

 these forces, and drill parties, fully equipped with l)oring machines, 

 followed closely behind the main advance, enabling the K>ng lines (if 

 communication, worked largely by animal transport, to be kept running. 

 In addition, the railway water supplies had to be reconstructed, as 

 the retreating Germans had destroyed practically all water installations. 

 A comoletc tabulation of German analyses of water from the jirincinal 

 watering stations on the Central Railway was found. 



South Akric.\x Institutk)n ok Engineers. — Saturday, May 25tii : 

 G. M. Clarke, M.A., M.I.CE., President, in the chair. — "Steel guides in 

 shafts": J. Whitehouse Attention was drawn to results obtained by the 

 use of slotted steel guides in the Turf Shaft of the Village Deep Mine, 

 which can l)e taken as typical of many on deep-level mines to-day. The 

 author outlined a system for replacing with as little delay as possible, 

 guides which had become badly worn. — ''A short note on a neiv method of 

 cleaninii condenser tubes": T. (>■ Otley. Experiments have for son.e 

 time been made with the object of finding a simple and cheap method of 

 condenser cleaning, and the method described by the author claims to 

 remove the ordinary deposit found inside a condenser tube, so easily, 

 quickly, and cheaply, that there is no reason why condensers should run 

 for such a length of time between successive cleanings as to allow scale 

 to form. The method involves the use of discs cut out of scrap rubl)er 

 insertion, one-eighth of an inch thick, these discs being a close tit in the 

 tubes, four of them being fastened together on a two-inch nail. These are 

 just pushed to the entrance of the tube, and then driven th.rough at a 

 very high velocity liy means of a compressed air jet. 



Saturday, June 15th: C. D. Leslie, President, in the chair. — " .V^;.'<t' 

 tiutes on e.vperinients made with a view to redueing the ronsnmpt'Mn of 

 explosives, and increasing the fathoms broken per machine shift in 

 machine sloping '' : T. H. Bayldon. The high consumption of explosives 

 per fathom liroken I)y sniali reciprocating machines is a matter that calls 

 for careful consideration, in \iew of the shortage of nitroglycerine and 

 other constituents of high explosives, and experiments vi-ere described 

 ■which were carried out with a view to reducing the consumption of 

 explosives and incre.'ising the fathomage broken per machine per shift. 



Wednesday, July loth : C. D. Leslie, President, in the 'chair, — 

 Presidential address: C. D. Leslie. The need of forethought, organisa- 

 tion, and research was urged, to show what South Africa can produce 

 protitably. so that the potentialities of the country' may become better 

 known. There is the most urgent need of organisation and industrial 

 education for the purpose of utilising the inhabitants of the country to 

 the best advantage for themselves and for the State. Tiie need of cheap 

 motive power was emphasised as one of the tirst considerations 

 in industrial enterprises, and much would depend on the scien- 

 tific administration and management of such enterprises. The 

 hope was expressed that the Government and people of South 

 Africa will awaken and take heed of the repeated warnings of the 

 scientific and technical societies to lose no time in organising for the 

 country's development — " Note issues and currency " : A. Aiken. To-day 

 everything, except gold, which is used in settlement of debts is merely a 

 token, and the real basis of the currencies in the British Empire is .gold. 

 All other forms of currency, bank notes, cheques, etc., are expressed in 

 terms of gold. The silver and copper coinage that circulates here is also 

 merely token money, for silver is not legal tender l)eyond 40s. The author 

 proceeded to discuss bank and inconvertible notes, and the efifects that 

 would be created if the Union Government itself were to issue convertible 

 notes. The nature of the value of money was then discussed, and the 

 opinion was expressed that the value of gold liad actually risen since 1914. 



