PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. Q 



in the background instead of leading scientific thougln and move- 

 ment. 



A crisis in the Association's financial affairs was reached in 



1908, and to reduce administrative expenses it was decided at 

 the Bloemfontein meeting to centralise the offices at Cape Town, 

 and to publish the ])roceedings in a monthly journal. The Jour- 

 nal OF Science has served as a connecting link between the 

 members, but the hopes of a revenue from advertisements have 

 not been fulfilled ; in this respect the su]:)port of the commercial 

 community has been most disappointing. 



Reference to the Constitution will show that provision is 

 made for the appointment of Standing Committees, and such 

 Committees to deal with education and anthropology were 

 formed in November, 1905. The object of the former was to 

 collect and collate statistics relating to education in South Africa. 

 A report was ])resented to the educational section at the Natal 

 meeting in 1907, but for some reason — probably financial — it was 

 not printed in the proceedings. It did not meet during igo8 ; 

 reference is made to it in 1909. It was announced at Cape Town 

 in 1910 that it was still in existence; at Bulawayo in 191 1 it was 

 lamented that no report had been received regarding it or any 

 other Committee for three years, and that is the last reference 

 I can find about it in our proceedings. It does not appear, how- 

 ever, to have been dissolved, and, now that education is so much 

 to the front, perhaps at this seat of learning we might resuscitate 

 it. 



The Anthropological Committee was more fortunate. It 

 secured publicity in the proceedings for two short reports in 

 1907 and 1908, mainly, however, outlining its objects and aims. 

 In 19 1 3, nothing -further having been heard from the Committee, 

 the sum of £20, voted on its behalf by the Transvaal Govern- 

 ment in 190C), was awarded to Miss Tucker to assist in her 

 Anthropological research. 



There is some mystery attaching to the standing committee 

 on Forestry ; its existence is announced in the annual report for 



1909, but I ha\e been unable to find in the proceedings any trace 

 of the personnel, and no report has yet been received. It is 

 dealing with a subject of momentous importance to South Africa, 

 and its re])ort is keenly awaited. 



The second object of the Association, as given in the Con- 

 stitution, is " to promote the intercourse of Societies and indi- 

 viduals in dift'erent parts of South Africa." In carrying out this 

 object, and in claiming the support of all interested in science 

 and its furtherance, the Assosciation is in the unique position 

 of — ( I ) rei)resenting all branches of science and technology; (2) 

 being geographically all eml)racing. its members hailing from 

 Cape Agulhas in the South to the Zambesi in the North, from 

 Mozambique in the East to Walfish Bay in the West; and. (3) 

 holding its annual meetings at all importanat centres of South 

 Africa, including Rhodesia and Mozambique, and so is in a 



