PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. J 



vaal (lijvernment gave £400 towards the publication of the t\)ur 

 vohmies of procee(Hngs, but these were the days l^efore Union! 



The visit of the British Association gave an impetus to eur 

 own, and the membership, on the 30th of June, 1905, reached 

 1,289. 



One important outcome of the British Association's visit 

 was the institution of the South Africa Medal and Grant, the 

 funds for which were raised by that Association in commemora- 

 tion of its visit. The award is made for " achievement and ]>ro- 

 mise in scientific research in South Africa." Eight awards have 

 now been made, and it is interesting to note that the recipients 

 have included a bacteriologist, three botanists, a ]:)hysicist, a zoolo- 

 gist, an astnmomer, a geologist, and an entomologist, while the 

 ninth award will be made this evening to a distinguished 

 zoologist. 



The high-water mark in the history of the Association was 

 reached in 1906 at the Kimberley meeting, when the meml^ership 

 totalled 1,322. If we trace its history from the membershi)) 

 point of \iew, we tind the following: Pietermaritzburg and LXir- 

 ban meeting, 1907, 1,032 members; Grahamstown, 1908. 767; 

 Bloemfontein, 1909, 637; Cape Town, 1910. 693; Bulawayo, 

 1911, 719; Port Elizabeth, 1912, 673; Lourenco Marques. 1913, 

 594: Kimberley, 1914, 579; Pretoria. 191 5, 547; Pietermaritz- 

 burg, 1916, 584; while we have, at the conclusion of this meet- 

 ing at Stellenbosch, 740 members. The figures, together with 

 the number of papers read and printed in the journal, I have 

 shewn by curves, but I do not suggest that the number of pai)ers 

 read is a measure of the intellectual activity of the Association. 

 It is gratifying to find that the membership is now greater than 

 it has been since 1908, in spite of the abnormal times, but still 

 it is far from satisfactory, and shews a deplorable want of 

 .interest, which is seriously crippling the work of the Association. 

 Why, for example, should Grahamstown, a University centre, 

 and a recognised seat of learning, be able to produce only nine 

 members? It is absolutely necessary, if this Association is going 

 to continue its existence, that a policy of greater activity be in- 

 stituted and maintained. Every year we listen to the Honorary 

 Treasurer's lament ; we know that all honorary treasurers are 

 iprone to adopt a pessimistic attitude, and ours is no exception, 

 but let us gladden his heart by bringing in recruits. Onh^ new 

 members and their subscriptions will kee]) this Association alive. 

 We cannot live on doles. With a large and active membership, 

 we have greater justification in appealing as a right to the 

 Government for an annual subsidy. We cannot keep on appeal- 

 ing to the mining houses of Johannesburg to help us out of our 

 difficulties ; the Witwatersrand Council of Education, which has 

 been an excellent milch cow, has now run dry ; we cannot accept 

 the hospitality of Stellenbosch, and then ask the town to con- 

 tribute towards the cost of publication of our proceedings as we 

 have done with success elsewhere. Owing to financial embar- 

 rassment, the Association has had on manv occasions to remain 



