vi MINUTES. 



income of this fund is added to the principal as it accrues. Since 

 this report the Society has received a legacy from the estate of our 

 late member, Ferdinand J. Dreef, of $3,537.46, which the Society has 

 voted should be added to the Building Fund, bringing this up to 



about $75,750- 



" The Publication Committee has been much hampered by the 

 strike of the printers, which has afifected nearly the whole country. 

 Two numbers of the Proceedings were published in 1921, and two 

 other numbers, completing the volume, were published early in 1922. 

 Under the new laws, the committee has appointed Dr. Alexander C. 

 Abbott to be the Editor of the Society's publications. 



" The question of scientific publication is one of the most difficult 

 problems which scientific men have to face at the present time. All 

 avenues of such publication are choked with contributions which de- 

 serve publicity, but which can not have it under present conditions. 

 Of especially distressing urgency is the question of adequate illustra- 

 tions for the papers published. The extravagantly inflated prices 

 which have been brought about by the war make such illustrations 

 almost unattainable, and lithographic plates are only for multimil- 

 lionaires. In my judgment, the Society could do nothing 30 service- 

 able to science in this country as raising a fund which snould enable 

 it to increase its publications extensively, and especially to provide 

 suitable and proper illustrations. This service to our scientific public 

 would be well rewarded in the increase of the Society's prestige and 

 reputation. 



" The Library Committee reports the total number of volumes in 

 the Library at the end of 1921 to have been 69,687, of which the 

 accessions of the year were 960 volumes. In addition to these, there 

 are 4,069 maps. There are sent to the Library 1,833 serial publica- 

 tions, of which 1,255 are received in exchange for the Society's pub- 

 lications. The subscriptions and exchanges for all countries, with 

 the exception of Russia and the Balkan States, have been resumed; 

 the gaps created by the war have been largely filled up and measures 

 are being taken to fill the gaps that still remain. 



" This gives you in brief form a statement of the Society's activi- 

 ties and plans; and I would, in closing, particularly urge upon you 

 the necessity of doing something to increase publication and provide 



