92 Proceedings. 



MANAWATU PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



Annual Meeting : 7th December, 1910. 



The President, Mr. W. V . Durward, in the chair. 



The anniial meeting (adjourned from the 24:th November) was held 

 on the above date. The annual report and balance-sheet were adopted. 



Annual Eeport. 



Since the last annual meeting only five general meetings have been held, as 

 those from ]May to August lapsed, several gentlemen who had heen expected to read 

 papers having been prevented from vaiious reasons from doing so. 



During the year one of our members has been removed by death, five by 

 leaving the district, three by resignation, and three have been struck off the list for 

 non-payment of their suVjscriptions. During the same time five new members 

 have been elected, and our present roll is sixty-five. 



In consequence of the lamented death of Mr. Keeling, the Council subsequently 

 appointed Mr. J. ^Mitchell auditor in his place. 



The following papers have been read before the society : Mr. W. W. Smith, 

 F.E.S. : "The New Zealand vSaddlehack." Mr. D. Sinclair, C.E. : "Education 

 among the Early Maoris." Dr. Findlay, LL.D., K.C. : "Legal Liberty." Mr. 

 E. D. Hoben : "The Moving Picture." Mr. E. McNab : "Recent Researches into 

 the History of Te Rauparaha's Raid on Akaroa in 1830, and the French Race for 

 the same Place in 1840." 



An admirably mounted collection of ferns was exhibited at the Agricultural 

 and Pastoral Winter Show by Mr. T. Lancaster, which, though not entirely ful- 

 filling the conditions attached to the prizes offered by the society, was so highly 

 commended by the Judge, Mr. T. W. Kirk. F.L.S., that the Council awarded to 

 it a prize of £2 'is., and on the judge's recommendation further altered the condi- 

 tions so that, in future, collections sent in in competition for the prizes may be 

 confined to any one or more orders in either botany or entomology, a limitation which 

 the Council hope may encourage more competitors to enter. 



Individual additions both to the museum and the library continue to come in 

 steadily, many of them of considerable interest, there having been over 150 during 

 the year : but the Council has been compelled to decline representative collections 

 which have been offered by Government Departments and by individuals, on account 

 of the total want of space available for their display. In view of the recent 

 rejection of the loan for a new library and museum, some definite plan for obtain- 

 ing increased accommodation is urgently required. An application has been made 

 on behalf of the society for the use of the old fire-brigade station, oi' a portion of 

 it, as a museum ; and, failing that, it seems a matter for serious consideration 

 whether the society should not try to raise funds for a building of its own. A site 

 could be probably obtained either from the Corpcu'ation or the Government, and 

 Mr. Sinclair has kindly prepared an estimate showing that a brick building pro- 

 viding accommodation that would be adequate for manv vears might be put up for 

 from £650 to £700. 



A reference to the statement of receipts and expenditure will show that if all 

 outstanding subscriptions were paid up the societv's overdraft would be reduced 

 to £1. ' 



A report by Captain Hewitt on the work of tlic Obsei'vatory is attached : — 

 Report on Ohservatory Work during 1909-10. by Captain Heivitt. 



During the past year we have liad only forty-nine visitors, though during the comets 

 visit, with the kind assiHtanc(^ of Messr^i. Eliott and Glendinning, the Observatory was 

 open three evenings a week. We hav«^ had only one visit from the pul)ii(' schools, when 

 Mr. Vernon l)rought some pupils from tiu- High School. 



