XXXVI THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



We commoiul these matters to your earnest consideration and we 

 trust that the Sections may be able to give the Council valuable advice 

 in carrying out the intentions of the Government in so generously coming 

 to our assistance. 



Ottawa. October 15, 1912. 

 Hon. W. T. White, 



Minister of Finance. 

 Ottawa. 



Sir, 



The undersigned has the honour to bring to your notice a matter 

 which is of vital importance to the future of The Royal Society of Can- 

 ada. The Society was founded by the Duke of Argyll when he was 

 Governor General and was incorporated by Act of Parliament in 1882. 

 Its objects as set forth in this Act are, — first, to encourage studies and 

 investigations in literature and science; secondly, to publish transac- 

 tions annually or semi-annually, containing the minutes of proceedings 

 at meetings, records of the work performed, original papers and memoirs 

 of merit, and such other documents as may be deemed worthy of pub- 

 lication; thirdly, to offer prizes or other inducements for valuable 

 papers on subjects relating to Canada, and to aid in researches already 

 begun and carried so far as to render their ultimate value probable; 

 fourthly, to assist in the collection of specimens with a view to the for- 

 mation of a Canadian museum of archives, ethnology, archaeology and 

 natural history. 



The Fellows of the Society have endeavoured to promote these 

 objects by meeting each year and by publishing an annual volume of 

 Proceedings and Transactions. The expenses contingent upon these 

 undertakings are met by the fees paid l^y Fellows and by a Parliament- 

 ary grant of $5,000.00. In the earlier years of its existence the Society 

 was able to meet its obligations with these funds, although it was not 

 found possible to give much, if any, assistance for original scientific 

 research or literary production, the main source of expenditure being the 

 publication of the annual volume. The cost of printing the Proceed- 

 ings and Transactions has largely increased and it is only by reducing 

 the size of the volume that the cost of production is kept within safe 

 limits. 



The Society finds itself moreover confronted at the present time 

 with the problem of placing in order a library consisting mainly of un- 

 bound Transactions and other pul)lications of the principal learned 

 societies of the world, received as exchanges during the last thirty years 



