centres, and the best and quickest means of 

 distribution called for comment, especially of 

 course in respect to the most perishable dietary 

 articles. He might specify fish and fruit which 

 were at present conspicuous as special sufferers 

 from the lack of eflicient preservative and 

 distributing methods, the latter having more 

 interest for Kent. In carrying out the necessary 

 working of such machinery as he had indicated, 

 it was absolutely necessary to call to their 

 assistance engineering (including electricity, 

 steam, etc. ) chemistry, botany, entomology, 

 and he might say geology. Undoubte lly such an 

 -example amply sufficed to prove how well worth 

 their earnest attention were subjects that had so 

 important a bearing on the well-being of the 

 community. The last proposition of their 

 programme, nawiely, the removal of impediments 

 to scientific progress joined the previous one in 

 many points, bat was more aggressive in charac- 

 ter, and in considering it he wanted to enquire 

 what active part a scientific society should play 

 in public life. Was it not desirable and possible 

 to pay special attention to all public questions 

 that came within their scope ; to aiscu=s ttiera and 

 endeavour to influence public opinion in the 

 adoption of the best modern methods ? He, of 

 course, did not advo&ito taking up controversial 

 matters, or commenting freely on any subject not 

 strictly coming under the scientific category, but 

 he could not help thinking that members of their 

 society might justly look for assistance and 

 enlightenment concerning some of the current 

 methods of the day, and that some effort should 

 be made to deal with some such questions as far 

 as possible in tlieir meetings if any of their mem- 

 bers had special knowledge on the subject. For 

 instance, there was the question of modern educa- 

 tion which seemed to tax the ingenuity of our 

 legislators sorely to say nothing of the unfortunate 

 teachers who were so often called upon to change 

 their methods. He could not learn from contant 

 enquiry that our national system was based on 

 scientific lines, nor was the working of it satisfac- 

 tory to the teachers, but there was a subject upon 

 which, no doubt, some of their members could 

 give them useful information. One thing was 

 certain, that if they were to remove obsta-cJes to 

 scientific progress they must first be absolutely 

 certain what the correct method was, ere they 

 could remove the obstacles that frustrated it, and 

 it seemed to him that they might advance in the 

 right direction to some extent by the means he liad 

 indicated (applause). 



Mr. Harvey remarked that Dr. "Wills was en- 

 thusiastic and they wanted a little more energy 

 in that department. They would get it. In many 

 other ways Dr. Wills would be a most useful pre- 



sident of their Society and he anticipated at his 

 hands very great success. About the time the 

 East Kent Scientific Scciety was founded — and 

 they had their jubilee two years ago — those great 

 doctrines of evolution were announced by Darwin. 

 It would be the greatest possible impertinence on 

 his^ (Mr. Harvey's) part to disparage in any way 

 the works and contributions to science by that 

 great writer or those by Hackel, and his (Mr. 

 Harvey's) old tutor, Huxley, but he asked them, 

 and begged them, not to confine their views to 

 those great writers, but to assert their own inde- 

 pendence, and bear in mind there was another side 

 even to that question. There was a disposition to 

 contribute everything to mere matter and mere 

 force. Some of them thought there was some- 

 thing else beside which ought to be taken into 

 account, said Mr. Harvey, who then referred to 

 the infloresence of the Victoria Regia, that won- 

 derful plant in Regent's Park — a phenomenon which 

 those who witnessed it would never forget. If any- 

 one had watched it grow and disappear as he had 

 done, he thought one could find room in one's 

 imagination to suspect something Isesides mere 

 matter and force. Mr. Harvey then moved a vote 

 of thanks to Dr. Graham Wills. 



Mr. J. H. Sharp, in seconding, spoke of their 

 President's vigour and enthusiasm, and, referring 

 to the address, said he thought they must take up 

 the line of trying to draw members by personal 

 interest and conduct. He believed societies trusted 

 too much to notices instead of persuading those 

 whom they met to come to the meetings. In wel- 

 coming Dr. Wills they were most pleased and de- 

 lighted that they were not losing Mr. Harvey and 

 that they would be having his kindly presence and 

 most valuable help. As to the reading of fiction 

 his (Mr. Sharp's) experience had been that the 

 moment a boy began to read trashy stuff he lost 

 doubly. His time was wasted and his taste was wholly 

 spoilt, and for some time they could not get him 

 back to work that required concentrated thought. 

 Unless they could break hiui off from that fiction, 

 undoubtedly his chance of doing any good had 

 utterly vanished. There were so many good 

 standard authors that a boy need never make an 

 experiment. He could leave it to them (the 

 masters) to guide him. When he became older, 

 when his taste had been formed, then he could 

 afford to launch out. Referring to the President's 

 remark on education, Mr. Sharp said they would 

 be glad to welcome Dr. Graham Wills at the 

 Simon Langton School and to receive any sug- 

 gestions or answer any enquiries. 



Dr. Graham Wills thanked Mr. Sharp for his 

 kind offer, and accepted it. 



A hearty vote of thanks was given to Mr. 

 Lander for his excellent work as secretary. 



