144 



The Journal of Heredity 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION 



The eighth annual meeting of the 

 American Genetic Association was 

 held at the Association headquarters in 

 Washington, D. C, on Thursday, 

 January 13, 1921. 



The Secretary, in a detailed report, 

 reviewed the affairs of the past year, 

 presenting the difficulties through 

 which the Association had passed and 

 how the Journal had been forced to 

 delay publication on account of the 

 constantly increasing printing costs 

 and other post war readjustments. 

 However, a membership of 3420' was 

 announced, the largest number in the 

 history of the Association. 



The report of the Treasurer showed 

 that the income from membership dues 

 still failed to cover the cost of publish- 

 ing the Journal. The resumption of 

 publication was made possible through 

 a loan of S2107.50 from an interested 

 member. A change in the dues from $2 

 to $3 had been put into effect during 

 the year, but even at the latter rate, as 

 stated in the editor's report, the cost 

 of the Journal for each individual mem- 

 ber was $3.21. It is hoped that the 

 members will co-operate to increase the 

 size of the Association, making the 

 amount to be received from dues at 

 least equal to the costs of publication 

 and administration, and thus place the 

 Journal on a self-supporting basis. 

 Less than a thousand new members will 

 accomplish this goal, it is expected. 



There have been two changes in the 

 Council since the last annual meeting. 

 Dr. W. C. Rucker, who has served as a 

 member of the Council since its organ- 

 ization, resigned on account of his leav- 

 ing the United States for service in 

 Panama, and Dr. Sewall Wright of the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry, LJ. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, was elected 

 to fill the \acancy. Dr. Alexander 

 Graham Bell, who also was a charter 

 member of the Council, resigned to 

 accept the position of Honorary Vice- 

 President of the Association, and James 

 H. Kempton of the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture, was elected to fill this vacancy. 



With Dr. Bell, Mrs. E. H. Harriman 

 was also elected an Honorary Vice- 

 President. 



The Association has been made the 

 custodian of the Frank N. Meyer 

 Memorial Medal Fund, created from a 

 small sum bequeathed by the late 

 P>ank N. Meyer to the members of the 

 staff of the Office of Foreign Seed and 

 Plant Introduction to be used for what- 

 ever purpose they saw fit. They 

 decided to use the fund for the award- 

 ing of medals for distinctive servdce in 

 the field of plant introduction, and 

 directed the Association through its 

 Council to be the agency through 

 which the medals should be awarded. 

 The account of the first award to Mr. 

 Barbour Lathrop was published in the 

 April 1920 number of the Journal of 

 Heredity. The second medal has 

 been awarded to Dr. L. Trabut of 

 Algiers, Africa. 



Many other questions relating to 

 possible activities of the Association 

 were discussed, but it was decided that 

 in view of the needs of the Journal, 

 other activities should be made second- 

 ary. Correspondence is increasing from 

 all sources, and this indicates a new 

 interest in the work of the Association 

 and its Journal. 



The desirability of holding other than 

 the regular meetings of the Association 

 throughout the year was considered 

 since suggestions of this nature have 

 come from several members. 



One of the important suggestions 

 brought before the Association was that 

 of a campaign to obtain the enactment 

 of laws protecting originators of new 

 varieties of plants and breeds of ani- 

 mals in much the same manner as 

 inventors of mechanical devices now 

 receive protection through patents. 



The subject of immigration was 

 introduced and the lack of adequate 

 genetic and eugenic data to form the 

 basis for controlmeasures was deplored. 

 It is hoped that these phases of immi- 

 gration will receive thorough discussion 

 before the enactment of permanent 

 regulatory measures. 



'This number has since increased to approximately 3700 members. 



