CXxVili Proceedings. 
interest in their Society, and the least they can do is that, when 
a special paper is given, they should influence their friends to 
take tickets, and often they might persuade them to become 
members. 
Mr. Lovett, at the end of 1892, on his retiring from his 
Presidency, left a satisfactory balance of £51 11s. 4d. 
At the end of the following year (1893), after Dr. Parsons’s 
first year of Presidency, the Club had a balance of £59 10s. 3d. 
At the end of 1894, Dr. Parsons’s second year of Presidency, 
the Club had a balance of £30 2s. 4d. 
In 1895, during Mr. Murton Holmes’s Presidency, the Club 
had a balance of £10 19s. 10d. 
In 1896, during Mr. Holmes’s second year, the Club had a 
balance of £6 0s. 9d. 
In 1897, during Dr. Hobson’s first year of office, the Club at 
the end of the year showed a deficiency of £10 17s. 5d. 
In 1898, during Dr. Hobson’s second year, the Club at the 
end of the year had a deficiency of £9 8s. 
In 1899, during Mr. Whitaker’s first year of Presidency, the 
deficiency was £17 1s. 2d. 
In 1900, during Mr. Whitaker’s second year, the Club was 
short by £10 6s. 4d. 
In 1901, the first year of my Presidency, we had the very 
small balance of £1 3s.; and last year, 1902, we had again, I 
very much regret to say, a deficiency of £1 5s. 8d. 
By these figures it will be seen that for the last nine years 
the Society financially has had a downward tendency, and the 
various Councils during that period I contend have not taken 
the active steps to remedy it that they should have done. There 
is no doubt that the balance sheet of a society or businéss is like 
a. barometer ; it is the indicator of its surrounding conditions. 
An old society or business wants very careful attention, and 
whenever a falling off in its receipts is noticed, measures should 
at once be taken to check it. There is no whipping up a dead 
horse, and therefore we must not let the horse die. I would 
suggest that the Council request the Honorary Treasurer to 
place before it, at each meeting, a statement of account. 
I am pleased to say that the work done by the Sections, during 
the past twelve months, has been good. 
The Geological Section has been most pleasingly active, and 
I think is entitled to be placed first; then comes the Photo- 
graphic, also very active and doing good and useful work. 
The Scientific Portfolio, I am pleased to say, is now placed 
before the respective Sectional Committees, and any picture of 
local interest is reserved and placed before the Council for its 
final consideration as to its worth for reproduction in the 
‘Transactions.’ This is as it should be, and I hope the Council 
