OPENING ADDRESS—MACGREGOR. 195 
we have not done so much. Even now, it may not be possible 
for us to put much energy into all. But, it is well, nevertheless, 
that we should compare what we are doing with what a Society 
such as ours ought to be doing. For such comparison must re- 
sult in a desire to do more and better work. 
While referring to the many things which we have left undone 
in the past, I must urge in our behalf that, few though we have 
been, we would have done much more, and few though we still 
are, we could look forward with greater expectations, were it not 
for the smallness of our income. But we are hampered on all 
sides for want of funds. We ought to have a commodious meet- 
ing place with our books on the walls and our working materials 
easy of access. As it is we have no room we can call our own, 
but are indebted to one Government official for the use of his 
office once a month and to another for allowing us standing 
room for our book eases in a corridor. We ought to have a paid 
librarian and secretary to take charge of books and instruments 
and conduct our correspondence, whereas these onerous duties 
are discharged by volunteers. We ought to be able to stock our 
Library with books of reference and costly publications of all 
kinds, whereas the purchase of a new book is a grevt event in 
our history. We ought to be able to furnish our members with 
expensive instruments, whereas, so far, we have been able to 
purchase but one. Had we the funds at command there are 
many ways, to which I have not even referred, in which they 
might be advantageously expended. I may mention the making 
of grants to assist in defraying the expenses of experimental in- 
vestigations of great public utility, as for example, the introduc- 
tion into our Nova Scotian climate of foreign plants useful for 
manufacturing purposes, and the offering of prizes for memoirs 
of practical value, as for example, cn the raw materials for 
manufactures which our Province supplies. Such modes of 
stimulating research have been tried with much success in other 
countries, and could we adopt them, would doubtless be found 
equally successful here. Perhaps our Institute has been too 
backward in the past in making its wants and wishes known. 
And it may therefore be well that we should let it be known 
