28 PROCEEDINGS OF THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE. 
convert it into a knife or a steam-engine. Here they have 
added to the utility and have increased wealth. They have 
furnished a service. Every addition to that utility has been 
at the cost of muscle and brain. The owner of a piece of 
land that eventually becomes the site of a town can show no 
service for his demands. The land of the globe is in fixed 
‘quantity, while the populatiou demanding land is not fixed, 
but on this continent is rapidly increasing. In conclusion 
Mr. Douglas said: “If I have represented with any approach 
to truth the effects of our present system of land tenure, 
then the conclusion must be inevitable that we are acting 
with wicked recklessness in our new territories in alienating 
with a haste as though to retain possession would be equal 
toa plague or a deluge. A second conclusion is that our 
methods of taxation are radically wrong. Instead of taking 
revenue from the rewards of idleness, we are now doing 
everything in our power to diminish the reward of labour, and 
actually impose taxes as penalties to prevent the extension of 
that system of exchange by which labour seeks to produce 
its utmost by resorting to the best suited locations.” 
An animated discussion then followed, in which Dr. 
Mulvany, Mr. William Houston, Mr. George Murray, Prof. 
Ellis and Mr. Creelman took part. 
FOURTH ORDINARY MEETING. 
The Fourth Ordinary Meeting of the Session 1883-84 was 
held on Saturday, November 24th, the President in the chair. 
The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. 
Mr. J. E. Collins was elected a member. 
The following exchanges were announced : 
. Science, vol. 2, No. 41, for November 16, 1883. 
. Monthly Weather Review for October, 1883. 
. Journal of the Anthropological Institute, vol. 13, No. 2, for November, 1883. 
List of Members of the Anthropological Institute, corrected to 
November, 1883. 
a ie 
