XXXI 



true guides of human conduct. Mr. 

 Johnston, I offer you, on behalf of the 

 society, its most grateful thanks for all 

 you have done for it, and its warmest 

 congratulations on the honour aiat has 

 been conferred upon you. (Applause.) 



Mr. E. M. Johnston briefly returned 

 t&ianks. 



Social Equality. 



Mr. E. M. Johnston, I.S.O., read a 

 lengthy paper on "Observations Eegard- 

 ing Some Economic Aspects of the Eisen. 

 ach Social Equality Programme.'^ The 

 conclusions arrived at from his figures, he 

 said, showed that wealth available for 

 consumption and enjoyment was more 

 equitably distributed than was generally 

 supposed; and whatever might be its ex- 

 isting inequalities and defects, it v\'ais im. 

 measurably superior to any scheme of 

 communism or collectivism that had ever 

 been attempted or formulated. The pro- 

 gramme of the trades" unions and the more 

 intelligent of the Labour Party in the 

 United Kingdom and Australia were an- 

 tagonistic to all the extreme communistic 

 ideals of socialists. They, of course, ad- 

 vocated an extension of the idea of State 

 censorship of the more important branch- 

 es of industry; but it was on individuai- 

 istic lines strictly, and not communistic- 

 liberty, responsibilitj". skill, effective la- 

 bour, and reward in accordance with abil- 

 ity, tiad ever been ideals of the best repre. 

 sentatives of labour in England and in 

 theS'6 colonies. 



Mr, K. L. Murray moved the postpone- 

 ment of the discussion on Mr. Johnston^s 

 paper till next meeting of the society. He 

 said that socialism was very little under- 

 stood, and if the papor just read were 

 widely distributed, it would do much to 

 spread a knowledge of thegubject. It had 

 very much increased his knowledge, and 

 he was sure it would do the same for any- 

 one wtio studied industriously. 



Mr. A. 0. Green seconded the motion, 

 which was agreed to. 



Preservation of Native Animals. 



The Secretary read some notes forward- 

 ed by Mr. J. F. Mather to the Minister of 

 Lands (Hon. C. Lyne) vrith reference to 

 the reservation of Crown lands at Schou- 

 ten and Freycinet Peninsula for the pre- 

 ser\-ation of native fauna and flora. Mr. 

 Mather wrote: — ''The desirability of set- 

 ting apart lands for acclimatisation pur- 

 poses has frequently claimed public atten- 

 tion; but up to the present time very 

 little tfciO'Ught has been bestowed upon the 

 necessity for preserving our Tasmanian 

 fauna; yet the emu is no longer found on 

 the Tasmanian plains, and the forester is 

 rapidly disappearing, whilst the black 

 opossum has been so persistently hunted 

 that it seems likely to also become 'a lost 

 Tasmanian race." In the interests of 

 science, to sa.y nothing of Tasmanian set- 



timent, our Government should devote at 

 least one portion of this island to the pre- 

 servation of native animals. And seeing 

 tiliat we have now a Ministry composed of 

 Tasmanian-born Britishers, the opportu- 

 nity appears to be Savourable for again 

 pressing the suggestion for a Government 

 reserve for the purpose above mentioned. 

 There is one locality exceedingly well 

 adapted for the end in view, viz.. Freycin- 

 et"s Peninsula and Schouten Island. 

 Scarcely any of the land is alienated at 

 present, and nearly every variety of exist- 

 ing Tasmanian fauna is there represent- 

 ed. Moreover, the lagoons near Hazard 

 Islamd are breeding places for the black 

 swan, and Scfiiouten Island is the habitat 

 of manj" kinds of opossum. The soil has 

 very little commercial value, whilst for 

 picturesque scenery, delightful walks, and 

 opportunities for fishing, the position is 

 unrivalled as a tourist resort. In order 

 to ascertain how much fencing would be 

 required to kep animals on Freycinet Pe- 

 ninsula, two members of a tourist party, 

 on March 8, 1904, stepped the distance be- 

 tween Meredith Fishery Bay, on the west- 

 ern side, to Sleepy Bay, on the eastern 

 side. Starting from a point on the sand 

 bank, east from Swansea, tfcie two tourists 

 decided to walk a course east half nortii 

 along the southern edge of a marsh, which 

 was then practically under water. At 900 

 yards rising ground commenced, and there 

 was a gradual slope until the saddle was 

 reached at 1,300 yards, the probable 

 height being 150ft. above sea level. De- 

 scending thence for 220 yards, tftie line ter- 

 minates on the granite cliffs of a head- 

 land, about the middle of Sleepy Bay. 

 which cliff's are about 60ft. high. From 

 the point at which the line strikes Sleepy 

 Bay Coast the Lemon Eock is S.E. one 

 point S., and the northern head of Wine- 

 glass Bay S.E. by S. half S.. whilst the 

 northern head of Sleepy Bay lies due 

 east. The termination of the line on 

 Sleepy Bay may require about 6ft. of ma- 

 sonry to make this point quite secure, and 

 from the ^^rarting place on Merediifa Fish- 

 ery Bay there may be neceS'Sary about 200 

 yards of fencing to the rocks, where the 

 water is deep. It is proposed to put up a 

 6it. wire fence, using two widths of 3ft. 

 rabbit-proof netting. The line is not ob- 

 structed with timber, though there are 

 plenty of trees suitable for posts in the 

 immediate vicinity, and, apparently, there 

 will be no difficulty in digging post holes 

 along the line indicated.'" 



The Secretary also read a reply from 

 tne Minis'ter of Lands, in which he stated 

 he was prepared to accede to Mr. Mather's 

 request, and vras giving the necessary in- 

 structions to the Secretary for Lands to 

 arrange for the withholdin-g from sale and 

 selection the land mentioned. Mr. Mor- 

 ton added that this was the onl.y State in 

 Australia that had not taken steps for the 

 preservation of its native fauna and flora. 



