TRANSACTIONS 



OP THE 



^Uissaduts^tts p0tticultuf al ^mttj^. 



BUSINESS MEETING. 



Saturday, January 5, 1895. 



A duly notified stated meeting of the Society was lioldeu at 

 eleven o'clock, the President, Nathaniel T. Kidder, in the chair. 



This being the commencement of the term of office of the new 

 board of officers and standing committees, the President delivered 

 the annual address as follows : 



Address of President Kidder. 



It is a custom of long standing for the President of this 

 Society to say a few words at the first meeting in January. A 

 pleasant custom, for then is an opportunity given to state what 

 has been the tone of the year passed, and to express hopes and 

 plans for the year just beginning. 



We have just had a period of unusual anxiety. So well is this 

 known, alas, that I need not have mentioned it. A good deal of 

 daring would have been necessary to recommend any radical 

 measure in the way of getting our long-coveted more commodi- 

 ous quarters. There seems at present very little promise of a 

 material improvement in financial matters, and careful and 

 cautious should still be our actions. 



I told you last year that your Chairman needed a year to find 

 out what the Society wanted, and that after that a second year 

 was not any too much for carrying out what he found it desirable 

 to do. It was gratifying to me to learn that you wanted me for 

 another term, and I take this opportunity to thank you for the 

 confidence you have shown in me. 



In a matter of such moment as increasing the capacit}' of a 

 Society like this, for that is what we want to do — not merely to 



