SECRETARY'S REPORT, 



the awards in the publication of the " Transactions." 

 This difficulty which has existed for several years, has 

 increased gradually since the adoption of the plan to 

 read at the meeting of the society only the awards, 

 until it is now a serious evil, to which I deem it my 

 duty to call the attention of the officers of the society, 

 hoping that they, in their wisdom will devise some 

 method to remedy it. Committees pass in lists of their 

 awards, hastily, and often very imperfectly prepared, 

 expecting that any errors that may occur in them will 

 be rectified by the Secretary, and intending to prepare 

 at their leisure, more carefully written reports for pub- 

 lication. I always request that these may be sent in 

 during the month of October, and when this time has 

 passed I remind them as I have opportunity, either 

 personally or by letter, of the fact, and request them, if 

 they intend anything for publication, to forward it 

 immediately, as our printers usually commence their 

 work about the first of November. A majority of them 

 express a willingness to prepare something, and even 

 desire that their awards may not be published without 

 it, and assure me that they will attend to it in season ; 

 but frequently after the second, and sometimes after 

 the third reminder, I am obliged to let their awards go 

 to press without anything further from them, my plan 

 for the publication having already been disarranged, 

 and the printing delayed on their account. 



While this is the rule, I wish to acknowledge that 

 there are noble exceptions to it. In several instances, 

 the present year, lists of awards, which were required 

 immediately, were prepared with the utmost care, and 

 so arranged as to be ready for the compositor without 



