— 9 — COUNCIL — MARS 1920 



After this the General Secretary said: The countries participating in this 

 meeting are represented by the same delegates as represented them at the last Coun- 

 cil Meeting in 1913, except Finland for which country one of the Delegates, Dr. Järvi, 

 Director of Fisheries, is partaking for the first time. We also for the first time have the 

 pleasure of seeing French delegates here, France heing represented by the two Delega- 

 tes: M. F. Kerzoncuf, Directeur des Pêches Maritimes, M. Théodore Tissier, Pré- 

 sident deSection au Conseil d'État, and the Experts: M. Béhal, Professeur a l'École 

 Supérieure de Pharmacie, Membre de l'Académie de Médecine, M. Joubin, Pro- 

 fesseur au Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, and M. le Danois, Docteur, Secrétaire. 

 Some British Experts also attend the Council Meeting for the first time: Mr. 

 Stanley Gardiner, Mr. Wollaston, Mr. Farran, Mr. Russell, Mr. Southern, 

 Mr. Hefford, Mr. Holt, Mr. Allen and Mr. Johnstone. From Holland we 

 welcome M. Bottemanne, Chief Inspector of Fisheries; from Norway Dr. Sund, 

 and from Sweden Docent Pettersson and Mr. Rosen, Inspector of Fisheries. 



I regret to record the death of Captain Ridderstad of Sweden, and also 

 that of the former Biological Assistant at the Bureau, Dr. Reichard. 



Further the General Secretary reported: Although the investigations of the 

 Sea and the work of the Council have been very much hampered during the war, 

 and although it consequently has been of minor importance compared with the 

 work of previous years, it touches, however, a series of different subjects, and as 

 it embraces a large period of five years the task to report about it is somewhat 

 difficult. 



I have thought to get over the difficulties hereby by referring to memoranda 

 about the principal questions, as for instance the plaice question, the parti- 

 cipation in the International Council of the various countries, and to the 

 Rapports et Procès-Verbaux issued during the war, in particular that for 1913 — 1914, 

 which gives the position regarding all matters dealt with by the Council at the out- 

 break of the war. Moreover, delegates and experts present here are going to report 

 about some special questions. This enables me now to report about the main feat- 

 ures of the work during the war, the accounts, etc. 



Point 2 of the Agenda. (Final Approval of the Accounts for 1912 

 — 13, 1913—14, 1914—15, 1915^16, 1916—17, 191.7—18. State- 

 ment of Accounts for 1918^ — 19. Nomination of the Members of a 

 Finance Committee.) 



In the first place I beg to lay before you: Statement of Accounts for the 

 financial years since 1912 — 13, which is the last statement approved by the Council. 



As will be seen from the Procès-Verbaux issued during the war the accounts 

 have since 1913 — 14 been audited by a Financial Committee and have been found 

 correct. This Financial Committee could not be elected in the usual way, but the 



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