476 REPORT— 1901. 



Mr. Alfred Browett : With the earlier portion of Mr. Bevan's remarks 

 I must say that I feel most heartily with him, and it would be a great 

 advantage if these remarks could be put on a leaflet and sent to the various 

 Societies which we are here to represent. Speaking for my own Society, 

 I think that we are largely in a state of ignorance as to what is expected 

 of Delegates to this Association. I cannot help thinking that if a small 

 leaflet were drawn up by the Committee of the Delegates we should 

 have something to guide us, and efibrts would be made to give eflfect to 

 the suggestions that might be brought before us. 



Mr. Gray : Might I call attention to the fact that the Annual Reports 

 of the Association explain exactly what the relation of the various Societies 

 is to the British Association, and that all the work that is done at these 

 Conferences is brought, in the report, before the local Secretary of your 

 Society, and it ought to be his duty to bring before the Council what is 

 expected of you 1 



Dr. Vaughan Cornish : Do I understand that it is not the duty of the 

 Delegate to bring these matters before the Society, but the duty of the 

 Secretary of the Society ? With whom does the function lie to bring it 

 before the Society ? 



Dr. Garson : There is a copy of the Report of the Conferences of Dele- 

 gates sent to the Delegate and also to the Secretary of each Society. 



Dr. Vaughan Cornish : But whose duty is it ? 



Mr. Gray : It is the Secretary's duty to bring it before them when no 

 Delegate from the Society has been appointed, and it is the duty of the 

 Delegate to do so when there is one. 



Mr. Sowerbutts : To make it secure that the Report of the Conferences 

 is brought before the Societies it was resolved that the Committee be 

 asked to send a report to the Secretary as well as to the Delegate. 



Professor Merivale : I wish to suggest that the Societies might do what 

 the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers have 

 done with reference to geology. We have published sections of Northum- 

 berland and Durham. That is rather a large order, and the majority of 

 the Societies, even if they should wish to do it, may not be in a position 

 to do it. I throw it out as a suggestion to include geology more 

 particularly to draw your attention to the immense amount of useful 

 work that would be done by the publication of geological sections. We 

 have six good-sized volumes, and they are invaluable to the mining 

 engineer, at any rate, and to others in the district. 



Professor Kendall : I think the suggestion is an admirable one, and I 

 can see a way that the difficulty which Professor Merivale contemplates 

 may be met. A Society which is poor can at least send reports to others 

 which can be made available to all comers. It is appalling to think of 

 the amount of geological information of priceless value which is utterly 

 wasted year by year. Many well-sinkers take no trouble to record their 

 v.'ork, and we only get very vague results. I think that if the local 

 Societies would take up the matter and make persevering attempts to get 

 into the confidence of the well-sinkers it might easily be done. 



Mr. Henry Coates : Before the motion is put to the meeting I .should 

 like to make a suggestion ; and it is this, that instead of coming to a 

 formal resolution upon an important matter like this, it would perhaps 

 clear the way if Mr. Bevan's paper were printed wi exienso and copies 

 sent to each of the Societies, and the Societies instructed to consider that 

 paper fully during the coming session, and Delegates be instructed to 



