488 REPORT— 1903. 



Dr. Herbertson (Delegate from Section E) : I should like to empha- 

 sise the necessity of putting on the maps as many observations as possible. 

 Cartographers feel the necessity for having data put in a more convenient 

 form than is done in tabular schemes. One of the first duties of local 

 Societies should be to undertake a map of the district of all objects of 

 study, whether fossils or plants. A great advance has been made in 

 liotanical mapping by the adoption of the morphological or physiological 

 classification and in other ways. It is found that this applies not 

 merely to botanical specimens, but also to the geological phenomena 

 and to economical phenomena. I was glad to hear Dr. Scott insist on 

 the necessity for observing the distribution of local industries, and I 

 would suggest that the distribution in space be considered as well as 

 the distribution in time. The value of any description by local Societies 

 is to express the data on the map as well as in tabular form, and to aid 

 in the interpretation of them, for that is the object of the study of 

 distribution. The Societies would find great assistance by having a 

 geograjDher on their committees. 



Mr. W. Ackroyd (Halifax Scientific Society) : As to our Society, its 

 work has a direct bearing on this subject. We have a bi-monthly publi- 

 cation, which has been carried on at a very slight loss for something like 

 ten years, and ]io doubt will be carried on for a number of years further ; 

 for, on account of the interest of the subjects with which it deals, it will 

 command a wider circulation. The subjects dealt with are similar to 

 those mentioned in the paper this afternoon. The geologists have been 

 interested in the well-sinking in the neighbourhood, and through the 

 kindness of the gentlemen who have sunk these wells they have been 

 able to take the cores in succession and make up vertical sections, 

 forming a valuable record. Another subject has been afforestation ; and 

 here the Society has been of very great use to the corporation, which 

 has consequently planted trees around their reservoirs, and no doubt this 

 work will be increased. With I'egard to funds, I do not think any cor- 

 poration where there are Labour members. Conservatives, and Liberals 

 fighting against each other will permit anything illegal to be done ; but 

 we have got funds for certain lines of work. We have two museums — 

 one at Bankfield given up to anthropological subjects, and another at 

 the other end of the town given up to geology and mineralogy mainly, 

 and for these museums honorary curators are appointed from the local 

 scientific Societies. AVhen funds are required they put down the amount 

 wanted and the purpose for which it is required, and a representative of 

 these curators goes before the committee of the council and makes a 

 recommendation. So far we have been able to get all the money we have 

 wanted. The grants made from time to time have been from lOOl. to 

 200/., and even as much as 300/. at a time. I do not know exactly why it 

 becomes legal for this money to be advanced to us, but I think it is under 

 the Free Lilararies Act, Here is the paragraph in the ' Year-book ' relating 

 to the Technical Instruction and Public Library Committee, and it is 

 under one of these Acts that the money I allude to is granted : ' The 

 duty of the committee is to manage the free libraries and museums, and 

 to cai-ry into effect the provisions of the Free Libraries Act, the Gymna- 

 siums and Museums Act of 1891, the Libraries Act Amendment Acts of 

 1891 and 1898, and the Halifax Corporation Act of 1898 relating to the 

 library rate.' I have no doubt that what we do in Halifax, Delegates 

 will in time be able to do in other places. 



