COJiRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 491 



hand are foi" the most part worked out, and our members are in need of a 

 larger held for their energies. 



We beg you to take into consideration the fact that every naturalist 

 or photographer who visits a place on your line becomes an advertising 

 agent for that place, and we venture to say that, in view of innumerable 

 addresses, lectures, exhibitions of specimens, photographs and lantern- 

 slides, there is no better medium of advertisement fur your line than the 

 body which we represent. 



We can assure you that this concession would not be abused in any 

 way. One of the Societies affiliated with us, the Longton and District 

 Photographic Society, which already enjoys the concession we now ask 

 for from the North Staffordshire Railway Company, has never heard of 

 any attempt whatever on the part of any of its members to use the 

 privilege for any other jDurpose than that for which it was granted. 



We are, Sir, yours very truly, 



(Signed) Herbert Stone, 



Richard Hancock, 

 Hon. Sees, to the Committee. 



(Here followed list of Societies.) 



Mr. Hopkinson : There is only one Society that I know which has 

 been able to get this privilege from the railway companies, and that is the 

 Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. Any member can join any of the excursions 

 of the Association on reduced fares by simply producing his card of 

 membership, on which his name is signed, and the excursion circular. 

 The card is issued on the payment of the subsci'iption. I do not think that 

 any other Society has succeeded in doing this. Our Hertfordshire Society 

 has tried, but we must have at least ten members to enable us to get a 

 joint-ticket ; but if the railway companies were approached by an official 

 body representing the whole of the Natural Histoi'y Societies of the 

 country, we might get for them what the Yorkshire Union has done. 



Mr. W. Parkin and Mr. Lamplugh pointed out that the privilege 

 had been modified. 



Dr. W. R. Scott : As to the Irish Societies, I may point out, as a 

 member of the largest of them, the Royal Society of Antiquaries of 

 Ireland, that they get tickets at practically single fares ; at all events it 

 is not more than a fare and a quarter, and the procedure is this : Any 

 member wishing to attend an excursion must, within ten days of the excur- 

 sion, get a form from the secretary of his Society ; it is presented to the 

 railway company, and the secretary then gets the ticket at reduced rates. 



Mr. G. W. Lamplugh : I was going to raise a point as to the Irish 

 railways, as it shows an advance on anything in England. Not only docs 

 this privilege extend to the excursions, but to any work carried on by a 

 field club. On two occasions, when I have gone across to see excavations 

 in the West of Ireland, the Secretary had it in his power to give me a 

 warrant authorising me to get a ticket for field-club business at single 

 fare for the double journey. If this privilege can be wrested from the 

 English railways it will be a great advantage. 



Captain Dubois Phillips, R.N. : Golf-tickets are made out in exactly 

 the same way. You get your ticket from the secretary, sign it at the 

 bottom, and carry out the same routine. I do not think it would be 

 difficult to get if we were all to come together. 



