348 Timehri. 



"Gazette "of 1844: "We were to live, not for the sake of our main 

 objects but through the allurements of our subsidiary enjoyments.'" The 

 Society in 1886 was slow in seeing how necessary it was to encourage 

 any of these "subsidiary enjoyments."' "Here delicacy prompts me to 

 say.' proceeded the speaker, " that I ought to stop and merely refer you 

 to the papers of 15th October, 1886, for mine was the resolution which 

 caused the biggest upheaval our Society has ever experienced. To pass 

 it over would be to omit one of our stepping stones. My principle was 

 the popularising of the Society by reducing its then heavy subscriptions 

 so as to open its doors to poorer members of our community and by the 

 extension of our library. We had meetings and there was much 

 enthusiasm, for we were very much alive in those days and arguments 

 waxed hot. 1 remember one in connection with another matter, which 

 now, looking back, seems very small but which then was everything. A 

 keen antagonist, I remember, wrote me on jet black paper with red ink — 

 yes, we were very enthusiastic in those days. At the general meeting 

 which caused the parting of the ways of our Society my resolution was 

 carried by an overwhelming majority. What a comfortable thing it is to 

 be on the popular side : how easy to create a following when the aim and 

 object is the reduction of a subscription or the lessening of an monetary 

 obligation ! There was, however, some opposition — fortunately there 

 always is opposition or things would be very flat — and I was told that I 

 was interfering with the prerogative of the executive. The sequel of our 

 victory was unlooked for. Not only did our much revered president, the 

 late Mr. Win. Russell, resign, but his example was followed by a great 

 number of other members of the executive and also by Mr. Everard 

 iin Thurn, now Sir Everard im Thurn, the founder of "Timehri." The 

 pessimists once more bleated. We were undone without our Sugar 

 King ; we were undone, and the days were not only numbered for the 

 Society but for its mouthpiece ; Timehri.' 



"But little did they know the vitality and power with which without 

 in any way deranging the Society we were able to form a new Cabinet. 

 Mr. Henry Kirk Mas elected chairman, Mr. P. H. Nind vice-chairman, 

 the managing directorate falling on Mr. D. C. Cameron, Mr. J. S. Hill 

 and myself. My colleagues, Mr. Qameron and Mr. Hill, have passed on 

 leaving with me but the happy memory of my association with I hem. 

 They were good friends and true. Out- work was strenuous and thanks 

 to the admirable assistance given us by the late Mr. F. A. Conyers, the 

 treasurer, we were very soon able to put our house in order. The lapse 

 of time has been great and I don't want to be hypercritical but it seems 

 incredible that a latitude should have been given to the members in the 

 payment of their subscriptions which showed arrears in So. 168. The 

 severance of Sir Everard im Thurn was a great loss to us, but Mr. Quelch, 

 at that time curator of the Museum, and later Mr. Bod way, kept the 

 journal going for us in these days. And, in conclusion, what of the 

 Society to-day ? If in sympathy with the general depression of the 

 times we may have suffered we know that it is through no lack of enter- 

 prise on the part of our executive, whilst the Society's mouthpiece 



