380 TiMEHRI. 



Ele6Hons. — Members: Messrs, A. das Neves e Mello, 

 D. D. Barnes and W. J. Fuller. 



Associate: Mr. John Gomas. 



The Secretary read a letter from the Government ask- 

 ing for information as to the organization of Colonial 

 Exhibitions, on behalf of the colony of Natal, which was 

 referred to the Committee of Correspondence. 



The Chairman said that he had been called upon to 

 give a summary of the work of the Society during the 

 past year, but he could hardly do so, as such a resume 

 as had been given in previous years would require a 

 great deal of preparation. It had been their great mis- 

 fortune to lose their President, Mr. R. P. Drysdale, 

 during the current year, and during the short time he 

 (the Chairman) had been a6ling as President, he had not 

 been able to find time to prepare such a statement as 

 might be expe6led. He would, however, call the atten- 

 tion of the Society to a few matters, which he thought 

 worthy of consideration. Among the Committees 

 appointed at every annual meeting, were the Agricul- 

 tural and Commercial Committees. Since the estab- 

 lishment of the Chamber of Commerce he understood 

 that the latter Committee had held no meetings. 

 The Agricultural Committee, he found, had not met 

 for two years, but since he had been ele6ted as 

 Chairman of that Committee he had tried to revive 

 it as much as lay in his power. The result had 

 been that seven or eight meetings were held during the 

 year, at which several important matters came up for 

 discussion, among them being the labour question. 

 The Government having applied to the Society for 

 information as to the wages of agricultural labourers, on 



