OF THE AUSTRALIAN MEETING. 683 
It is unnecessary to mention the many organisers and leaders of 
separate excursions. 
Railway Travelling.—A great deal of organisation was necessary to 
provide suitably for the simultaneous transport of so large a party of 
visitors in special trains, with sleeping accommodation and arrange- 
ments for meals, between the capital cities of the different States, which 
are separated by distances of many hundreds of miles. Arrangements 
had also to be made for the collection and separate transport of Members 
who arrived at various Australian ports apart from the main party, and 
for the return of Members to various ports after the conclusion of the 
Meeting. The handling and transport of large quantities of luggage 
had also to be planned. In connection with all such work the Com- 
mittees had invaluable assistance from the State Railway Commis- 
sioners and their subordinate officers, and were specially indebted to 
the Chief Victorian Commissioner, Mr. W. Fitzpatrick. 
Facilities for Extended Travel.—Under this head may be included 
some of the longer organised excursions which were carried out during 
or immediately after the Meeting, such as those to the Broken Hill 
Mines and to Tasmania. But in addition the Federal Council under- 
took to provide facilities for any Member who might desire to devote 
himself for a time to special scientific work in Australia. Advantage 
was taken of this by not a few, though the War undoubtedly interfered 
with the plans of many. 
Accommodation for the Meeting.—All the Australian universities 
placed their buildings unreservedly at the disposal of the Committees. 
In the chief centres arrangements were made to utilise the great halls 
as reception rooms, the Unions and club-rooms as luncheon rooms, etc., 
and to house each Section in a suitable lecture theatre with adjacent 
committee rooms. 
Work of the Sections.—Two local Secretaries were appointed for 
each Section, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney, for the purpose of 
providing suitable programmes of local work (as mentioned later) and 
making other arrangements in consultation with the Recorders. 
Handbooks.—A number of illustrated scientific handbooks were 
prepared in view of the Meeting. The chief of these was the ‘ Federal 
Handbook on Australia,’ consisting of a series of monographs written 
by selected specialists. This volume was edited by the Commonwealth 
Statist, Mr. G. H. Knibbs, C.M.G., and published by the Common- 
wealth Government. A separate volume on similar lines, but of more 
limited scope, was issued by each State. A copy of each was presented 
to every visiting Member, and most of them were distributed in London 
beforehand. The Editors of the State Handbooks were :— 
South Australia: Mr. D. J. Gordon and Mr. V. H. Ryan. 
Victoria: Mr. A. M. Laughton and Dr. T. S. Hall. 
New South Wales: Mr. R. H. Cambage and Mr. W. S. Dun. 
The Western Australian and Tasmanian books were in the hands of 
Committees. The Queensland book was a Government work published 
some time previously. 
