CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES 

 OF CORRESPONDING SOCIETIES. 



HULL, 1922. 



The Conference met in the Council Chamber of the Guildhall on Thursday, 

 September 7, at 2 p.m.— Mr. W. Whitaker. F.R.&., in the chair— to consider 

 matters referred to the Conference by the Council of the British Association, 

 as follows : — 



(a) To consider what steps should be taken, in accordance with the 

 recommendation of the Committee for Corresponding Societies in 1883, to 

 induce local societies to group themselves round local {i.e. district) sub- 

 centres (i) for the interchange of information, (ii) for the more economical 

 publication of the results of research. 



The constitution and procedure of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union was 

 described by Mr. T. Sheppard (Hull) and Mr. T. W. Woodhead (Huddersfield) ; 

 that of the Gloucester Association of Science and Arts Societies in a com- 

 munication from ;Mr. J. H. Beach (Cheltenham), read in his absence by the 

 Secretary: and that of the SoutJi-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies by 

 Dr. C. Tierney (Croydon). ^Mr. A. AV. Oke (Brighton) illustrated the diffi- 

 culties of maintaining serial publications at the present high cost of printing, 

 and asked how this affected the status of ' Associated ' Societies. It was 

 explained that regular publication was not required to ensure these Societies' 

 status under the rules (ch. xi. 2, i.). Mr. O. G. S. Crawford (Society of 

 Antiquaries) urged the pooling of local publications within large regional 

 limits, and the concentration of the Societies' resources on publication of 

 scientific results and on collaborated bibliographies. Dr. F. A. Bather 

 (^luseums Association) desired greater uniformity and precision of date and 

 paging in reprints of articles from serial publications. 



Arising out of this discussion, the following motions, proposed by ^Ir. 

 0. G. S. Crawford (Society of Antiquaries), were referred to the Corresponding 

 Societies Committee for consideration and reference to the second session of 

 the Conference : (1) ' That steps be taken to publish a single bibliography, at 

 regular intervals, of articles dealing with the archaeology of the British Isles ' ; 

 (2) ' That when a district is worked by more than one society there should be 

 only one joint journal published in that district.' 



(b) To consider whether the Delegates sent to the Conference might be 

 authorised to act as local representatives of the British Association in their 

 respective districts. 



Questions were a.sked as to the services which such local representatives 

 might be expected to render to the Association, and the matter was referred 

 to the Corresponding Societies Committee. 



(c) To consider in what respects the advantages derived by Corre- 

 sponding Societies from their connection with the British Association may 

 be increased or better understood, as. for example, in regard to (a) improved 

 facilities for publication; (b) help in obtaining lecturers of recognised 

 scientific standing. 



This matter also was referred to the Corresponding Societies Committee. 



(d) To consider the proposal made to the Council by the Corresponding 

 Societies Committee : ' That all Corresponding Societies, while retaining the 

 power to appoint any member of the British Association as their delegate, 

 may instead (if they so choose) subscribe 11. to the British Association 

 and have the right to send two delegates during the year in which the 

 subscription is received.' 



It was explained that the Council had postponed consideration of this 

 proposal until the opinion of the Conference of Delegates had been expressed. 



Dr. F. A. Bather (John Evelyn Club) explained that the object of the 

 proposal was to make it easier for the smaller societies to take part in the 

 Conference. 



