348 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.— E, F. 



Mr. A. N. Harris. — Factors controlling port sites, with special reference to 

 western India. 



A brief review of the physical geography of W. India. The ancient ports 

 were situated in regions of relatively great productivity and attracted the 

 trade-routes to them. The most productive regions were the Indus Delta 

 country, the Cambay country and southern India, so that the ports had 

 wretched sites which were doomed to decay. The process of preparing the 

 sites of the modern ports of Bombay and Karachi was a relatively slow one, 

 in which both nature and man were concerned, and it was not until com- 

 paratively recent times that the sites were made fit to support great ports. 



The changes in the regions in which port sites are located may be attributed 

 to the fact that in ancient times ports were in regions of increment, owing to 

 the difficulty of land transport, whereas in modern times improved land 

 transport has obviated the necessity of ports being within the region of 

 surplus production, but a first-class site is required. 



Exhibit. 



Exhibition of Dr. Tempest Anderson's collection of photographs of 

 volcanic phenomena, in a room adjoining the Section-room. 



SECTION F.— ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND 

 STATISTICS. 



Thursday, September 1. 



Prof. J.CoATMAN, CLE. — International migration in the twentieth century. 



Any discussion of migration nowadays must recognise that the problem 

 which it presents is a complex one, composed of many factors, biological, 

 political and economic. 



For our present purpose the chief interest is on the economic side, but 

 since this side cannot be studied in isolation we must take at any rate the 

 main features of the biological and political sides into account. 



Biological. — Differential birth-rates and effect on population, growth and 

 pressure. Effects on the flow of migration. How birth control affects 

 the problem. 



Political. — Migration policies of the chief countries concerned, both 

 countries of migration and receiving countries. 



Economic. — The economic aspects of population growth. What countries 

 can sustain growing populations by reason of natural resources, potential 

 industrial development, etc. What countries must find outlets for their 

 surplus people. 



Where are the possible outlets and what sorts of outlets will they provide — 

 i.e. for settlers on the land, or in industrial or other urban pursuits ? The 

 present and future balance of agricultural and industrial occupations, and 

 the effects of changes in this balance on our subject. Present-day trends 

 in the flow of migration. Economic consequences of migration on both 

 the countries of migration and the receiving countries. Migration is 

 primarily an economic problem, and like all other major economic problems 

 has become an international problem. Possible direction and limits of 

 international action in regard to migration. 



