82 



Huxley says there are " lamentable examples of men who 

 seem to have one moral faculty for science and another for 

 their daily affairs ; " and there seem to be members of this 

 Society who are logical and business-like in their daily 

 affairs, but who appear to think that a society of this 

 description is an incarnation of spiritualism, requiring 

 neither means, nor help, nor direction in the management 

 of its affairs. 



I learn from the Council's report at the end of last year 

 that there were 173 members on our books; I see from the 

 Treasurer's report that 125 paid their subscription, the life 

 and honorary members are g in number, so that it left no 

 less than 39 members in arrear. I observe also from these 

 reports some other interesting but almost incredible facts. 

 We published, at a cost of £5^ 4s. 6d., a volume of " Pro- 

 ceedings " containing altogether 182 pages. This would 

 work out for 173 members at a cost of 6s. 5^^. per member, 

 but taking the number of those that paid subscriptions it 

 works out at cost of 8s. 10^, per member. But I also 

 observe that while the ordinary rate of subscription is 

 ys. 6d., some members pay 6s., others 5s., and country 

 members 2s. 6d. All these members receive a copy of the 

 " Proceedings," so that each member represented a direct 

 loss of IS. ^d., 2s. 10^., 3s. lod., and 6s. 4^., according as 

 he paid 7s. 6d., 6s., 5s., or 2s. 6d. as his subscription. 

 Besides this there is the cost of rooms, stationery, and 

 incidental expenses absolutely necessary to carry on the 

 work of a society of this kind. I turn to the Treasurer's 

 report again, and I find that this state of affairs is met by 

 gifts — " donations, £^2 3s. 8^." 



The rate of subscription was determined at a time when 

 our " Proceedings " did not occupy a third of their present 

 space, and it appears to me high time that a thorough 

 revision of the present rate of subscription and the status 

 of members took place on practical lines. At any rate it 

 appears quite clear that the present position of "country 

 members " should be abolished so far that no other country 

 member should be elected, and that our present country 

 members should be asked to qualify as full members. Pro- 

 bably they have never understood their position with regard 

 to the finances of the Society, but now that it has been 

 pointed out it is to be hoped that the few gentlemen who 

 have reached the high conception so graphically described 

 by Huxley, and who have paid in great measure for the 

 " Proceedings" by private subscriptions, should not again be 



