The art of extracting minerals from refractory ores is mak- 

 ing rapid progress. It is always an open question whether scien-- 

 tific results obtained in the laboratory, even on a very large 

 scale, will prove commercially practical in the immediate future. 

 Nevertheless, it may be taken for certain that, in a future not 

 very remote, the success of the laboratory experiment will be- 

 come the success of the enterprising capitalist, and I look for- 

 ward with confidence to the fixture of the vast low-grade pro- 

 positions on the west of Tasmania. 



This Society has done much to draw attention to the need 

 for the scientific regulation of forestry, and the economic intro- 

 duction of rapid-growing timber from the Northern Hemi- 

 sphere. I have taken an active interest in this movement, and 

 I am glad to be able to congratulate Tasmania that at last the 

 Government has made a satisfactory beginning in the direction 

 of one of the most profitable and most necessary of State indus- 

 tries, namely, forestry, in a country where the State alone can 

 at present be tempted to this form of investment at moderate 

 compound interest. 



The principal feature vs'ith regard to transportation on land 

 is the rapid conversion of railroads from steam to electric trac- 

 tion. It is safe to say that in this line mechanical and technical 

 difficulties have been overcome; it is only a question of having 

 sufficient traffic to justify conversion financially. Sooner or later 

 this day will come for Tasmania. It behoves the representatives 

 of the people to guard against any wasteful alienation of the 

 water power now belonging to the State. The running of a train 

 on a monorail evoked widespread interest, but the risks and 

 complications involved prevent its being a competitor with 

 narrow gauge lines for the commercial handling of ordinary 

 goods traffic. 



The great interest taken by the Australian Government, 

 and by Australian explorers, in the recent successful Antarctic 

 expedition, recalls to mind that Sir John Franklin was the 

 founder and first president of this Society. Meetings were then 

 held at the old Government House, where Franklin Square and 

 the Public Buildings now are. It has often been said that the 

 value of the old site to-day more than covers the cost of the 

 present Governor's establishment. 



The Government Statistician, ^Ir. Robert ^lackenzie John- 

 ston, was deputed by us last year to represent Tasmania at the 

 foundation of the celebration, in London, of the one hundredth 

 anniversary of the Royal Geographical Society. The records 

 of this Society contain a series of most valuable papers on 

 geology, including the extensive and brilliant contributions of 

 Mr. Johnston, who has also read papers on economic and statis- 

 tical questions, of exceptional originality and worth. This feads 

 one to express a hope that the Royal Society of Tasmania will 

 continue to welcome papers on an ever-increasing variety of 

 scientific subjects, and aspire more and more to the breadth of 

 view of its great founder. 



The opportunities before this Society are very promising; 

 there is a yearning in a community such as this for a common 

 meeting-ground l'f)r men of culture, who are devoted to study 

 and research, and for those anxious to elevate their knowledge; 



