10 



occasionally the meetings were inconveniently crowded ; 

 in addition to this, we had no definite agreement as to 

 our tenancy, and there was a possibility that we might 

 be told at any moment to turn out ; but the " last straw " was 

 a notice of increased rent, and it was considered by the 

 executive to be high time to inquire what other suitable 

 accommodation existed. In their search they were fortunate 

 in having the services of, as my friend, Mr. Weir, very aptly 

 put it, " a man on the spot," in the person of Mr. T. R. 

 Billups, through whose instrumentality our present Rooms 

 were put before the Council on conditions that appeared to 

 them to justify their bringing the matter before a Special 

 General Meeting. This was done, and it was decided that 

 the proposed move should be made ; the concluding arrange- 

 ments were got through, and the necessary agreement, the 

 preparation of which was very kindly undertaken by Mr. T. 

 W. Hall, was duly signed, sealed, and delivered ; and on 

 Thursday, the loth February, the first meeting was held in 

 these Rooms. 



The question that will naturally present itself to your 

 minds is, Have these changes proved advantageous to the 

 Society? The Reports of the Council and various officers 

 that you have already heard will, to some extent, have 

 answered this ; but it may be well, in passing, to examine 

 some of the items touched upon more closely than is expe- 

 dient in such reports. In the first place, is the position of our 

 place of meeting as convenient as formerly ? I think that you 

 will all agree with me that it is so ; and I venture to think, 

 also, that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find any 

 locality offering greater facilities in this respect. Its close 

 proximity to the stations of the Southern railways and tram- 

 lines render it especially suitable to the requirements of the 

 large number of our members living south of the Thames, 

 while its contiguity to the Monument Station of the Metro- 

 politan Railway brings it within easy access of the districts 

 lying in a more northerly direction ; the Rooms themselves 

 are, you will readily admit, a great improvement on any that 



