404 ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT 



society like ours could easily make arrangements with publishers for 

 the purchase of books upon special terms. 



(3) I would also suggest the appointment of a special lecture com- 

 mittee to provide lectures outside the District of Columbia. Our 

 Washington lectures have been of great value and importance and 

 have proved to be very attractive to our members and the public gen- 

 erall^^ Indeed, it has been difficult to find a hall suflftcientl}^ large 

 to accommodate our audiences. It would be entirely jiracticable to 

 establish similar courses of lectures in some of the larger cities of the 

 United States, and members should have the privilege of ])urchasing 

 season tickets at less price than the ])ublic at large. 



It is perfectly certain to me from the experience of the j^ast (see 

 diagram above), that tlie general membership of the Societ}' will not 

 increase at anything like the rate it has done tiiis 3'ear, and that we 

 may even anticipate for next year a falling off rather than an increase, 

 unless special efforts are made to push the membership; and it is 

 equally certain to me, from the great and sudden increase that has 

 followed our experiment in this direction, that continuous and per- 

 sistent eff'orts will be rewarded with success; but the}^ must be con- 

 tinuous and })ersistent. The rise in the curve is too sudden to last, 

 unless special attention is paid to the matter. 



RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE, NOT IMMEDIATE, ACTION 



I would also suggest, as a matter not for immediate action, but 

 for discussion and thought, the advisability of amending our by-laws 

 at the next annual meeting of the Society, in May, 1901, so as to abolish 

 the distinction between active and corresponding members. Let all 

 be active members, with a uniform membership fee sufficient to cover 

 the expenses of the Society, with the exception of lecture courses, 

 which should be made to pay for themselves and yield a revenue to 

 tlie Societ}'^ to be used for the promotion of geographic research. 



The object of this Society is "the increase and diffusion of geo- 

 graphic knowledge." We have done a great deal to diff'use geographic 

 knowledge, but very little to increase it. Our lectures have been so 

 l)opular as to overshadow the scientific work of the Society. Even 

 our technical courses have been so largely attended as to prevent dis- 

 cussion. We have been swamped by our own success, and we have found 

 it increasingly more difficult to hold meetings of a technical charac- 

 ter similar to those held by other scientific societies. 



I would urge upon the Board the advisability of creating within 



