1900.] Annual Report. 13 



A review of our financial position will not be complete without a 

 reference to the present value of our land and buildings. 



The value of our land has undoubtedly increased, and this, which 

 in itself is satisfactory, has lately been rather unpleasantly impressed 

 upon us by the Municipal authorities, who have evinced a desire to 

 hugely increase our assessment. Fortunately we have, for the present, 

 persuaded the Municipality to deal gently with us, on the ground that, 

 although our land may have increased in value, our building — which 

 ties us to the land — has very greatly deteriorated. 



We have taken steps to have our building properly surveyed, and 

 we shall soon be in a position to maVe a balanced statement on this 

 conflicting subject. For the present we can only emphasize the fact 

 that we possess an old and probably precarious building of yearly 

 decreasing value standing on land of such increased and increasing 

 value that it may lay us open — and this is the point that will even- 

 tually urge us into action — to insupportable Municipal contributions. 



An obvious solution of the problem — that the land might be made 

 to yield the means either of reconstructing our building or of establish- 

 ing ourselves anew on a smaller and less expensive site — will one day 

 have to be considered. 



The onerous duties of Treasurer were discharged first by Mr. R. D. 

 Oldham and afterwards by Mr. W, K. Dods. 



The Council propose the following estimates for the coming year. 

 These, it will be observed, do not include either income or expenditure 

 on the Royal Society's Catalogue operations, which cannot at present be 

 decided. Nor do they provide for any repairs that may be called for 

 when the survey of the building has been made. 



BUDGET ESTIMATE FOR 1900. 





Receipts. 













1899. 





1899. 





1900. 







Estimate, 





Actuals. 





Estimate 



. 



Subscriptions ... Rs. 



6,600 











7,744 1 







7,000 







Sale of Publications... 



600 











7.S2 2 



4 



600 







Interest of Investments 



5,500 











5,530 







5,530 







Rent of Hooms 



1,200 











1,200 







1,200 







Govt. Allowances 



3,000 











2,000 







2,000 







Miscellaneous 



100 











249 9 



6 



400 







Total Rs. 



17,000 











17,455 12 



JO 



16,730 







