Vol. 59.] ANNIVEESAEY ADDEESS OF THE PEESIDENT. XCV 



local maps were, until recently, practically non-existent. The 

 Government Ordnance and Geological Surveys have now made 

 these at great national expense, but so hidden away are they that 

 few except military and civil engineers and surveyors use them 

 freely, and very few have recognized their perfection and importance. 

 .Now that these maps are becoming completed, we are beginning 

 to discover that they constitute a most important educational engine. 

 They are still, however, sold at too high a price. When we bear in 

 mind the important fact that each member of a class should be 

 provided with a fresh map at every successive stage, the cost to 

 parents and school-managers of this branch of geonomic training, 

 as matters stand, would be considerable. Yet we may be sure that 

 this kind of instruction is certain to come about. It becomes, 

 therefore, a serious question whether the Government departments 

 concerned with the surveying of our country could not be authorized 

 to supply these maps to school classes, either as part of the local 

 Government grant or at a very cheap rate. The actual surveying of 

 the country and the preparation of the maps already costs several 

 thousands of pounds annually, which are ungrudgingly paid by the 

 nation. Surely an extra yearly grant of a few scores of pounds to 

 enable the Government map-making departments to supply these 

 maps to schools at a nominal price, would be so trivial, whether 

 compared on the one hand with the large grant already made for 

 the original production of these maps, or on the other hand with 

 their educational value to the rising generation, that it would un- 

 doubtedly be welcomed by all. 



And once our people became aware of the excellence of these 

 national maps, topographical and geological, the demand for them, 

 which is comparatively small at present, would certainly grow. 

 As yet, however, the public are hardly aware even of their existence. 

 A great advance has been made of late by hanging up selected, 

 but unfortunately not local, portions of these maps in post-offices, 

 with a notice that the maps can be obtained from the local agent. 

 But what are really wanted in all post-offices are framed copies of 

 the 1-inch and 6-inch maps of the locality, hung up so as to be avail- 

 able for reference by all comers ; and a copy of each of these and the 

 other local maps kept in stock, together with a simple catalogue of 

 all the national maps and memoirs, any one of which should be 

 obtainable by return of post. The post-offices are, in the very nature 

 of things, the best advertising places in the country ; and they are 

 in direct touch with the map-issuing departments of the Government. 



VOL. LIX. Ji 



