PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 19 
issue, are more likely than single workers to obtain the best 
and quickest solutions. The part played by our learned 
societies in the furtherance of scientific investigation in 
Australia, coupled with the personality and capacity of 
many individual members, indicate that they are corporate 
bodies of no small importance, of great public utility, and 
of very considerable experience in their particular pro- 
vinees of knowledge. As a consequence, I believe the Ad- 
visory Council itself, and the various State Committees, 
would be considerably strengthened if these societies were 
directly represented on them. The work now being ecar- 
ried out by the Council is far too little known to the scien- 
tific public of Australia, and I would suggest the import- 
ance of establishing a reeular Journal of Science, under 
its auspices, which would keep us all informed of the pro- 
eress made, and which might also contain references to cur- 
rent work published elsewhere in Australia, summaries of 
previous investigations, and other suitable matter. 
Through the kindness of the Secretary, Mr. Gerald Light- 
foot, I have been placed in possession of the following in- 
formation as to the work carried out by the Council during 
last year. I make no apology for including this in my 
address, as the matter is not otherwise easily accessible, 
and members will doubtless, like myself, be surprised at the 
volume and diversity of the subjects considered. Further, 
all will see from reading it, the importance of contributing 
what they can to ensure the success of the Institute of 
Science and Industry. | 
Brief Résumé of Work carried out by the Commonwealth 
Advisory Council of Science and Industry from June, 
1917, to April, 1918 :— 
I. General.—As indicated in the Report of the Executive 
Committee for the year 1916-17, the objects for which the 
temporary Advisory Council was established, pending the 
