VIII. S. H. BARRACLOUGH. 



In preparing his address the Chairman has choice of 

 several methods. Commonly the address takes the form 

 of an historical summary of the directions of progress 

 during the immediately preceding period. On looking back 

 over the remarks of the Chairmen for the last three or four 

 years, I find that for one reason or another this course has 

 not been adopted, so that no such review has been published 

 during that time. If I do not follow this plan it is not that 

 the period of the few years just passed does not offer con- 

 siderable temptation for an historical sketch of progress. 



Although, doubtless, each generation is inclined to over- 

 estimate the value or importance of contemporary occur- 

 rences, yet it is hard to believe that even future historians 

 will not regard the present period as one of distinct interest, 

 and at least considerable importance. It has been a period 

 of wars with their marked effect on trade and industry ; it 

 has witnessed the close of the struggle of the South African 

 Republics against Great Britain, the last effort as it seemed 

 of the old type of civilization against the new ; and it has 

 witnessed the beginning, and may we trust the almost 

 ending of the titanic conflict between Russia and Japan, 

 the first effort as it seems to some of the awakened eastern 

 civilization against the western. 



It has been a period of industrial war marked by the 

 growth of gigantic trade trusts and monopolies on the one 

 hand, and the each year more elaborate organization of 

 labour on the other. In England it has witnessed what a 

 few years ago would have seemed the astounding proposal 

 to foster our industries by tariffs, and to threaten neighbour- 

 ing nations with fiscal retaliation. In Australia it has been 

 the period of early experience with federation, with its 

 inevitable disappointments. It has witnessed sociological 

 experiments on a large scale ; the practical prohibition of 

 immigration of industrial workers, the establishment of 



