IIo JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
different shape to the present New Zealand Institute, and would 
probably assume another name. 
The reasons for this position of unstable equilibrium are not 
far to seek. They are (1) The members of the affiliated societies 
having no voice in the management; and (2) The manager being 
a government official not responsible to the members nor even to 
the governors, but appointed by Act of Parliament, which Act 
also compels him to be the Director of the Geological Survey. 
No doubt a certain amount of representation is, as you point 
out, supposed to be included on the board ; but every one knows 
that this is a hollow sham, a mere mockery of what is meant by 
representation. And of the eleven governors more than half 
have never contributed a paper to the Transactions. 
And yet the Institute has been so far a success. This is al- 
most entirely owing to the skill of the manager, who is certainly 
the best man in New Zealand for the post, and is the one who 
would undoubtedly be elected if the election was in the hands 
of the members. But suppose the present manager were to re- 
tire. Is it probable that the next Director of the Geological 
Survey would be willing to undertake the management of the 
Institute, so alien as it is to all his true work? Or if he was 
willing, is it likely he would be capable of doing it? And yet, 
by Act of Parliament, no one else is allowed to be manager. 
Here then is a second danger of collapse, so soon as the present 
unstable conditions are altered. 
It is not my business to draft a reform bill. I only wish to 
point out to the Board of Governors the precarious position in 
which the Institute is placed, in order that they may ward off 
the danger before it is too late. Nevertheless, I may be allowed 
to suggest that the first step towards reform should be for the 
governors to ask the affiliated societies to send delegates to a 
conference, to be held at some convenient time and place, to dis- 
cuss the matter with the manager of the Institute, whose experi- 
ence would be necessary to ensure a good working scheme. 
This, in my opinion, would be better than leaving the affiliated 
societies to take the initiative—I am, &c., 
F.,. W.. HUTTON: 
Christchurch, 24th March, 1884. 
THE TIMBER OF NESODAPHNE TAWA. 
Sir,—After careful observation and enquiry, being fully satis- 
fied that this timber, which is now being destroyed in large 
quantities, would, if its properties were properly known, become 
one of the most valuable of our forest productions, I submit the 
following particulars, hoping thereby to bring it into notice. The 
properties of Tawa timber are as follows :— 
1. It is proof against the attacks of the marine worm. 
2. When immersed in water, either salt or fresh, or even oc- 
casionally immersed, as for instance by the tide, it is extremely 
durable, indeed, as far as observation extends, imperishable, 
