THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE. £33 
The Meteorological Stations are managed by the Director of 
of the Geological Survey, Dr. Hector, as well as the limited 
means at his command allow. This has been done in compli- 
ance with the late principle of killing the willing horse: that 
when we have a good public servant, to pile the work upon him, 
and to consider his back three times as broad as Providence 
usually designs the backs of humanity for weight-carrying pur- 
poses. 
For all these things Parliament votes a certain sum annually, 
just as it does for any other department of the public service. 
The proper time to make complaint touching the effectiveness ot 
their management is when the Estimates are being passed. The 
Director being responsible for their administration, it is absurd 
to suppose that that officer could possibly allow his assistants to 
become what Mr. Thomson wishes them to become, viz., inde- 
pendent of his control. We have at present a very good manager 
in Dr. Hector. Let us be content with being well served. 
The 4500 granted by Parliament for printing the Transac- 
tions only covers the actual cost of printing. The officers of the 
survey staff all contribute to the work of publishing the yearly 
volume in their spare time, and without any remuneration. Were 
it otherwise, the work could not possibly appear, as the annual 
grant would not be sufficient to meet the expenses, The actual 
cost per page of the Transactions is almost one pound, and the 
volume usually consists of five to six hundred pages. Does Mr. 
Thomson wish to endanger the appearance of the yearly volume ? 
He would find it exceedingly difficult just now to induce Parlia- 
ment to increase the 4500 grant. 
It is evident, too, that if the affiliated societies had this 
grant divided amongst themselves,—which, being public money, 
might be so voted,—and attempted each to print their own trans- 
actions, the result would not be a yearly scientific volume, admired 
the world over, and for which exchanges are readily and willingly 
made by the different and learned societies. 
It is also evident that no Board purely elected = the socie- 
ties could, for the present, well administer the small annual grant, 
as Mr. Thomson wishes. Jealousies would be certain to arise, 
and it is very doubtful whether the representatives would meet 
in Wellington when required. For although it is quite true, as 
Mr. Thomson says, that the Board of Governors only met twice 
in 1881 (vedé Vol. XV.), yet this appears to have been an excep- 
tion, as the former volumes show that the meetings usually num- 
ber from three to six. Nor does it appear from the minutes how 
much of the real work of the Board in selecting papers is done 
without formal meetings. I think, therefore, in the present state 
of the Colony, it would be unreasonable to expect a dozen gen- 
tlemen to make special journeys to Wellington four or five times 
in the year from all parts of the Colony to look after a matter 
which, in my opinion at least, appears to be very fairly attended 
to. Representatives resident in Wellington, or residing therein 
for a good portion of the year, would have to be chosen, there- 
