146 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
summer, or autumn, and might be simultaneous with those of 
the University Senate, and held in the same town. Perhaps, 
however, it would be better to hold it at a time when the 
University professors and all other teachers would be at liberty 
to attend. 3 
The advantages of such an association would be very many 
and very great. It would bring together the many scientific. 
workers in the colony; it would make them friendly; would 
elicit many discussions ; would teach each man his position. 
It would let the workers know their position better, would teach 
them often what had been done, what was being done, and what 
was left for the future. These annual meetings would also do 
vast good by removing some of the narrow-mindedness and 
priggishness inseparable from all isolated workers. The reading 
of papers: the results of the work of a few would stimulate 
many to hard work. There would arise that best of stimulants 
—a keen competition; and progress would follow. Not only 
would scientific students profit, but also the general public. 
The curse of our present system is that in each society there 
are only some half-dozen active workers who read many papers 
and take an active part in the discussions. The public grow 
‘ weary of attending the meeting where, year after year, they. 
listen to the same speakers; and there arises the feeling in 
their minds which led, ages ago, to the statement that a prophet 
is not without honour save in his own country, and among his 
own kin. One obvious benefit of these meetings would be a 
renewed interest in science by the public. A Dunedin public, 
wearied a little perchance of their own scientists, would willingly 
go to hear new voices from Wellington and Auckland and else- 
where, and certainly these other people would crowd to listen to 
a strange preacher. The annual address by the president, and 
the meeting of the Association, would attract the attention of 
the papers, and thereby be brought more closely home to the 
people. | 
Medical men in the colony might form an Association, which 
should be a branch of the larger one—a section, such as the 
Geological or Botanical. This section would certainly give 
strength and size to the Association. Many medical men would 
take an interest in it, and would attend the meetings of the 
Association, who otherwise would not go for a mere love of 
general science. The Association. might further strengthen 
itself by a Social Science section, thereby attracting another 
class of workers. To be a success, the Association would have 
to open wide its doors to all classes of thinkers and workers. 
The engineers and surveyors would have a section to themselves, — 
In social science, there might be an educational subsection. 
The Association might, I think, do more than this. It might 
found a kind of order of merit, like the F.R.S.at Home. Tog 
make it a real honour, the number to be distributed yearly 
should be limited to 1 or 3. The keen desire to obtain the 
right to use the magic letters F.R.S. at Home is productive of a 
