Ixxxvi  General  Meeting  of  Governors  and  Members, 
now  that  they  meant  to  wind  up  the 
Council,  and  start  it  next  year,  but 
without  co-optation,  on  a fresh  basis, 
and  increase  the  annual  subscriptions. 
No  one,  he  thought,  would  mind 
giving  2/.  a year  instead  of  If.  ; and 
there  were  those  who  would  not  object 
to  giving  57.,  10/.,  or  207.  a year  to  the 
Society. 
Mr.  John  McLaren  said  that  he 
was  sorry  that  they  had  met  under 
such  sad  circumstances.  Lord  Derby 
asked  the  question  : “ Were  they  going 
forward  ? ” As  a Member  of  the 
Society  of  over  thirty  years’  standing, 
he  hoped  that  every  Member  would 
answer  that  question  in  the  affirma- 
tive, and  that  the  Royal  Agricultural 
Society,  which  had  done  so  much  for 
Agriculture  in  the  j)ast,  would  continue 
its  useful  career,  but  under  more 
favourable  circumstances  than  ever. 
The  best  way  to  do  that,  in  his  opinion, 
was  to  look  facts  firmly  in  the  face,  to 
ascertain  what  was  the  present  position 
of  the  Society,  how  it  got  to  this  pass, 
and  what  was  the  best  way  out  of  it. 
He  had  maintained  all  along  that  one 
of  the  great  sources  of  loss  to  the 
Society  was  the  enormous  expenditure 
at  headquarters  at  Hanover  Square. 
They  had  an  income  from  subscriptions 
of  a little  over  6,0007.  a year,  and 
they  paid  more  than  6,0007.  a year  in 
salaries  ; they  had  a house  which  cost 
them  2,0007.  a year,  with  rates  and 
taxes,  and  these  two  items  alone 
amounted  to,  roughly,  8,0007.,  which 
had  to  be  met  out  of  an  income  of 
6,0007.  They  had  had  the  Shows 
“ trotted  out,”  but  with  the  exception 
of  the  Maidstone  Show — which  was  a 
serious  blunder  on  the  part  of  the 
Council — the  Shows  for  forty  years 
had  not  been  a loss  to  the  Society,  as 
had  been  represented.  He  claimed 
that  the  first  thing  they  ought  to  do 
was  to  set  their  house  in  order  at 
Hanover  Square,  and  go  into  rooms 
at  about  6007.  a year,  which  would 
be  ample  for  the  business  of  the 
Society. 
Another  grievous  fault  and  source 
of  loss  of  Members  and  money  had 
been  the  unfortunate  blunder  of 
settling  at  Park  Royal.  Park  Royal 
had  been  purchased  by  the  Council 
without  conferring  with  the  Members, 
and  in  spite  of  the  protests  of  the 
Members.  It  was,  in  his  opinion,  simply 
a bog  in  which  had  been  sunk  23,0007. 
or  24,0007.  He  hoped  that  the  Members 
would  see  to  it  that  that  was  put  right. 
They  were  entitled  to  ask  the  Council, 
as  far  as  possible,  to  retrace  their  steps 
after  losing  18,0007.  or  19,0007.  in  the 
two  Shows  already  held  there,  but  do 
not  let  them  heave  any  more  money 
into  the  bog.  He  maintained  that 
before  the  Council  sent  out  their  cir- 
culars asking  the  Members  what  they 
would  do  to  help  the  Society,  they 
should  have  given  the  Members  a lead 
by  saying  what  they  were  prepared 
to  do  themselves.  There  was  a moral 
obligation  upon  those  gentlemen  who 
led  them  into  the  trouble  to  show 
them  the  way  out.  So  far,  he  had 
himself  not  seen  his  wa}'  to  make  any 
offer  of  subscription,  because  it  ap- 
peared to  him  to  be  a great  pity  to 
throw  good  money  away  ; and  until 
the  new  arrangements  were  in  force, 
he  would  not  contribute  anything  to- 
wards the  funds  of  the  Society  ; but 
he  would  be  glad  to  do  so  as  soon  as 
the  Society  was  placed  on  a satisfac- 
tory basis,  and  as  a Life  Member  to 
pay  a yearlysubscription,  and  he  hoped 
that  a great  many  others  would  do  the 
same.  The  meagre  response  to  the 
appeal  was  very  suggestive.  What  did 
it  mean  that  out  of  such  a large  Mem- 
bership only  5,0007.  was  offered  to  help 
the  Society  in  its  difficulties  ? It  was 
the  expression  of  despair  that  Mem- 
bers, who  had  been  hitherto  ignored, 
would  not  open  their  purses  or  open 
their  hearts.  They  were  satisfied  that 
no  good  could  come  out  of  Park  Royal. 
Whj'  did  not  the  Council  acknowledge 
their  mistake  ? Why  did  not  they 
promise  to  clear  out  of  Park  Royal  ? 
He  did  not  say  this  year.  If  they 
wanted  a Show  next  year,  hold  it  at 
Park  Royal.  They  were  told  that 
there  was  a surplus  of  16,0007.  avail- 
able on  Park  Royal.  As  business  men, 
why  did  they  not  secure  that  16,0007. 
at  once,  and,  not  leave  it  there  to  lose 
it  gradually?  The  expenditure  on 
salaries  and  house  rent  ought  to  be 
reduced.  He  was  of  the  opinion  that 
they  ought  to  have  a practical  agricul- 
turist as  Secretary.  If  the  Council 
would  carry  these  suggestions  into 
effect,  he  was  sure  the  Members  would 
rally  round  and  provide  the  needful. 
