lxxxviii 
Monthly Council, July 25, 1894. 
Committee for consideration. One 
of the reasons urged by Mr. Pell, 
perhaps the strongest, was that those 
members of the Society who had 
become members by examination did 
not devote their lives to agriculture 
to any large extent. That was the 
impression at the time. Since then 
Mr. Dickson had put into his hands 
answers which he had received from 
the various examinees who were Life 
Members. He (Mr. Ransome) found, 
on the whole, that less than 5 per cent, 
were not directly connected with 
agriculture or were not closely con- 
nected with agricultural education. 
He thought this was a very strong 
argument. Mr. Dickson said at the 
General Meeting that “ he had taken 
some little trouble to find out what 
was the present occupation of these 
members. From fourteen he had as 
yet no return whatever, owing to 
their residence abroad or in the 
coloLiei, but of the remaining 
seventy, only two wrote to say that 
they were not at the present time in- 
timately connected with agriculture. 
Ten were engaged in farming, twenty- 
three were land agents, eighteen 
were teachers at different centres, such 
as Edinburgh University, Newcastle- 
on-Tyne, Reading, Cairo, Poonah, 
&c., and seventeen were either small 
landowners or were otherwise inti- 
mately con nected with the agricultural 
industry.” It appeared, therefore, 
that a very small percentage were not 
directly connected with agriculture. 
When they remembered that one of 
the objects of their Society was “to 
take measures for the improve- 
ment of the education of those who 
depend upon the cultivation of the soil 
for their support,” and when they con- 
sidered the value placed upon scien- 
tific education in the present day, and 
the great necessity there was that 
agriculture should have the benefit of 
scientific education as well as other 
industries in this country, they would 
feel that a great Society like the 
“ Royal” ought not to do anything at 
any time — and more especially at this 
time — to detract from the value of 
the examinations, which he believed 
certainly stood at the very top of the 
tree. Although the money prizes 
were valuable, and he would not advo- 
cate their being discontinued, yet he 
thought that there was no question 
whatever that these Education Life 
Memberships were very much more 
highly esteemed than anything in the 
shape of money. The fact that suc- 
cessful candidates had their names in 
the list of members of the Society 
with a special mark, indicating that 
they had received their Life Member- 
ships after having passed a very severe 
and stringent examination, gave a 
much greater value to them than any 
money prizes could possibly have. 
He hoped the Council would under- 
stand that he was merely moving that 
the former resolution should be re- 
scinded. The Council would re- 
member that the Education Com- 
mittee had proposed that the number 
of Life Memberships should be re- 
duced from an unlimited number to 
five per annum, and that this was 
the first year in which that resolution 
had come into force. Perhaps he 
might be allowed to say that the 
Education Committee had considered 
this matter yesterday, and they were 
prepared with some suggestions in 
their report, provided that his reso- 
lution was carried. He would not 
say more, but move the resolution 
that stood in his name. 
Mr. Mainwaring seconded the 
resolution. 
Sir Nigel Kingscote said he held 
in his hand a letter from Mr. Pell, 
saying how much he regretted to be 
unable to be present to support him 
in his contention that this resolution 
ought not to be rescinded. With all 
deference to Mr. Ransome, he would 
say that when Mr. Pell’s motion was 
brought forward there were more 
people in the room than there were 
now. It was true there was no dis- 
cussion, but there was every oppor- 
tunity for discussion. He did not 
wish to repeat what he had said 
when Mr. Pell brought forward his 
motion, but he strongly objected to 
giving these Life Memberships to 
scholars who came up for their exami- 
nations. There were prizes of 25 1., 
15Z., 10Z.,and 5Z. given, which he con- 
sidered quite sufficient for the purpose 
of fostering emulation. He did not 
see why the Society should hamper 
itself with these Life Members, nor 
