ANNUAL MEETING 
105 
Air. John L. Otter (Hon. Treasurer) spoke of the financial 
condition of the Society. He was pleased to announce that the 
Society’s position was steadily and gradually improving. For 
the third year in succession they had a balance to their credit. 
The deficit of three years d!go was now in a fair way of disap- 
pearing altogether. The balance to their credit on 1899 was 
£ 1)5 13s- 8id. This reduced the deficit to is. 2|d. By a 
little exertion on the part of the members of the Society, by 
getting new members to join, and inducing old ones to increase 
their subscriptions, the deficit would be speedily wiped out. 
They would then have opportunity of doing work they had 
longed to do for years, but which had been debarred them 
through want of funds. One point to be observed was that the 
subscriptions of the branches had fallen off in number ; but this 
had been compensated for by increased subscriptions to the 
central body. This was rather an advantage than otherwise, 
for it was well that branches should control their own local 
expenditure, having regard, of course, to a due quota being paid 
to the central body. The receipts in all totalled £},oi i8s. qd., 
leaving, as he had said, a balance of £'^<^ 13s. 8Jd. 
The Report and the balance-sheet were adopted. 
Professor Boulger made a statement as to the Society’s Maga- 
zine. He said he was going to utter what might be considered 
heresy in that room. It occurred to him that there was a defect 
in the work of Gilbert White, and that was that he was deficient 
in the missionary spirit. So long as he could convince his 
friends, Alarkwick, Pennant and Barrington, he was content 
not to force his opinions on any one else. They had, however, 
gone a little beyond that. They did not want to force people 
by weight of money, if they possessed it, but by way of influence. 
The Society during the year had received encouraging recog- 
nition in high places. He referred to the establishment of the 
Amenities Committee of the two Houses of Parliament. Sir 
Robert Hunter had spoken of the Magazine being open to 
other Societies. He always strove to have represented every 
phase and shade of Selbornianism, whether manifested within 
their own ranks or by the members of Societies in sympathy 
with them. Pie only wished that they had more workers and 
more funds. Very much had yet to be done by them, though 
their past record of achievement had not been a bad one. A 
great loss had been incurred by the Society through the death 
during the year of Sir William Flower, who, had he been alive, 
would, the speaker was convinced, have joined with him in 
denouncing the barbarous society fad of docking horses. If 
people refused to purchase horses which had been so treated, 
the custom would inevitably fall into desuetude. Professor 
Boulger then alluded to the obligations the Society owed to 
the heads of various public institutions. Their visits to the 
British Aluseum, for example, had been a great advantage 
during the winter. He had, as editor, a great many curious 
