ANNUAL MEETING. 
145 
the way of seriously diminishing the beauty of the landscape. 1 
have taken an unpopular line. I have put before you considera- 
tions which are unpopular. I do not propose a solution, but 
suggest these points for your very serious attention, and with 
these remarks I have much pleasure in seconding the adoption 
of the report. 
Mr. J. L. Otter said : Amongst the many subjects of 
congratulation the financial property of the Society cannot be 
included. It is an unfortunate thing that we, as a Society, have 
always been rather behindhand in our payments. Our ex- 
penditure is not large, and every item of it may be called 
necessary expenditure if we are to maintain a moderate efficiency. 
On the other hand our members do not decrease, but increase, 
and the numbers are large and satisfactory. I am afraid the 
reason of the deficiency is that the members do not give 
enough. When we began the minimum subscription was 
2S. 6d., and there were few or no expenses. Afterwards 
this sum was found to be inadequate, and a few years ago the 
subscription was raised to 5s. for new members, though it still 
remained at 2s. fid. for existing members. The privilege has 
always been afforded to all members of subscribing to an un- 
limited extent. I am sorry to say that few availed themselves 
of that privilege, and a very large number of our members still 
subscribe only the small sum of 2s. fid. It was part of our 
scheme that the Society should be a catholic society — open to 
almost the very poorest ; and for that reason the minimum 
subscription, entitling to the full rights and privileges, was made 
as low as possible. But the low minimum subscription was 
not, is not, and cannot be enough to carry on the work of the 
Society efficiently. It was therefore intended and contemplated 
as a thing that should happen that the subscriptions of poor 
people should be supplemented by the larger subscriptions of 
those better able to afford more. The member who subscribes 
the large sum of 2s. fid. gets a copy of Nature Notes all 
the year round, which actually costs us 2s. 2d., money out 
of pocket. Now that leaves us 4d. wherewith to carry on the 
general work of the Society. One shilling a year from each of our 
members in addition to their present subscriptions would put us 
in a happy position. The year before last there was a deficiency 
of over £<^o. That was reduced to last year, chiefly by 
the extraordinary energy of the secretary in getting in arrears, 
but this year again there is a large adverse balance, though 
the arrears are heavy. I do not know exactly what they are, 
though it will be stated as far as possible in next month’s Nature 
Notes ; but apparently the deficit will be something between 
£(jo and £100. This is a small sum in itself, but a large one 
considering the financial scale on which we work. It is about 
one fourth of our expenditure. This condition of things must 
be stopped. I am not here to-night with any definite proposal, 
but I hope that some practical proposal will be made before 
