Tebrnary 23, 1888. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
143 
O XE of the most important decisions ever arrived at as affecting 
the interests of the Royal Horticultural Society was registered 
after the last general meeting. This was done under the impulse 
imparted by the special Committee. ^The Committee, which has 
exercised power and relieved itself of responsibility, recommended 
measures involving an expenditure of £700 at a time when the 
Society is in debt to the extent of upwards of £1000, and when the 
.estimated income for the year is £2000, and the estimated expendi¬ 
ture only a trifle below, and will probably exceed £3000. The 
■Committee relieved itself of responsibility by inducing the meet¬ 
ing to “adopt” their report, and the Council was “empowered,” 
which virtually means in that case compelled, to carry out their 
recommendations. The Council in turn was thus relieved of 
a large share of responsibility, and so matters became loose all 
round. 
The motives of the Committee, it'may be conceded, were of the 
best. The desire of its members, which include some members of 
the Council, was to strengthen the Society and find a base on which 
it could rest firmly for future working. It is to be presumed that 
the exact financial position of the Society was fully appreciated by 
every member of the directing body ; but was this equally appre- 
eiated by the Fellows of the Society who constituted the meeting 
that “ adopted ” the Committee’s report ? It is questionable if 
half of them comprehended it, for the matter was not placed 
before the meeting, or at least not so clearly as it will be placed 
before the public now. This can be done the more freely since 
it is impossible to suspect the conductors of this Journal of 
being animated by any other feelings than those of deep sym¬ 
pathy with the Society and earnest wishes for its stability and 
prosperity. 
When the report of the Committee was adopted by the meeting 
forcing the Council to commit the Society to a definite line of 
action involving an expenditure that wUl probably be little short of 
£1000, the Society was actually in debt to the amount of £1152. 
Hut it may seem that against that there is the special list of pro¬ 
mised donations and subscriptions, the former amounting in round 
figures to £1210 and the latter to £208. But let it be understood 
that the first of these contributions must be left entirely out of the 
«stimates. It was never intended for the general revenue of the So¬ 
ciety, and will never be paid into it. It was promised for a specified 
purpose—namely, as the nucleus of a fund for providing a permanent 
home for the Society. It can neither be applied to the mainte¬ 
nance of Chiswick, nor to the payment of the rent of the new rooms 
and hall that are essentially of a temporary character. Were all 
the members of the Committee cognisant of that, and was the fact 
present to their minds when they recommended their report incurring 
liabilities without the means for meeting them ? That is a fair and 
reasonable question, also a somewhat serious one to those members 
who do not happen to be able to answer it in the affirmative. There 
then arises the further question—Did the Fellows who adopted 
the report fully and clearly understand that the money in question 
could not be devoted to the ordinary purposes of the Society ? It 
is practically certain they did not, and, if that is so, the resolution 
was passed in ignorance of a circumstance having an important 
bearing on the whole matter. And on whom did the duty devolve 
of making tha point clear but on the Committee that formulated 
No. 400. — VoL.'^XVI., Thied Seeies. 
the report, and induced the meeting, having faith in its wisdom and 
safety, to adopt it? Well will it be if the decision arrived at so 
hastily does not result in obstacles not easy to remove from the 
path that it is hoped miylead to prosperity. Only extraoz’dinary 
zeal, vigilance, and prudence can now place the Society in a satis¬ 
factory state ; and it is with the object of stimulating effort on 
those lines that attention is called to the real state of affairs, as 
revealed by the published I’eport and advertisement. 
FINANCIAL 
Income. 
& & 
By Subscriptions... 1500 
Sale of Chiswick 
produce. 500 
- 2000 
Balance against Income ... 2078 
£4078 
ESTIMxVTE. 
Liabilities. 
£ 
Chiswick. 1300 
Establishment Expenses 
(sec Report) . 845 
Assistant Secretary’s Salary 200 
Exhibitions. 234 
Offices . 120 
Hall . 100 
Com-mittees. 127 
Debt. 1162 
£4078 
That is a sufficiently serious statement. Let it be examined, 
and the best or the worst made of it, and the necessity for strenuous 
action on the part of all who ai’e responsible for the position will 
be apparent. The responsibility rests virtually on the Committee, 
though technically it was removed from them and incm'red by the 
Fellows in their adoption of the report ; also by the Council, 
inasmuch as they did not I’eject it when forced on them. 
Having accepted the liability imposed, they must meet it in the 
best way they can. The moment for dignified retirement has 
passed, and they must work under the Committee they have 
accepted, and which, as a body, is so well satisfied with the work 
achieved, that the members of it recommended their continuance 
in office another year, with “ power to add to their number” to an 
unlimited extent. This power, too, is being exercised, and it is 
noticeable that the two opposition candidates to their own nominees 
for the Council are now added ; it is hoped they will enjoy the 
solatium and no longer criticise adversely. There seems a proba¬ 
bility that the Society will, ere long, have no free ci-itics, which 
would be, perhaps, the worst thing that could befall it. 
But how could the position have been improved? The answer 
is, by adopting a recuperative instead of an adventurous policy for 
a year. If the Committees sat at Chiswick for a season, what was 
really new and good would have found its way to them by a quarter 
of an hour’s further train I’un from South Kensington and a thi-ee 
minutes’ walk—^a much shorter walk than before. Then the £234 
for shows would have been saved, that have not brought the Society 
as many shillings ; about £200 out of the £250 for rooms and hall 
could have been saved, and for the time, say £200 for a paid secre¬ 
tary, utilising the services of Mr. Dick and Mr. Barron to the fullest 
extent, and it is probable they would have done more for the 
Society than a stranger can in the year. Moreover, however 
competent a new official may be, he cannot work effectively 
without further expenditure, and Avhere is the money to come 
from ? 
The President, in his speech at the meeting, dwelt on the 
Society not having taken advantage of gleams of sunshine, and 
putting money by for a rainy day, but, on the contrary, the fitful 
gleams had done rather more harm than good in leading to extra¬ 
vagance. The meeting on the 14th was of a sunshiny nature, and 
spirits were high and hearts gay. History then repeated itself, and 
speculation to the extent of between £600 and £700 was indulged 
in. Most sincerely do we hope it will prove a wise investment, and 
heartily glad shall we be if our grave doubts on the matter prove 
groundless. 
It is for all those responsible for the policy adopted to prove it 
right—to determine that it shall succeed. It is a question of repu¬ 
tations, or of the Society perishing; and it is more than ever 
No. 205G,— VOL, LXXVIIL, Old Skeie) 
