10 The Journal of the Royal 
Report of Meetings of the Society. 
Meeting held January 9, 1902. — Mr. Luke M. Hill, 
B.E., M. Inst. C.E., President, in the chair. 
Members present 8. 
The President, before proceeding with the business of 
the meeting returned his cordial thanks for the honour 
which the Society had conferred upon him in electing 
him President for the year. Looking back on the high 
and honoured names of those who had filled the chair 
in previous years, made him deeply sensible of the com- 
pliment paid to him. He had known the Society for 
thirty years. At the beginning of that period his old 
chief, Mr. William Russell, was one of the leading 
spirits of the Society, but even his energy was in- 
sufficient to induce people to take a proper interest in 
the Society. No President could hope to do any good 
in his year of office unless he obtained the co-opera- 
tion of the members, and he appealed for their support. 
We begin the year, continued the President, at a most 
discouraa-ing time for the ao-ricultural interest of the 
colony, w^ith German beet at 7s. 6d. per cwt. in London, 
and with sugar selling locally, at less than If cents per 
lb. Such low prices had never heretofore been thought 
•possible. The -Brussels Conference is the only ray of 
liofht, for even altliouffh that doesn't amount to a silver 
lining of the dark cloud oi' despondency, it presents at 
any rate a glimpse of sunshine. To those inhabitants 
of British sugar-producing colonies who have been 
struoffflinsr so lonor under the bondao^e of foreisjn 
bounties it appears an extraordinary thino- to witness 
the selfishness and boasted patriotism in England which 
