PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2449, 30 April 1915, Page 7

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

OPENING MEETING OF THE ' SEASON." The Wellington Philosophical Society held the first general meeting of the season ,at the Dominion Museum on Wednesday evening, Mr. T. King presiding. Mr. King, in his annual address, urged that despite the war the society should carry on as usual its efforts in research and the pursuit of science. The president announced that, owing to the departure of Mr. C. E. Adams, Government Astronomer, who had gone to San Francisco, the joint office of secretary and treasurer had become vacant, and the council had filled it by appointing' Mr. A. C. Gifford. (Applause.) It was decided that a literary and sociological section .of the . society should he established. The motion was proposed by Mr. S. Jenkinson, ■ and supported by Dr. Hector and Dr. Alan Thomson. Dr. Newman and Dr. Alan ayne opposed the principle of the subdivision of the'society, but the motion was carried with three- dissentient votes. ■ Dr. Thomson announced that a complete reorganisation of the society's library (housed in the. lecture room of the ■Museum) had',been.carried out, and explained the new system, under which the books had been classified. An interesting paper on "Maori Art in the Arawa Country," written by Mr. James Oowan, was read by the president, and was afterwards the subject of comments by Mr. 'Elsdou Best . and Dr. Newman. . A .paper by Mr. B. 0. Aston on "The Botany of the Kaikoura Mountains," and an address by Dr. Thomson on the geology of that area, were to have been delivered, but owing to lack of timo wore held over till a later occasion.