PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2780, 26 May 1916, Page 7

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY

' ■•» / INITIAL MEETING OF SESSION. ~T l! ®.f i meeting of the 1916 session of the -Wellington Philosophical Society was Held 111 the Dominion Museum. 011 Wedncsday. Ihe president (Dr. Hector) refcrred ill ,cugolis(;ic terms to. the services rendered to_the society by the late president, Mr. Ihomas King, F.R.A.S. He announced that his (Mr; King's) 5-inch equatorial telescope and astronomical' library had been presented to the society j by Miss King- in memory of liar brother. Ihe valuable gifts were gratefully accepted' Dr. Hector read a short paper on "Efficiency," in which lie stressed the 'many phases of national life in which inefficiency has been manifest within the last tew stirring years, and pointed out that the great commercial battle which, would inevitably follow on the conclusion of. the\ war demanded efficiency everywhere •for its successful prosecution. Universal military training, compulsory service in time of war, tho regulation of the drink traffic, preferential' voting-, and a reform in the. calendar,_ were quoted as obvious directions in which progress wa? possible. Dr. Hector claimed that the use of ex-, pert knowledge iit -dealing with special problems would lead- to. this desirable progress^ • Dr. ■ Elmore gave a short . address on"Native Art . in . South Africa and Australia." He illustrated his remarks with somo interesting; and valuable reproductions of rock paintings and- mortuary carvings brought - from.' these errantries. Some of these examples of native art. were claimed to be the. work of descendants of those wlio' painted the Alterniro caves in Spain some 25,000 years "ago, but for the most part they weTe of a much later period. The. legcndars- and mythological stories that link up air these paintings were very wittily .and clearly brought ou.t by the lecturer, who received a hearty vote of thanks.