The Globe. TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 813, 30 January 1877, Page 2

The Globe. TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1877.

The annual meeting of the Acclimatisation Society is to be held this evening, and as there are several very important questions to be discussed, we hope to see a large attendance of members. It is not necessary for us to point out the great value such a society can be to us in New Zealand, if it performs its work efficiently. On the other Land, it may be the means of bringing about untold loss if it goes about its duties in a different manner. Now, during the last twelve months, the public have been very little informed indeed regarding the position of the society. The members of the Council have not shown that anxiety to keep the community at large acquainted with their doings, which we should have expected from a body of men who are administering public funds. We hope, however, that they will make up for all their short-comings to-night, and that we shall have a full and unreserved statement, not only of the successes of the Council, butialso of their failures,if there are any such to acknowledge. We shall, no doubt, hear much regarding the success of the experiment of introducing American salmon into the province, and we think the Council is to he congratulated upon that success; but we hope also to learn something of the fate of the English salmon, about which there has been considerable mystery for some time past. We shall therefore look forward with interest to the information which will no doubt be accorded to-night. There are one or two other points which we hope to hear clearly explained also. Eor instance, why is it proposed to reduce the number of the members of the Council to less than half their present number, unless it be to conduct its affairs with even greater secrecy than hitherto ? Then again, why has a large portion of the funds been invested in a building society, ‘.n-itesd H’.ng 'men* in the proper tutu of acclimatisation ? To those, rod other questions, we hope to gee a answer this evening. There is one subject v Inch we sh-ju’d li’-e to hear f[iscus-" , ri al; length at the meeting, and that is the propriety of establishing more intimate relationship between the different Societies of New Zealand. It has been too much the custom for each Society to work entirely on its own account, ignoring altogether what is being done even in neighboring provinces. The success of the American salmon experiment ought to be an encouragement to united action in other directions. In this manner a large sura’ of money might often be saved, and at the same time far more satisfactory results obtained. Why might a central council not be called into existence, by each Society electing a representative ? If it brd no power to appropriate funds at ail, it would be useful if it confined itself to giving advice alone.