SCIENTIFIC BOARD

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8341, 30 January 1913, Page 10

SCIENTIFIC BOARD

CONTROL OF PUBLICATIONS ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE. LARGER GRANT WANTED. The annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute was held in the library of the Dominion Museum yesterday. The chair was occupied by Mr F. Cheeseman, F.L.S., president, of Auckland, and among those present were the Hon- H. D. Bell, K.C., Minister of Internal Affairs, Messrs A. Hamilton, A. H. Turnbull, and John iToung (nominated by the Government); nominated by affiliated societies, Mr Martin Chapman, K.C., Professor Kirk, M.A., Dr Cockayne, F.R.S. (Nelson); Dr D. Petrie, Ai.A. and Mr J. Stewart, C.E. (Auckland); Professor Marshall, D.Sc. and Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P. (Otago); Mr R. Wilson, M.A. (Alanawatu); Professor Farr and Mr K. Speight, M.A.. M.Sc. (Canterbury); Mr W. Hesse, B.A. (Wanganui); and the secretary, Mr B, C. Aston (Government analyst). The president announced apologies for absence from Air E. A. Ewen, and Air W. Hill, 8.A., F.R.S. (Hawke's Bay). The secretary stated that Mr A, HTurnbuli had replaced Mr Tregear on the board, and Professor Farr took the seat of Dr Hilgendorf (resigned). PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. Tho president read a brief address, in which no explained the position of the Institute and the work done during the year. Owing to the unsatisfactory condition of finances, a deputation had approached the i’rime Minister to ask for a supplementary grant of £250 to pay off arrears in the cost of printing tne records and “Transactions" of the institute. As a result a sum of £250 had been placed upon the Supplementary Estimates, and approved by Parliament. He trusted that this welcome addition to the funds would shortly bo followed by a permanent enlargement of the annual grant. Tho financial statement showed that the total receipts of the Institute, including the balance of £389 18s 8d in hand at the beginning of the year, had been ,£1220 5s 2d. Tho total expenditure ■was .£11)78 3s Bd, the two chief items being .£643 12s Gd in payment of the cost of volume 43 of the “Transactions," and another of .£250 on account of volume 44. The balance in hand was £lsl, but against this must be placed the amount of £202, due to the Government printer on account or volume 44 of the "Transactions," so that the institute was thus in debt to the amount of .£l4l. If the institute was successful in obtaining a permanent addition to the statutory grant, or if another special grant of .£250 were obtained. funds would b© available for the issue of a volume of ‘‘Transactions' - ’ ot average size, but ■without additional income there would still remain an indebtedness to the Government printer. He suggested that, in order to reduce the cost of printing, publication of proceedings of incoiporated societies should bo discontinued, and that the funds thus saved should be devoted to the quarterly or half-yearly publication of the “Transactions."

STATE OF THE LIBRARY. Reference was made to tlie fact that the library was most inadequately housed and inoonvenisntly arranged; it was stored in a wooden building which might at any time be destroyed by lire, and it required the constant care ana Attention of some competent person. In his view, the present state of tbo library was a disgrace to both the government and the Institute, and should bo rectified as soon as possible. Mr Hamilton had suggested that the institute should support the proposal made to Parliament in che report of the Museum and Scientific Departments Committee, which recommended that the whole of the scientific literature belonging to the Government, together with the library of the institute, should be conjoined to form a general library of scientific works. Much could be said in favour of such a scheme, for the institute was without funds to huild a library of its own. The subject was_ a little complicated on account of the number of independent libraries which it was proposed to include in the scheme, and also from the uncertainty respecting the ownership of some of the books, but these were difficulties which tact and careful negotiation would probably remove. SCIENTIFIC BOARD OP ADVICE. Speaking of the deputation to the Prime Minister, Mr G. M. Thomson said that the shortage of funds caused the cutting down of the original Government grant, and that a request had been made for an annual statutory grant of .£750. He recounted what had been done by tho House in regard to the constitution of a Scientific Board of Advice for Government publications, and another board, or the same one, for control of the Dominion Museum. The committee appointed to inquire into the matters recommended that publications should be brought out in uniform sizes; that tho Dominion Museum should remain under control of the Minister of Internal Affairs; and that the National Art Gallery should be placed in conjunction with the Museum. This report was referred to the Government for favourable consideration, and tho Prime Minister, in reply to a communication, had promised to bring the matter before Cabinet at the first opportunity. The Minister of Internal Affairs had also written to the effect that he had no doubt that the Government would agree with him that a Bill should bo presented to Parliament making provision for the conduct and control of the Museum, and separately, for control of publications generally, on the lines of the committee’s recommendations. He agreed that there should be Uniformity in the size of publications, and suggested that in the new measure provision might be made for a more exact definition of the functions of the New Zealand Institute. Mr Thomson quoted from a report on the subject of classification of the fishes of New Zealand, which was estimated to cost between £'6oo and £7OO, and which work had been deferred in the meantime. He had no doubt, however, that the Government would ultimately agree to the publication, of a catalogue of New Zealand fishes. MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

The Hon. H. X). Bell, K.C., said that, with regard to the question of an increase of the grant, he had no doubt the matter would he dealt with during next session of Parliament. “In the meantime, I may say, so far as my memory goes, that it is not necessarily the Government’s intention to limit the allowance for the past year to the sum of ,£250, because there was a sum due to the Government which might be the subject of other representation. Howeyer, I should have to discuss that with Mr Fisher. That matter of immediate exigency—finance—can be disposed of to the satisfaction of yourself and the Government. (Hear, hear.) Turning to the question which has been discussed so ably by Mr Thomson in Parliament, and the question of the establishment of the Museum in a proper building which should contain the valuable exhibits and these books, the Institute had necessarily to be disappointed. I think I convinced even Mr Thomson in that, though I did not succeed in convincing Mr Hamilton. It was purely a question of the financial exigencies of the Government. The control of the Museum is distinct from the construction of the building and the establishment of the Museum in a suitable home. The Government is in unison with the governors and the committee of Parliament, ami as I have said in my letter, I do not doubt that a measure will be introduced into Parliament next session, which the Government has reason to hop© will be satisfactory to the

Institute. (Hear, hear.) W T o can't hope to satisfy everybody. SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS. Speaking, not for tho Government but entirely for myself, I am not satisfied with the board of control proposed by the committee of the House, and I myself should not propose a board exactly on the lines stated in the report of the committee. With regard to scientific publications, there can be no question that the governors have raised a question which should be dealt with. I have already stated my personal view in tho letter, ami I have no doubt that is the view of my colleagues. I have not been able to ascertain the views of the several departments which are concerned in scientific publications entirely outside the Institute's ‘Transactions.' There are questions of plans and charts which require the consideration of every department of the State before uniformity can bo arrived at. I doubt very much whether a volume of tho present size will bo approved by the departments, and *t is not desirable to alter tho size of the volume if it is possible to preserve it. I hope to bo able to arrive at an agreement between the several departments, and I trust wo shall be able to preserve the same size of volume. SUPREME COURT JUDGE.

I think that tho board of advice which has been suggested by Air Thomson is quite satisfactory, with one exception. I should like to ask the judges of the Supreme Court to elect one of their number to that board and also to the Mtwemn Board. (Hear, hear.) I do not pronose that the Government should appoint a judge, because there are obvious objections to that, but the judges of the Supremo Court are judges whom we can trust to make a satisfactory selection.** Mr Bell added that the Government had not yet had an opportunity of discussing this subject, but the material had been collected for presentation of the measure which, he trusted, would be satisfactory to tho institute. (Hear, hear.) MORE MEMBERS THAN THREE. Dr Cockayne, F.R.S., said it would be an advantage to have the “Transactions" published in quarto size. On© of the troubles with the volume was that they could not put in maps of adequate size, as were inserted in tho larger publications of the Lands Department. There were great difficulties in having a board composed of men who did not live in Wellington. They might ask to have more members than tnree. A RECOMMENDATION. Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P., moved that the meeting should-recommend the Government to giv© effect to the first four clauses of the report of the museum and scientific publications committee. These dealt with the Scientific Board of Advice and uniformity of publications. The first four questions alone concerned tne institute and the other six were somewhat outside its scope. This Board of Advice wouid b© practically a permanent publications committee, which wouid bring •into uniformity all the different publications. After some discussion this was agreed to, except that the motion did not apply to tnat clause in th© committee’s report regarding “Transactions" of the Institute. “TRANSACTIONS.” Discussion took place on the publication of the Institute’s “Transactions," which certain members considered were too bulky and contained a mass of material of little scientific value. Ultimately, on the motion of Mr a. Hamilton, it was resolved that the minutes of tho proceedings of the Institute and its branches bo published only in the annual volume and_ not quarterly as at present, and further that the records ot proceedings be severely cut down before publication. THE ANNUAL GRANT. Mr G. H. Thomson moved and Mr Speight seconded that the meeting recommend tho Government to amend tho Now Zealand Institute Act so as to increase the annual grant from .£SOO to .£730. The Hon. H. D. Bell said he wished to be satisfied that tho grant they wero now asking would be sufficient for their purposes. Mr Hamilton: It will do us for ten years. Th© motion was carried. LIBRARY.

Mr A. Hamilton brought up the report of the library committee and drew attention to the unsatisfactory condition and inconvenient arrangement of the library, and the necessity for some competent person to take cnarge. The report was adopted, and it was resolved to bring the matter under the notice of the Goveminent, which will be urged to give greater representation of the Institute on the Board of Control. ELECTION OP OPITCEES. Officers for 1913 were elected as follows: President, Professor Chilton (Canterbury College); treasurer, Mr C. A. Ewen; hon. editors. Professors Chilton and Mr It. Speight, M.A., M.Sc.; publications committee, Professors Parr, Beniiam, Chilton and Air G. M. Thomson; hon. librarian, Mr A. Hamilton; secretary, air B. C. Aston; Hector award committee lor 1914, Hr Baldwin-Spencer (Meluourue Museum), Mr itobert Etheridge (Sydney Museum), and Mr T. Cheeseman (Auckland Museum); hon. members. Mr Bolting Hemsley (botanist, of Kew, Eng. laud) and Professor Havis (Professor Geography at Harvard University. U.S.A.) It was decided that tue next meeting should be held at Wellington on January 30th, 1914. Votes of thanks were passed to the hen. editors of the Institute e publications.