Since that date have been added the local Institutes of Otago, Westland, Hawke's Bay, and Southland, all of which, I am glad to learn, are in a flourishing condition, both as regards numbers and vitality. An Association at Nelson was also incorporated, but I regret to say that circumstances led to its ceasing to exist as a branch of the New Zealand Institute. I trust, however, that efforts which are now being made to resuscitate it will meet with deserved success.
The principal objects of the Institute as thus founded may be gathered from the list of subjects on which special information was desired, mentioned in the preface to the first volume of Transactions. They include, in short, all subjects of peculiar interest to the country, whether ethnological, zoological, geological (including chemical and mineralogical), or botanical; suggestions for improvements in agriculture and farming, sanitary matters, and the development of the country. Towards these and similar subjects, members of all the local Societies were invited to contribute, by personal observation, study, and the reading of papers at meetings, the Government co-operating by paying for the printing of the Annual Volume of Transactions, and the central Institute disseminating the information thus collected by the local bodies. I am happy to say that there is not one of these subjects that has been not merely touched upon, but very carefully gone into; in fact, I greatly doubt whether any young country in the world has been so systematically investigated as New Zealand has been under the auspices of this Institute. I need not say how much of this has been due to the untiring energy of Dr. Hector, who has not only been the life and soul of the Society, but has had the laborious duty of editing the Volumes of Transactions.
Three years ago, at the time when it was resolved to limit the Government expenditure in every way possible, it was contemplated to discontinue the annual grant of £500 for the publication of the Transactions; but the Board of Governors were able to give so good an account of the proceedings of the Institute that, on further consideration, the vote was allowed, and has since been continued.
The Institute has moreover been useful not only as a centre for the operations of local societies, but also as a focus for the work of various kindred departments, such as the Colonial Museum, the Geological Survey, the Laboratory, the Botanic Garden, the Observatory, the Meteorological Department, the Department of the Inspector of Weights and Measures, and the Patent Office. These would, no doubt, have in any case existed; but had they been entirely separate, much time and money would have been lost, which have now been wisely saved by their working together under the auspices of the New Zealand Institute.
