VOL. 35.-1926.

POLYNESIAN SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING.

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st DECEMBER, 1925.

THE

HE Thirty-third Annual Meeting of the Polynesian Society, being the first held in Wellington after the Society's return, was held in the Library, Woodward Street, at 8 p.m., with a fair attendance of members. Apologies for absence were received from Sir M. Pomare, Drs. Buck, Thomson, Sutherland and Mr. Balneavis. Mr. J. C. Andersen was in the chair.

After confirmation of Minutes the Report and Balance-sheet were laid before the meeting.

Mr. Andersen explained the relationship of the Samoa and Fiji Societies, under arrangements made during the year, mentioning also the B.P. Bishop Museum arrangement. He drew attention to the increased size of recent Journals, a feature which might not be permanent, being dependent upon funds available. Mr. Andersen also referred to the reprinting of the out-of-date volumes of the Journal in which the Board of Maori Ethnological Research had promised assistance; and going on to speak generally on the Society's work Mr. Andersen read extracts from a monograph by Mr. Elsdon Best on that subject.

The secretary made a statement as to the price and sales of The Maori, a memoir of the Society.

Mr. Ilott congratulated the Council and Editors upon the work achieved during the year.

Adoption of the Report and Balance-sheet, moved by Mr. Huggins, was seconded by Mr. Bates, who spoke in appreciation of the labours of the Society's workers, especially referring to Mr. Best, whose book The Maori, Mr. Bates had found was greatly appreciated in England. Hoping that the Library would in time become a resort of students of Polynesian questions and problems, Mr. Bates hoped also that the Council would be able to set up a special fund for the purchase of publications bearing on these subjects.

The Report and Balance-sheet were adopted.

Mr. W. H. Skinner was unanimously re-elected as President.

A ballot being held under the Rules to determine the retiring Councillors, Messrs. Crompton-Smith, Dr. Thomson, and Mr. Best were retired, and were eligible for re-election. Dr. Thomson withdrew on account of ill-health.

Mr. Elsdon Best (proposed by Mr. Ilott, seconded by Mr. Baillie), Mr. Baillie (proposed by Mr. Bates, seconded by Mr. Hamilton), Mr. Crompton-Smith (Proposed by Mr. Ilott, seconded by Mr. Baillie) were elected, the new Council thus being composed of: Sir Maui Pomare, Mr. Best, Mr. Andersen, Mr. Baillie, Mr. Balneavis, Mr. Huggins, and Mr. Crompton-Smith.

On the proposal of Mr. Crompton-Smith, seconded by Mr. Andersen, Mr. Ilott was elected auditor.

The Secretary then, on behalf of the Council, recommended that Major-General H. Gordon Robley, of London, be elected an honorary member.-Seconded by Mr. Andersen. Major-General Robley was

elected.

Mr. Bates moved to place on record the hearty thanks of the Society to the Board of Maori Ethnological Research for the great assistance rendered in the publication of the Society's works. Also that the attention of the Government be called to the importance of the work carried out by the Society.-Carried.

A letter was read from Mr. Norman Potts, a member, to the Editors commenting on various features of the Journal, and Mr. Best and others spoke in explanation and comment upon the work and data becoming available for publication.

This concluded the meeting.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL

FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31st DECEMBER, 1925.

THE

HE year has been a notable one in the history of the Society in that it has seen the transference of its headquarters from New Plymouth back to Wellington, where it was born in the year 1892, and the consequent setting up of a new Executive Council and officers, and provision for its valuable library.

The new Council elected at the last annual meeting in New Plymouth held its first meeting in Wellington in February, and thereafter at quarterly intervals.

The Society's new quarters are located in the Druids' Building, Woodward Street, which, at the time of removal of the Society, was not out of the contractor's hands. On the first of June, however, the Society was able to enter into occupation and received from New Plymouth the thirty-six cases containing its library there shortly after.

The provision of the necessary shelving in glass-fronted cases has proved a lengthy, as well as expensive, process which delayed the unpacking of books and subsequent furnishing of the rooms. This, however, has now been completed, but only just in time for our annual meeting, and the books, although now in the shelves, are not yet arranged or classified.

One great inconvenience to members generally has been due to this long delay in getting things into proper order, namely that requests for the publications could not be attended to, and a very considerable list of applications is still awaiting attention.

During the year the Society lost by death or resignation three members, while thirty-four new members and one honorary member were elected. The total membership roll now stands at 291 ordinary members, 9 honorary members, 6 corresponding members, and 53 institutions or others on our exchange lists.

Several proposals have been adopted by the Council and are now being carried out. Firstly, it has been found necessary to have the Society incorporated and registered to enable it to hold the lease of its rooms. This entails also a matter already decided upon, the revision of the Rules in order to include certain conditions essential to corporate existence.

Another matter which it is hoped to have in train during the coming year is that of Royal patronage. It is felt that the Society is so well established that it can fulfil the necessary conditions, while the need for the widest possible extension of its circle of workers and helpers in view of modern world conditions makes it desirable to add such a status to the recognition which its work is already steadily winning among kindred institutions.

The Journal, as members know, under its new editorship, has appeared with regularity and has maintained the high standards bequeathed to us by former holders of the position; it has also been possible, thanks to pecuniary aid afforded by the Board of Maori Ethnological Research, to increase its volume and add to the illustrations. We hope that these conditions may be maintained. The thanks of the Council and of the Society are due in a very special manner to the honorary editors whose unwearying labour enables these statements to be made.

The demand for the sets and early volumes of the Journal, and for the Memoirs, has exhausted the stock of these, including the second edition. A third edition of the first ten volumes is now under consideration, and estimates are being obtained for a photographic reproduction.

In view of the cost of printing it has been necessary to advance the price of the publications. The cost of transferring the library to Wellington has been £32 8s 7d, and of furnishing the rooms with shelving, flooring, etc., £223, which items are non-recurrent. The greater part of the latter item does not appear in this year's Balancesheet. The cost of producing the Journal has been £472 4s 4d, while a new and recurring item of expense is that of rent, £150 per annum. For the Council,

M. CROMPTON-SMITH, SECRETARY.

H. A. HUGGINS, TREASURER.

POLYNESIAN SOCIETY.

GENERAL ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER, 1925.

£595 14 10

66 7 3

£662 2 1

THE POLYNESIAN SOCIETY.

ITS GENESIS, OBJECTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS.

BY ELSDON BEST.

PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY.

T 8 p.m. on January 8, 1892, a number of persons interested in the Polynesian race met in the Library of the Colonial Museum, at Wellington, for the purpose of forming a society for the study of that race, including the collection and publishing of data pertaining to the history, ethnography and general culture of the Pacific peoples.

The principal mover in this proposal was the late Mr. S. Percy Smith, who, indeed, may be said to have been the rock on which the Society was founded. Not only so, but he it was who kept the Society alive for many years, and who performed most of the duties connected with the publishing of the Society's Journal throughout those years.

On the occasion of the inaugural meeting the chair was taken by the late Colonel W. E. Gudgeon, another enthusiast in the study of the Maori folk of New Zealand and their kinsmen of many far-spread isles. Mr. Smith explained the objects of the proposed Society, and informed the meeting that, in response to a circular sent out by him, 112 persons had sent in their names as desirous of becoming members. It was also explained that a number of persons interested in the native race were desirous of recording data pertaining to it, and that, inasmuch as native remembrance of pre-European conditions, etc., was swiftly fading, no time should be lost in putting on record all available matter. This necessity for a recording medium was recognised by all speakers, among whom, besides those already mentioned, were Messrs. E. Tregear, J. H. Baker, T. Kirk, R. Caldwell, and C. E. Major. It was then decided that a quarterly journal be established, to be called the Journal of the Polynesian Society. A set of rules was then passed, an executive appointed, ordinary, honorary and corresponding members elected, and so, on January 8, 1892, the Polynesian Society was established.

The story of this Society is not marked by anything more extraordinary than economical management, ceaseless interest and industry on the part of one man, the editor