Midland Naturalist/Volume 01/Proposed Increase

by Robert Lawson Tait

The Proposed Increase of the Subscription to the Midland Union of Natural History Societies.—I do not intend to discuss at present the question of this increase, but I desire to place on record an explanation, personal to myself. As the Secretary of a Sub-committee appointed by the Birmingham Natural History Society, I conducted the negotiations which established the Union; and throughout these negotiations the principles laid down were those upon which the West Riding Union had been formed. The most important of these was one upon which I gave personal assurance to many of the Societies now in the Union that their pecuniary responsibility would be limited to one penny per member. Of the proposal made at the very first meeting of the Union to increase the levy to a shilling I knew nothing until, to my astonishment, it was made by the President of that Society on behalf of which I had acted. I therefore trust that any Societies of the Union who may see in this the appearance of a breach of faith on my part will understand that I am in no way responsible for it. I lave expressed my sense of the false position in which I have been placed by resigning my seats on the Council of the Union, and on the Committee of the Birmingham Natural History Society.—Lawson Tait.

[The proposition to raise the subscription was fully discussed and adopted as a recommendation to the General Meeting at the Meeting of the Council which preceded the General Meeting, (as appears in the report.) as it had been found by the experience of the short time during which the Union had existed that the subscription fixed at the first meeting of the Council, on the assurance of Mr. Tait that it had been found to be sufficient by the West Riding Union, was utterly inadequate to carry on even the formal business of the Union, without taking into consideration the necessary expenses connected with the more important objects for Which the Union was formed. Simultaneously with the above recommendation of the Council of the Midland Union, a circular was addressed by the West Riding Union to its members, (a copy of which was printed last month, at page 180) stating it to be "perfectly obvious that the contributions paid by the associated Societies of one penny per member per annum are quite inadequate" for the objects of the Union. The proposal which Mr. Tait mentions was referred by the General Meeting to the different societies to ascertain their opinions upon it, and surely the right of the Union to govern itself, and to make such alterations to its rules as may from time to timed be found necessary, cannot be doubted, The subject is now under the consideration of the Societies, and will, us a matter of course, be decided according to the opinions of the majority.

Edward W. Badger, W. J. Harrison, Hon. Secs. to the Council.]

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