Dr. ANDREWS: I move the addition of the words "or to members of other affiliated societies," in order not to bar these members from attendance at our meetings.
The PRESIDENT: Dr. Andrews' amendment is to include the words "or to members of other affiliated societies."
Mr. RANCK: I think, as a member of the Committee that had something to do with the drafting of the proposed by-law, that I can say that the purpose of that provision was that there should be some advantage to persons holding membership in these organizations, to get the railroad rates, hotel rates, etc.; in other words, to have some pecuniary advantage in their becoming members and not to be able to come and get those advantages without holding any kind of a membership.
If I may be permitted, Mr. President, I should like to give a few figures with reference to the distribution of the members of the Council as it now exists, as given in the last handbook. There were 72 members of the Council, counting the one or two who have died, representing 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. However, in the Council only 20 States in the Union have representation. In other words, there are 28 states in the Union that are not represented in the Council. The population of these 28 states is nearly thirty-three millions and their area is nearly two million square miles, whereas the area of the states that are represented is a little over a million square miles. The point is, Mr. President, the purpose of the amendment to the Constitution and these amendments is to give a wider geographical distribution of representation in the Council; in other words, that more than half of the area of the United States may be brought in, on account of this geographical representation, and that the thirty-three millions of people who live in those states may be able to get a representation which it seems at the present time they do not have.
The PRESIDENT: The question before the conference is on the proposed amendment of the by-law as offered by Dr. Andrews.
(The President put the question and the amendment was duly adopted.)
The PRESIDENT: The question now is upon the amendment to the by-laws as amended.
(The President put the question and the amendment to the by-laws was duly adopted.)
The PRESIDENT: The Association during the past year suffered grievous loss in the passing of two of its notable members, members who had long been identified with the Association and its work, and I may add the loss of a friend of librarians everywhere, that splendid gentleman, Mr. Francis Fisher Browne, of The Dial,—a man gentle of soul, keen of intellect and fine of fiber. While perhaps we are not called upon to take official notice of his passing it seems to me very well that we should group him with those whose loss we mourn at this time. By request of the Executive Board and of the Council a committee consisting of Dr. Putnam, Mr. Bowker and Mr. Wellman have been asked to draft memorial resolutions on the passing of Dr. Billings and Mr. Soule and I would ask Dr. Putnam to report at this time.
Dr. PUTNAM: With your permission I will ask Mr. Wellman to read the suggested minute with reference to Mr. Soule. And the Committee would suggest that if the expression in these minutes appears to you just, that they be adopted by a rising vote.