The Secretary's Message

T HE new Secretary of the Institute has been asked to address the members through the medium of MINING .AND METALLURGY, and it is perhaps well that he should do this at the first opportunity after his election. The duty of the Secretary, as the present incumbent understands it, is that of attempting to carry on the functions of the Institute in a manner that 'will tend to make it serve its most useful purpose. What is its most useful purpose or purposes? This was concisely answered by Dr. Joseph W. Richards in the June issue of MINING AND METALLURGY under the title "Why is the Institute?" And yet its most useful purposes are not 'fixed ideals or definitely determined things, they vary from year to year, changing with the development of the nation, conforming to needs and anticipating future requirements. Many men of many minds cannot always see eye to eye. The ideas or ideals of one may seem trivial to another, an obvious necessity to one is an entirely useless activity to the minds of others. A number of the activities upon which the Institute is now engaged might have been looked won, a few years since, as uncalled for, unnecessary, and un- desirable. The participation in public affairs was one of these questions. The publication of three volumes in one year may have been a questionable thing to do, but it was an achievement. A monthly magazine that will pay for itself by carrying the Institute's message to its members has its detractors, and yet to many members it seems one of those things that are quite worthwhile. Fortunately, we have a large membership, and fortunately the majority of an intelligent body of such size is apt to have in common many ideas that are right and proper. If these ideas can be ascertained