ceased. This work of providing expert advice on minor legal
matters has been a quiet service to the community constantly rendered by
the Society. The barristers amongst our members have freely given
assistance in the more difficult matters. Occasionally the solicitors
amongst us have taken up cases where the plaintiff was specially
helpless.

* * * * *

In 1894, Henry Hutchinson, who had provided the funds for much of our
country lecturing, died, and to our complete surprise it was found that
he had appointed Sidney Webb, whom he hardly knew personally, his
executor, and had left the residue of his estate, between L9000 and
L10,000, to five trustees--Sidney Webb, his daughter, myself, William
Clarke, and W.S. De Mattos--with directions that the whole sum be
expended within ten years. The two last named took but little part in
administering the trust, and Miss Hutchinson died only fifteen months
later, also leaving to her colleagues the residue of her estate,
something under L1000, for similar purposes. The trustees--Mrs. Bernard
Shaw, Hubert Bland, and Frederick Whelen were appointed at later
dates--resolved that the money in their charge should be used
exclusively for special work, as otherwise the effect would be merely to
relieve the members of their obligation to pay for the maintenance of
their Society. They decided to devote part of the funds to initiating
the London School of Economics and Political Science, because they
considered that a thorough knowledge of these sciences was a necessity
for people concerned in social reconstruction, if that reconstruction
was to be carried out with prudence and wisdom: and in particular it was
essential that all classes of public officials should have the
opportunity of learning whatever can be known of economics and politics
taught on modern lines. Our old Universities provided lectures on
political science as it was understood by Plato and Aristotle, by Hobbes
and Bentham: they did not then--and indeed they do not now--teach how
New Zealand deals with strikes, how America legislates about trusts, how
municipalities all over the world organise tramways.

The trustees, as I have said, originated the London School of Economics,
but from the first they associated others with themselves in its
management, and they made no attempt to retain any special share in its
control. Their object was to get taught the best science that could be
obtained, c