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Annual Dinner.
meusuie of compulsion. (Applause.) With regard to the Provost's
remark about free education, he might say that he had found that
those who had paid school fees attended school with more satisfaction
to themselves, their parents, and their teachers. Notwithstauiling
this fact, however, his experience led him to think that
education, if compulsory, should, if not free, be at least cheap.
(Hear, hear, and applause.)
Mr E. H. ]\Iacmillan, Caledonian Bank, proposed the toast
of "Kindred Societies," and in doing so, referred to the good work
which was being carried on by the various societies. He had expected
that he would have been able to couple the toast with ihe
name of Mr Home, of the Geological Survey. (Applause.) He,
however, had found it impossible to be present. They were glad,
however, to have Dr Aitken with them, one of the leading members
of the Field Club. The Secretary of the Gaelic Society had
alluded to the fact that the eleventh volume of the Transactions
had been issued during the past year; and he (Mr Macmillan)
might mention that the Scientilic Society and Field Club had
issued during the year the first volume of their Transactions.
(Applause.)
Dr Aitken, in reply, said he was glad the Field Club should
have for its President one so distinguished, and one likely to become
more distinguished than he was. Mr Home had already
solved a question which had long puzzled men in his own profession—the
geological problem in the North-West of Sutherland.
(A-pplause.) In speaking to the toast, he said he understood that
the societies he was expected to represent were three in number.
There was the Literary and Debating Society—a very vigorous
Society—and he knew of no other better field for training young
men to acquit themselves with credit in life than in that associa-
tion. (Applause.) The older Society—the Literary Institute
had thought desirable to connect itself with the Field Club, not
for want of papers or energy, but owing to so many nights being
devoted to the various societies, that the members could not
attend all the meetings, (Applause.) In regard to the Field
Club, its sphere was to deal with the natural phenomena and
archaeology of the district. (Applause.) The Gaelic Society sub-
sisted for preserving the language and folk-lore of the people.
(Applause.) The one dealt with the physical features of the
country, and the other with the life of the people. (Applause.)
It was most important that people should be conversant with the
history and traditions of their own race, and he was pleased to
observe that in the last volume of the Gaelic Society the history
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