Report of Representative on Ross Sea Committee

Following Professor L. R. Richardson's departure overseas on sabbatical leave, the Royal Society appointed Mr. R. W. Willett to act as its representative on the Ross Sea Committee.

The Royal Society's Antarctic Research Committee drew up a plan for the winding up of scientific data arising from T.A.E. recommendation regarding the curation of collections. A panel of N.Z. scientists to whom material should be submitted for working up was also presented.

At the same time a proposal to offer space in the Transactions for biological research, with a superscription indicating that it is a T.A.E. research paper. It was also recommended that Ross Sea Committee should allocate funds to defray cost of the publication. These recommendations were accepted by Ross Sea Committee and transmitted to the London Committee.

Although the London Committee has not replied stating its views, Professor L. R. Richardson has written to the Ross Sea Committee indicating the London Scientific Sub-Committee's acceptance of the proposal, especially concerning biological material; geological material was considered to be a matter for discussion with Sir Vivian Fuchs.

The Ross Sea Committee is not in a financial position to continue to hold T.A.E. members on its pay roll while they write up results.

Fortunately the majority of scientists were officers of some Government agency and have been able to return to their respective departments and there work up their results. In the case of one member who was a graduate student, the New Zealand Geological Survey, D.S.I.R. has taken him on the staff in order that his work may be written up.

The Ross Sea Committee's activities have passed the peak, and at present a large amount of work is entailed in rounding off its activities. From the point of view of scientific and survey work in the Ross Dependency its place has now been taken by the recently established Ross Dependency Research Committee.

R. W. Willett, Acting Representative on Ross Sea Committee.