l86 EXPLORATION AND REGISTRATION WORK
Vice-President, Mr. Chalkley Gould, has prepared for the first
volume of the Victoria History of Essex a very complete list of
them, accompanied by a map. But a catalogue, however
excellent, is only a preliminary step. Accurate plotting down, on
large scale plans, of the outlines, geographical positions and
elevation of these works, and their careful scientific exploration
so as to determine their probable periods and motives, still
remain to be undertaken. I venture to submit that this is work
which must be done by local Societies if it is to be done at all-
Great London associations may undertake the "reconstruction"
of Silchester; a fortunate county may possess a Pitt-Rivers to
plan and munificently carry out archaeological explorations; we
may find the study of the physical and life-conditions of the
North Sea becoming a matter of Government and international
importance. But the patient tasks of collecting and registering
plants, animals, and fossils, and the examination of minor earth-
works, camps, red-hills, deneholes, &c., should be the duty and
pleasure of local enthusiasts.
The councils and officers of many of our local societies hardly
need committees of the British Association to indicate these lines
of activity. They have been fully alive to them ever since their
societies were called into existence. But, as we in the Essex
Field Club know full well, such work is very costly, and in most
cases needs funds quite in excess of the slender balances at
our bankers. We have the will, but we lack the means. And
this is the position with very many of our local societies.
Is there any escape from this difficulty? I think it can be
shown that there is a way out.
Everyone knows that our county councils have very con-
siderable annual sums entrusted to them for purposes summed
up in the very elastic phrase "technical instruction." This is in
addition to any rate for primary or secondary education. The
allocation of this technical education money is in the hands of
committees of the councils, subject to some sort of revision by
the Board of Education. The annual income from this source;
in Essex is considerably over £20,000.
My proposal is that the Education Committee of each county
in which a recognised scientific Society exists should be asked to
allocate a small annual sum (say from £100 to £200) for the