It is difficult to say what should be the unit, whether it should be the car mile, the passenger or neither.

When we consider the vastly different conditions to be contended with, on the various roads, in the shape of grades, distances from power house, amount of traffic, etc., we can hardly settle upon any factor for a unit.

It may be decided that the best results for comparison will be found by comparing the percentage which operation bears to gross income.

FUTURE WORK.

I would advise for the continuance of this work that a Committee, selected from the accounting officers of roads in this Association, be appointed to prepare a Standard Classification of Expenditures, with blanks for Statistical Reports to be referred to the next annual Convention; the same to be previously circulated among the members of the Association, in order to obtain the fullest possible criticism and examination at the Convention.

Very respectfully yours,

H. I. BETTIS,

Sub-Committee.

The Vice-President: Following the usual course, the report will be accepted and spread in full on the minutes.

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE.

Mr. Johnson: I would like to make the report of the Committee on Nominations. It is generally customary that the chairman of such committee should make a report of this kind, but the report itself will explain why our chairman felt somewhat delicate in doing it himself. It has been unanimously agreed by this Committee to recommend the following:

For President, Mr. D. F. LONGSTREET, Vice-President and General Manager, West End Street Railroad Company, Denver, Col.

First Vice-President, Mr. A. EVERETT, President, East Cleve-
land Railroad Company, Cleveland, O.

Second Vice-President, Mr. JOEL HURT, President, Atlanta
Consolidated Street Railroad Company, Atlanta, Ga.

Third Vice-President, Mr. W. WORTH BEAN, President, St.
Joseph and Benton Harbor Railway and Light Co., St.
Joseph, Mich.

Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. W. J. RICHARDSON, Secretary,
Atlantic Avenue Railroad Company, Brooklyn, N. Y.

For the Executive Committee:

Mr. JOHN G. HOLMES, President, Citizens' Traction Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mr. JOHN D. CRIMMINS, President, Metropolitan Traction Company, New York, N. Y.

Mr. THOMAS J. MINARY, General Manager, Louisville Railway Company, Louisville, Ky.

Mr. JAMES R. CHAPMAN, Vice-President, Consolidated Street Railway Company, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Mr. BENJAMIN E. CHARLTON, President, Hamilton Street Railway Company, Hamilton, Ont.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

Mr. Beckley I move that Mr. Johnson casts the ballot of the Association for the ticket as named. Carried.

The Vice-President: I will appoint Messrs. Beckley, of Rochester, and Martin, of Cincinnati, tellers to inspect the vote and announce the result.

Mr. Johnson cast the ballot of the Association for the gentle

men named.

The Vice-President: I declare the following gentlemen to be duly elected:

President, Mr. D. F. LONGSTREET, Denver, Col.

First Vice-President, Mr. A. EVERETT, Cleveland, O.
Second Vice-President, Mr. JOEL HURT, Atlanta, Ga.

Third Vice-President, Mr. W. WORTH BEAN, St. Joseph, Mich. Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. W. J. RICHARDSON, Brooklyn, N. Y. Executive Committee:

Mr. JOHN G. HOLMES, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Mr. JOHN D. CRIMMINS, New York, N. Y.

Mr. THOMAS J. MINARY, Louisville, Ky.
Mr. JAMES R. CHAPMAN, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Mr. BENJAMIN E. CHARLTON, Hamilton, Ont.

Mr. Stephenson, of Washington: May I inquire where the next meeting is to be held, and at what time?

The Vice-President: The next meeting will be held in the city of Milwaukee, on the third Wednesday in October, next year, unless the Executive Committee see fit to change the time.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VII. OF THE BY-LAWS RELATIVE TO DATE OF MEETING.

Mr. Baumhoff, of St. Louis, offered the following amendment to Article VII. of the By-Laws :

Resolved, That Article VII. of the By-Laws be amended by the addition to the first sentence of the following words, unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee," so as to read: The regular meeting of the Association shall be held on the third Wednesday in October in each year, at such hour and place as shall be designated at the preceding meeting, unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee.

Mr. Stephenson: There was no reason given why this change should be made, and why this authority should be vested in the Executive Committee to change the time. There were a number of reasons stated why the third Wednesday in October was a good time to hold our meeting, and it may cause confusion to have the power to change the date given to the Committee. Why is it that it is proposed to grant this power to the Executive Committee?

Mr. Richardson : The amendment does not seem to fully authorize the change, and now that my attention is called to the fact, I recall that there is no reason given in the report why the authority should be conferred upon the Committee.

The Secretary: Of course, it is manifest why the suggestion is made at this time, and submitted to the wisdom of the Association for action. The question of changing the date of this present meeting was brought before the Executive Committee. In one article of the By-Laws, it is declared the Executive Committee shall have the entire charge and management of the affairs of the Association, as every executive committee has in the absence of the general body. This question arose from the fact that the Inaugural Exercises of the World's Fair were to occur in Chicago the same week as the meeting of the Association. The Association has gone on for ten years without change, and we have found that no better date in the year could have been selected than that arranged for, and certainly the officers have no special desire in the matter. It is simply to provide for a possible contingency, which might make it desirable sometimes to postpone the meeting, or change the date.

Mr. Littell: I rise to a point of order. My point is embraced ⚫ in the section of the By-Laws relating to amendments, which says:

This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at a regular meeting, after the proposed amendment shall have been

submitted, in writing, at the preceding regular meeting and a copy sent to each of the members.

The Secretary: It is true it has not been brought to the attention of all the members of this Association; that is manifest.

Mr. Baumhoff: I desire to withdraw the amendment, with the understanding that it be put in proper shape and brought before the Association at the next meeting, in accordance with the wishes expressed by the Executive Committee.

The Secretary: The fact that it has been brought duly before the Association at this time will authorize the presentation of it at the next annual meeting to the members of the Association for action at the next meeting.

Mr. Richardson: I would like to ask in this connection whether any gentleman can inform us if any time has been set for the closing of the World's Fair in Chicago next year. Some one stated to me that the time had been set in the month of October.

Mr. Bean: The World's Fair opens on the first of May and closes on the first of November.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VII. OF THE BY

LAWS RELATIVE TO PLACE OF MEETING.

The Secretary read the proposed amendment, as follows: Resolved, That Article VII. of the By-Laws be amended by the insertion of the words " by the Executive Committee" immediately following the word

"designated"

on the third line as printed.

Mr. Stephenson: What is the object of that? Why should not this Association determine for itself where it shall hold its meet

ing?

The Secretary: I hardly think the gentleman can require information on that point, inasmuch as he was present at the last meeting when the subject was fully discussed.

I

Mr. Stephenson: As I understood it, the time and place for this meeting only was referred to the Executive Committee. understood the motion was made and carried at the last meeting, allowing the Executive Committee to change the place of this

meeting,

if necessary.

The Secretary: The Executive Committee of last year was authorized to arrange for the meeting next year in Milwaukee.. The object of this amendment is this: the experience of the Association in the past, especially at Pittsburgh, has been such as

to warrant this action; the idea being that the Association has grown to such a size as to make it desirable to have a reasonable amount of negotiation with the hotel people of any city to which we contemplate going, to prevent their putting up prices on us and taking advantage of us in that and other ways. If we should decide to go to a certain city without previous opportunity to consult with the hotel proprietors, they might make a corner on us, as was the case in Pittsburgh. That is the essential object of the amendment. Mr. H. C. Payne, Vice-President and General Manager of the Milwaukee Street Railway Company, has made special arrangements with the hotel people in that city, by which they agree to do certain things at a definite price; one of which is that they will not take advantage in any way of the fact that the meeting is to be held in Milwaukee and raise the rates, and other matters are provided for essential to the well-being and comfort of the delegates.

Mr. Stephenson: The Secretary is right as far as he goes; and it was on my motion at Pittsburgh that the Executive Committee was authorized to arrange the place for holding this meeting, in case there was any extortion attempted by the proprietors of the hotels in any city where we might determine to hold our meeting. That resolution is recorded in the minutes of the Pittsburgh meeting. I made the motion to empower the Committee to change the place of meeting to some other city, if necessary or desirable, giving sixty days' notice of such change. That applied to this present year, and then the Executive Committee was empowered to select a place for the next meeting; but the point I make is why should the Executive Committee determine where we shall have our meeting, when the Association can determine this itself? These matters have always come before the Association. The power is sought to be delegated absolutely to the Executive Committee. If this amendment passes, they may select New Orleans, Milwaukee or Denver, and the Association has no control whatever over their actions. The point I make is, why not leave that to the Association? Let the Committee recommend, but leave it for the Association to confirm it. The Secretary: I will read from the minutes of the last meeting. On page 197 appears the following:

Mr. Stephenson moved that in case the officers of the Association cannot make satisfactory arrangements with the hotels at the place selected for the next meeting, that the Executive Committee be authorized to change the place