The Secretary: Mr. President, it would be very desirable, indeed, if this question could be disposed of at this meeting. I believe it can be done in a way which will be satisfactory to all, including the gentleman who has proposed this resolution, if the Chair will recede from his ruling. This identical question was regularly submitted, as has been stated, by five different members at the last meeting of the Association; it was duly referred to the Executive Committee; the Executive Committee has reported upon the subject, and its report has been adopted by the Association. Now, sir, if the President will recede from the position he has already taken, that by the adoption of that report this question was disposed of at this meeting, I will move, sir, the consideration now of that resolution which was presented at the last meeting; this being the following meeting, and the resolution can properly come before this meeting, and in that way we can take action upon it now, and not wait a whole year for it to be disposed of.

Mr. Wm. Richardson: I will rise to a point of order on that, Mr. Chairman. We are all obliged to be governed by the action of the Association. Your decision awhile ago is undoubtedly correct, that this matter could not be acted upon now, except by a motion for reconsideration. Yesterday morning I moved, you will remember, to adopt the report of the Executive Committee, with the special approval of the Association as to two points, namely, the issuing of tickets to the banquet upon the recommendation of delegates, at your discretion, to persons outside of the members of the Association; and, secondly, approving the recommendation that the Secretary send cards of invitation to the past Presidents of this Association. You will remember that my motion was specific as to these two points; and in the face of the adoption of that motion, it seems to me that the proposition just made is out of order.

Mr. Lanius, of New York: Would it be possible to reach that in a proper manner, by a motion to reconsider so much of the report of the Executive Committee as covers this matter; that would then become the test question at this time whether we want to consider it or not. If this is not done, it strikes me that it is the proper thing to let the resolution go through the hands of the Executive Committee; because that committee is appointed to transact the business of the Association during the year, and its members are selected because of the confidence of the Associa

tion in them. They are few in number, and thus have the facility and time to ascertain the reasons that weigh for and against the adoption of this amendment. Now, let us look at the effect of this amendment if carried. For example, suppose of the total number of supply men who find it to their interest to attend these meetings, some choose to pay twenty-five dollars, and some do not. You have at once two classes of supply men at your meetings; one class with more or less influence, and the others without any such influence; and wherein consists the difference between the two, unless it might be in the courtesies that are usually extended to the members of the Association by the local companies at the place of meeting?

Mr. Wm. Richardson: With the approval of the gentleman who has just submitted the amendment, Mr. Thompson, Secretary of the Brooklyn City Railroad Company, I will move to reconsider the vote of yesterday, if he approves of such a course.

Mr. Lanius It has been suggested by the gentlemen here, who voted in the affirmative of that motion, that if the motion be made to reconsider, they will cheerfully vote in favor of it, if it meets with the approval of Mr. Thompson, as a means of bringing up the question at this time, so as to have the matter settled now, and not bring it up at the next meeting.

Mr. Thompson: There is nothing that would give me greater pleasure than to accept your suggestion; and if you will reconsider that motion, it will give me great pleasure.

Mr. Richardson: I move, sir, to reconsider the vote of yesterday, by which the Association approved the recommendation of the Executive Committee relative to the supply men.

The President: It is moved that the Association reconsider so much of its vote yesterday in adopting the report of the Executive Committee as referred to the matter of supply men being admitted to associate membership in the Association.

No remarks being made upon the motion, it was at once carried. Mr. Littell: In case this is voted down, what is going to become of the supply men who paid their ten dollars for tickets for to-night? Suppose the report of the Executive Committee is not adopted, where do the supply men stand in relation to the tickets purchased for the banquet to-night?

Mr. Barr: For information I desire to know the necessity and reason why supply men desire to become associate members of the Association.

Mr. Wm. Richardson: We have agreed to reconsider the vote of yesterday; in other words, we have agreed to vote again on the motion that was then pending. That is the motion that will be put for us to vote upon now, unless some one makes another motion.

The President: The Chair must rule that we have agreed to reconsider the motion passed yesterday morning approving the recommendation of the Executive Committee.

Mr. Lanius: In order to bring the matter before the Association, I think it is proper at this time to move to adopt so much of the report of the Executive Committee as has just been reconsidered.

The President: It does not need any motion to bring that before the house. The motion made yesterday is before the house. We simply rescind the affirmative action; that leaves it before us for discussion at this time.

Mr. Frayser: As I understand it now, if Mr. Thompson desires to bring that motion up, it will be in order. If he presents the amendment offered at the last meeting, it will be in order for the Association to vote upon it.

Mr. Thompson: I move we adopt the amendment presented at the last meeting by Mr. Richards. It has been read here, and

everybody knows what it is.

Mr. Frayser Now that, as I understand it, carries us back to consider the resolution that was proposed and offered last year as an amendment to our Constitution. Such being the fact, Mr. President and gentlemen of the Association, permit me to call your attention particularly to the Constitution that was adopted when this Association was first organized. As I understand it, this Association, by Article III. of the Constititution, is composed of "American Street-Railway Companies, or lessees, or individual owners of street-railways." The object was the encouragement of friendly and cordial relations between the roads and the public, and for such other reasons as you will find in Article II. of our Constitution. Now, as I look at the purpose of the organization, it was the railroads themselves that formed the Association; and each railroad sends to the meetings of the Association one or more representatives, its President or its Vice-President, or a Director or Superintendent if they choose; and they are delegated to act in this Association as the representative of the respect

ive railroad company, which is the member.

Now, if we desire to change the fundamental law of this Association and admit into it persons connected with other kinds of business, such as persons who sell to us iron, oil, lamps, horses and mules and the dif ferent articles that we use in the running of these railroads, do we not actually let down the bars that enclose us as a distinct body, and do away with the identity of the organization; do we not cast into utter darkness the very purpose that we, in the beginning, had in view? To be sure, we cultivate these social and friendly feelings between all our fellow men, and maintain a spirit of fraternity amongst all who may become members; but the organization was formed especially to cultivate and maintain these feelings amongst street-railroad men, representing street-railroad corporations. If we are allowed by our law to admit into fellowship with us those who sell us the things that we use in the running and equipping of our railroads (thousands of whom we buy from in order to benefit the many millions that we accommodate), and if we did admit these men as members, the Association would be like the city that the fellow could not see for the houses. [Laughter.] Now, I say that we should not change the fundamental law of this organization. We cannot and should not admit supply men, and I say it with the kindliest regards and best feelings towards them; I am not willing to disrupt the organization, in order to admit them into fellowship with us. If they desire to form an organization of their own kind, and I know, from their being men of merit and worth, they can succeed, let them do so; but they should not seek, by a desire to be members of this Association, to have our laws diverted and our original purpose thwarted, thus coloring the stream that we wish to be kept as clear to its destiny as when it left the fountain source. [Applause.]

Mr. Littell: I would like to call for the reading of the resolution offered by Mr. Thompson.

The President: The one offered by Mr. Richards is before the house.

Mr. Eppley I should like to ask whether this resolution will admit horse dealers and mule dealers?

The President: You have heard the motion of Mr. Thompson; and as the motion is in proper form, and lawfully before the house, and notice, in writing, has been sent by the Secretary to every member of the Association, in the form of the printed

minutes, it is proper now for us to take a vote, which must, in order to carry, be two-thirds of all the Companies represented at this meeting, and whose delegates are now present.

Mr. Scullin: I move that the roll be called.

The motion was carried.

Mr. Littell: I want to ask, if we adopt that amendment, in what position it puts the supply-men who have already paid ten dollars for their tickets for to-night. Do they have to pay fifteen dollars more for their tickets?

The President stated that the supply-men would be admitted to the banquet-all who had tickets.

The Secretary called the roll and announced the vote: Affirmative, 12; negative, 44.

The President declared the vote lost, and said: Have you any further action to take in regard to this matter?

Mr. Wm. Richardson: I now call for the question on the motion made by me yesterday, which we agreed to reconsider; and on which motion, the question now recurs.

The President: The motion made and seconded yesterday morning, that we adopt the report of the Executive Committee, and approve the recommendations of the Committee therein contained, is before you.

The motion was carried.

INSTALLATION OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT.

Mr. Cleminshaw: Are we going to install our new President, who is in the room?

The President: The Chair will appoint a Committee consisting of Mr. Littell and Mr. Wharton, to escort the new President to the Chair.

President Holmes: The Chair is pleased to introduce to the Association its new President, Mr. George B. Kerper, of Cincinnati.

President Kerper: Mr. President and gentlemen-This honor, and it is the highest honor that could possibly be conferred upon any gentleman connected with the Association, comes to me entirely unexpectedly; and coming, as it does, with the unanimous action of your Committee and unanimous approval of this body, I return my sincere thanks to you all, and will endeavor to perform my duties as faithfully as my predecessors have done. I am now yours to command.