Mr. Wyman: It would seem, Mr. President, by Article VII. of the By-laws just read, that the Convention, at its meeting, is the proper body to designate the place for the next meeting.

not well see how, without altering the By-laws, that matter can be referred to the Executive Committee.

Mr. Wm. Richardson: I do not see, sir, that there is the slightest conflict; one is to appoint a Committee to recommend the place for the next meeting and look over the question where it shall be held. The Convention still has the fixing of it in accordance with the By-laws as much as ever. It is simply empowering the Committee to previously consider the question and be able to report at the next meeting what shall be done the year following. Mr. Cleminshaw: I understand, then, it is not retroactive?

Mr. Wm. Richardson: It does not touch this meeting at all. It is for another year.

Mr. H. H. Littell: Does not the motion made by the gentleman to have a committee appointed to nominate officers of this Association and fix a place for the next meeting, give the Committee some power over this matter? I believe that the motion was that the committee of seven be appointed by the Chair to nominate officers and recommend a place for the next meeting. The President: The Chair decides that it is only a recommendation for the place of meeting.

Mr. W. Worth Bean: Do I understand that this motion applies to the next meeting-that of 1892? It was my impression at first that the motion did not apply to that. Perhaps it would be well to have the matter explained more clearly.

The Secretary: The whole matter is just this: If you will remember, as stated in the report of the Executive Committee, it was unanimous in its recommendation to the Association that the Convention refer the question of the selection of the place of meeting to the Executive Committee or a special committee, whose duty it should be to make inquiries as to hotel rates and accommodations, and as is expressed in the motion, that they should take under advisement the whole question.

Mr. Wm. Richardson: I think it is clear that we do not want to take action conflicting with our own action, when we can just as well have it straight. Therefore, for the purpose of making it definite, I move that it is the sense of the Association that the resolution shall apply to places for the year 1893, and subsequently.

Mr. Stephenson: The suggestion I was about to make is, that I think Mr. Wyman is pretty nearly right in the point or proposition he makes, that it is in the province and right of this meeting, under our By-Laws, that we should name the place of meeting now for the next Convention. For the future, for myself I am perfectly willing that the matter be left in the hands of the Executive Committee; but why not take both propositions at once. Let us now select the place of meeting for the next Convention, and go a little further and state that if the Executive Committee, in their investigations during the next few months, find that proper hotel accommodations are not to be found in the city selected, and at such rates as may be reasonable to us, to give the Executive Committee power to change the place of meeting to some other city, where we can get proper hotel accommodations, giving the Association sixty days' notice.

Mr. Bean In order to facilitate business, I move that as the Convention appointed a committee of seven to nominate, that you lay the resolution upon the table, and let the Committee make its report. That will then be treating the Committee with proper respect. I think this will put us where we want to get.

The Secretary: If the gentleman will withdraw the resolution temporarily, we will dispose of the report of the Nominating Committee first.

The motion was thereupon withdrawn.

REPORT OF THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE.

The President: The report of the Nominating Committee is in order.

Mr. Cleminshaw: Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I take pleasure in making this report, and in stating that it is the unanimous report of the Committee. We nominate for officers of the Association for the ensuing year:

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

66

First Vice-President, Mr. THOMAS H. MCLEAN, Secretary,
Twenty-third street Railway Company, New York.

"Second Vice-President, Mr. JAMES B. SPEED, President, Louisville Railway Co., Louisville, Ky.

For Third Vice-President, Mr. ALBION E. LANG, Vice-President, Toledo Consolidated Street Railroad Company, Toledo, Ohio.

For Secretary and Treasurer:

Mr. WILLIAM J. RICHARDSON, Secretary, Atlantic Avenue Railroad Company, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Executive Committee:

Mr. HENRY M. WATSON, President, Buffalo Railway Company, Buffalo, N. Y.

Mr. LEWIS PERRINE, Jr., President, Trenton Passenger Railway Company, Consolidated, Trenton, N. J.

Mr. W. WORTH BEAN, President, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor Railway Company, St. Joseph, Mich.

Mr. MURRY A. VERNER, President, Pittsburg and Birmingham Traction Company, Pittsburg, Pa.

Mr. THOMAS C. PENINGTON, Treasurer, Chicago City Railway Co., Chicago, Ill.

The Committee recommend, as the next place of meeting, Cleveland, O.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS.

Mr. Hasbrouck: I move that Mr. Cleminshaw be empowered to cast the ballot of the Association for the ticket just reported.

The Chair appointed Messrs. Henry and Crosby tellers.

Mr. Cleminshaw thereupon deposited the ballot.

Mr. Henry reported the result of the ballot :

President, Mr. JOHN G. HOLMES, Pittsburg, Pa.

First Vice-President, Mr. THOMAS H. MCLEAN, New York, N. Y. Second Vice-President, Mr. JAMES B. SPEED, Louisville, Ky. Third Vice-President, Mr. ALBION E. LANG, Toledo, O. Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. Wm. J. Richardson, Brooklyn, N. Y. Executive Committee:

Mr. HENRY M. WATSON, Buffalo, N. Y.
Mr. LEWIS PERRINE, Jr., Trenton, N. J.
Mr. W. WORTH BEAN, St. Joseph, Mich.
Mr. MURRY A. VERNER, Pittsburg, Pa.
Mr. THOMAS C. PENINGTON, Chicago, Ill.

DISCUSSION CONCERNING SELECTION OF PLACE FOR
NEXT ANNUAL MEETING.

REMARKS OF MR. WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON.

Mr. Stephenson: The Convention having adopted a part of the report of the Special Committee, and elected officers harmoniously, I suppose the next question is the place of meeting. I now move you, sir, that the Convention select the city of Boston, Mass., as the next place of meeting; coupled with that motion, I desire to add the suggestion that I made before, namely: Providing the members of the Executive Committee satisfy themselves that suitable hotel accommodations can be afforded for all the delegates to the Convention, and such friends as are in attendance, at reasonable rates; and if not, then, sixty days previous to the time provided for in our By-Laws, they shall have the power to select some other city where we can get such accommodations and rights as. would be agreeable and right for the Convention.

Mr. Bean Will the gentleman separate his motion, and not couple it with any particular city?

Mr. Stephenson: I propose to couple that motion with any city that may be selected.

Mr. Cleminshaw: I do not see the necessity for that.

Mr. Bean: Suppose we vote down that proposition and decide to go to Cleveland.

Mr. Stephenson: That is all right; then I will offer another resolution.

REMARKS OF MR CHARLES CLEMINSHAW,

Mr. Cleminshaw: I move as an amendment that the Association select the city of Cleveland; and as this gentleman made some remarks when he offered his motion, I will take the same opportunity in connection with my motion. Every gentleman who has attended the meetings of this Association for the past two or three years, if not longer, knows what the precedent has been in the past. We have been invited from city to city to meet the gentlemen, and hold our conventions there. The city. of Cleveland has sent its invitation in the past, the same as other cities we have gone to. The city of Cleveland sends its invitation again. Is it treating this city and the roads in Cleveland right to go back to a city where we have already been, when we have not been around and covered the cities where they are

anxious to have us visit them, and most of us are anxious to go? It would establish a precedent which would react in the future. I believe in the city of Cleveland (certainly, as far as my knowledge and information goes), that as to electric roads and hotel accommodations, and all the other points which go to make a good convention city, there is no city that is superior, outside of the cities of New York and Boston. The gentlemen from that city have invited us, and are anxious that we should go there. I think it is anything but courteous, anything but treating them right, to pass by them and go to a city where we have already been. I can understand that gentlemen are anxious to go to Boston, anxious to see the West End Road, and all that; but I think we should be guided by a consideration of what is right and proper, where we have a city the size of Cleveland which invites us to hold our meeting there, and in which there are a number of important and efficient members of our Association.

Mr. Wrenne I rise to second the motion of the gentleman, the Chairman of the Committee. I think as a matter of courtesy to the Committee we should carry out its recommendations. Cleveland is well situated for the purposes of the meeting. I hope the vote will be unanimous.

REMARKS OF MR. WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON.

Mr. Stephenson: I have not the slightest objection in the world. to the city of Cleveland. Mr. Cleminshaw states the fact that we have a courteous invitation from the city of Cleveland. At Buffalo, last year, we had invitations from two or three cities. Several gentlemen have risen and invited us to go to their respective cities. Only one city could be selected at this Convention. We have had invitations from Boston, Cleveland, and one or two others. So far as the matter of having once held a meeting in Boston is concerned, I have only had the honor of being a member for two or three years; but in the past I have observed that it has been usually customary to hold the Convention one year in the east and the next in the west. Some years ago you had the Convention in our city, Washington; then you went to Minneapolis; then to Buffalo; and now to Pittsburg. It is simply on the ground of location that we should alternate each year; and on that ground I made the original motion that we select the city of Boston. We have received a very courteous invitation from President Whitney, of the West End Street Railway