good for the car roof-the best white lead and oil giving the best results.

Unquestionably the truck of a car should be painted with a good grade of lead paint, as it prevents rust, decreases renewal of bolts and adds greatly to the general appearance of the car. A handsomely painted car body mounted on a dingy, rusty-looking truck has a halffinished appearance, to say the least.

Respectfully submitted,

M. S. HOPKINS.

DISCUSSION ON REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON "MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRIC

CARS FOR STREET RAILWAYS."

The President-Gentlemen, this report is now before you for discussion. There are certainly many valuable points embraced in the paper, and we would like to have them considered fully.

REMARKS OF MR. H. M. SLOAN ON THE MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRIC CARS

FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

Mr. Sloan, Chicago-The main points in the paper just read have been very thoroughly covered, I think, but there are some of the details with which I do not entirely agree. For instance, the gentleman states that he utterly condemns night inspection. With us night inspection works quite satisfactorily for several reasons; the main one being that we change our brushes every night. Every motor brush is changed each night. It works well on the commutators and results in very little wearing down of the commutators. I have had commutators in for a year with not in. wear, and I believe it is entirely due to the fact that we change the brushes every night. I think a car cannot be overhauled too often. With us it goes on constantly. When a motor comes in with the armature burnt out or for any other cause the truck is run from under the car, and another truck already prepared is run in to take its place. In that way we inspect our trucks frequently, and find it works satisfactorily.

REMARKS OF MR. THOMAS HAWKEN ON THE MAINTENANCE AND EQUIPMENT OF ELECTRIC

CARS FOR STREET RAILWAYS.

Mr. Hawken, Rockland, Me.-I am sorry the writer of the paper is not here, as I wish to ask him a question on an important point in regard to the series control of running motors. The electric people have always advised a certain point on the control for hill climbing and for efficiency of running the motors, this point being the fifth point on the control which connects the motors in series and the fields in shunt on the K-2 control. The one question that I wished to ask Mr. Hopkins was-if he would advise the running on grades on this point. I notice that the rear motor, when the motors are in series, does about all the work, especially when the track is a little slippery. I know of one road in particular that uses that point very frequently and it has a great deal of trouble from the burning out of armatures. I should like to know from some of the gentlemen who have had experience what point they really think is most efficient in running motors with the series controller. I have made it a practice in climbing hills to use the next to the last notch on the K2 and the last on the K10 controller. On these points the motors are connected in series parallel and they take the load equally. I find that these are the most efficient points and the armatures have a long life. I have had motors in constant use for more than three years, with a mileage of from one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty-four miles per day, and have not lost an armature by burnouts.

Mr. McCormack, Borough of Brooklyn-Mr. President, if there are no further remarks to be made on this subject, I move that a vote of thanks be returned to Mr. Hopkins for this paper. I learned from Mr. Kelly that Mr. Hopkins had intended to be present and read the paper, but he was unavoidably detained at home; and I think our congratulations should be sent to him. Carried.

The President-Mr. W. Caryl Ely, our first vice-president, and also first vice-president of the Street Railway Association

of the State of New York, has an invitation to extend to the Association; and he will now be given an opportunity to present it.

INVITATION TO ATTEND THE SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE STREET-RAILWAY ASSOCIA

TION OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Mr. Ely, Niagara Falls-Gentlemen, the sixteenth annual convention of the New York State Street Railway Association will be held at the Manhattan Beach Hotel next Tuesday and Wednesday, and in behalf of that Association, and upon the suggestion of Mr. G. Tracy Rogers, its president, I take pleasure in presenting the invitation of that Association to such of you as may be able to do so, to meet with us next week, and in that cool place, amid the surging of the murmuring waves, we may be able to get cooled off after the fatigues of this occasion.

Mr. Goff, Fall River-I move, Mr. President, that the thanks of the Association be extended to the New York Association, through Mr. Ely, for their very kind invitation to meet with them next week.

Mr. Dimmock seconded the motion, which was carried. The President-The motion is carried, and I trust that as many of our members as possible will attend that meeting.

We will now take up the matter of the appointment of the Committee on Nominations and the Reception of Invitations for the Place for Holding the Next Annual Meeting. The Secretary has some communications which he will read.

INVITATION ΤΟ HOLD THE NEXT MEETING IN DETROIT.

The Secretary read the following communication:

DETROIT CITIZENS' STREET RAILWAY COMPANY.

Detroit, Mich., August 26, 1898.

T. C. Penington, Esq., Secretary, American Street Railway Association, 2020 State Street, Chicago, Illinois

Dear Sir: I beg on behalf of the Detroit Citizens' Street Railway Company, The Detroit Electric Railway Company, and

Fort Wayne and Belle Isle Railway Company to extend to the American Street Railway Association a very cordial invitation to hold the annual Convention of 1899 in this city. Our General Manager, Mr. A. B. du Pont, hopes to be in Boston next month to personally press this invitation upon the Association.

So much has been said throughout the country relative to the street railways of Detroit that I am quite sure, outside of the attractiveness of Detroit as a convention city, the members of the Association would enjoy coming here to find out about these things for themselves.

Yours truly,

J. C. HUTCHINS,

Vice-President.

The Secretary also read communications requesting the selection of Detroit from Hon. H. S. Pingree, Governor of Michigan; Hon. William C. Maybury, Mayor of Detroit; Mr. J. C. Ferry, Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce of Detroit; Mr. Frank W. Waring, Secretary of the Board of Trade of Detroit; Mr. Walter S. Campbell, Secretary of the Detroit Manufacturers' Club; Mr. Walter S. Campbell, Actuary of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Exchange of Detroit; Mr. O. A. Bierce, of the Detroit Convention and Business Men's League, the Detroit Free Press, the Detroit Journal, the Detroit Tribune and the Detroit Evening News.

The President-These communications will be referred to the Committee on Nominations to be hereafter appointed. Are there any other invitations to be extended to the Association from any other city?

INVITATION TO HOLD THE NEXT MEETING IN KANSAS CITY.

Mr. Holmes, Kansas City-I should like to introduce Col. Morse, who will extend an invitation to this Convention to hold its next meeting in Kansas City.

Mr. Morse, Kansas City-Mr. Holmes this morning suggested certain advantages which we have as a place for holding the next Convention; and we extend a most hearty invitation to the Association to meet there in 1899. We trust

that the invitation will be favorably considered by the Association.

The President-These invitations will be received and referred to the Committee on Nominations. The Secretary has another communication in this connection which he will read.

COMMUNICATION FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS STREETRAILWAY ASSOCIATION.

The Secretary read the following:

Boston, Mass., September 3, 1898.

T. C. Penington, Esq., Secretary, American Street Railway Association, Hotel Brunswick, Boston

My Dear Sir: I have been requested by Mr. E. C. Foster to call your attention to the following vote which was passed by the General Committee of the Massachusetts Street Railway Association at a meeting held Friday, August 26, 1898:

VOTED: "That Mr. C. S. Sergeant is the unanimous choice of the General Committee as candidate for President of the American Street Railway Association at its annual election in September." Respectfully yours,

APPOINTMENT

OFFICERS

PHILIP L. SALTONSTALL,

Secretary General Committee.

OF THE COMMITTEE TO NOMINATE

AND SELECT THE PLACE FOR

HOLDING THE NEXT MEETING.

The President-In accordance with the custom of the Association, the President is called upon to appoint a Committee to Nominate Officers and Select the Place for Holding the Next Meeting. I will appoint upon that Committee the following gentlemen:

Mr. W. Worth Bean, of Michigan, Chairman.

Mr. D. G. Hamilton, of Missouri.

Mr. E. C. Foster, of Massachusetts.

Mr. W. F. Kelly, of Ohio.

Mr. J. R. Chapman, of Illinois.

Mr. Henry C. Payne, of Wisconsin.

Mr. E. H. Davis, of Pennsylvania.