C. E. Morgan, General Manager, Brooklyn City Railway, Brooklyn, P. S. Arkwright, President, Georgia Railway & Power Company, Wednesday, October 4th, Morning 10:00 A. M. to I :00 P. M. Committee Reports: Constitution and By-Laws - L. S. Storrs, President, The Con- Company and Associate Membership - F. R. Coates, President, Co-operation with State and Sectional Associations-W. H. Publicity J. N. Shannahan, President, Newport News & Hampton Co-operation with Manufacturers E. F. Wickwire, Secretary and Report of Committee on Nominations - Charles L. Henry, President, Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Company, Indianapolis, Ind., Chairman. Election of Officers. Report of Committee of One Hundred-Guy E. Tripp, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company, New York City, Chairman. Committee Reports: Valuation-J. P. Barnes, President, Louisville Railway Company, Discussion. Policy Britton I. Budd, President, Metropolitan West Side Ele- National Relations - Charles L. Henry, President, Indianapolis & Joint Committee of National Utility Associations - Randal Morgan, Education Edward Dana, General Manager Boston Elevated Railway Co., Boston, Mass., Chairman. Discussion. Address" Electric Railway Financing "- Walter W. Warwick, Assistant Director of Budget, United States Treasury, Washington, D. C. Past Presidents' Day Introductory Address by Past President, John M. Roach, Chicago, Ill. Master of Ceremonies, Past President, General George H. Harries, Vice-President, H. M. Byllesby Company, Chicago, Ill. Short talks by past presidents: John M. Roach, Chicago Surface Lines, Chicago, Ill. James F. Shaw, Kanuth, Nachod and Kuhne, New York, N. Y. Thomas N. McCarter, President, Public Service Railway Company, Newark, N. J. George H. Harries, Vice-President, H. M. Byllesby Company, Chicago, Ill. C. Loomis Allen, Vice-President, Syracuse and Suburban Railroad Company, Syracuse, N. Y. Charles L. Henry, President, Indianapolis and Cincinnati Traction Company, Indianapolis, Ind. L. S. Storrs, President, Connecticut Company, New Haven, Conn. John J. Stanley, President, Cleveland Railway Company, Cleveland, Ohio. John H. Pardee, President, J. G. White Management Corporation, New York, N. Y. P. H. Gadsden, Vice-President, United Gas Improvement Company, Philadelphia, Pa. Wednesday, October 4th, Afternoon-2:30 P. M. Public Relations and Advertising Men A Round Table Session of the Active Public Relations and Advertising men was held at the Association Booth, Section G, Municipal Pier. W. P. Strandborg was the chairman in charge of the meeting. Thursday, October 5th, Morning 10:00 A. M. to 1:00 P. M. Committee Reports: Trackless Transportation - H. B. Flowers, Second Vice-President and General Manager, United Railways and Electric Company, Baltimore, Md., Chairman. Discussion. Uniform Motor Vehicle Law-C. D. Cass, General Manager, Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Northern Railway Company, Waterloo, Iowa, Chairman. Discussion. Maintenance and Construction of Highways — W. J. Harvie, Vice- Discussion. Electrolysis - W. J. Harvie, Vice-President, Auburn and Syracuse Railway Company, Auburn, N. Y., Chairman. Address" The Real Interest of the Car Rider "- Hon. Carl D. Jackson, Wisconsin Railway Commission, Madison, Wis., Chairman. Unfinished business. New business. Installation of Officers. MINUTES OF THE 1922 CONVENTION TUESDAY SESSION OCTOBER 2, 1922 The Forty-first Annual Convention of the American Electric Railway Association was called to order in the American Room, Congress Hall, Municipal Pier, Chicago, Illinois, at 10:15 o'clock by President Robert I. Todd, who presented the following address: ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT It is a pleasure, a privilege and an honor for any man to preside over the deliberations of this great forty-first Annual Convention of the American Electric Railway Association. This because of the magnitude of the problems with which we are dealing, the wonderful location we have chosen for our meeting here in the heart of the Middle West where two of our progressive properties are operated and the fact that our magnificent industry is showing this year that it is inherently sound and can come back. Prosperity is increasing on a majority of the city electric lines of the country and their managements are keeing faith with riders by buying liberally of equipment and supplies. Improved financial conditions are being translated into better service almost everywhere. No industry is doing more, probably, to bring the business of the .country back to pre-war basis. To substantiate this statement I wish to submit the following facts and figures: Reports from seventy-two companies, representing one-third of the total electric railway revenue of the country indicate that during the current year 21.6 per cent of the operating expenses of the electric railway industry will be devoted to the purchase of material and supplies. That amounts to approximately $136,000,000. During the fifteen years from 1902 to 1917 an average of twenty-five per cent of all operating expenses was spent for equipment and supplies, but in none of these years was the total more than $104,000,000 and one year only $38,000,000. The average was about one-half what is being spent this year. During the first six months of 1922 a total of 1,016 passenger cars of all types were ordered by the electric railways of the country. This is 122 more than were bought throughout last year. Many more purchases have been made since this report was compiled and it appears likely that purchases this year will double those of 1921. Making liberal allowances for companies which are not enjoying prosperity and there are some and adding capital expenditures the industry will spend for equipment and supplies this year about $200,000,000. This is an irrefutable answer to the demagogue who insists that no attempt is being made to improve service and that fare increases were solely designed to increase dividends. Only a casual survey of the operating reports of the industry for the first seven months of 1922, just completed, and the first seven months of 1921 is required to show that the public and managements are co-operating in working out the electric railway problem. The number of riders is increasing gradually, especially on city lines, needed operating economies are being effected and net revenues are growing. Reports from eighty-one companies, representing about three-eighths of the industry's mileage, for the first seven months of 1922 show that riding began increasing in May, after gradual decreases over last year, and if the present ratio is continued there will be approximately 75,000,000 more riders throughout the industry this year than last. This increased riding is tracable to general improved business conditions. Despite the increased number of passenger riders, gross revenues are off $5,526,365 or 2.6 per cent, with these eighty-one companies owing to the smaller number of passengers riding during the early months of the year and several fare decreases which brought the average rate of fare of these companies down from 7.46 cents in 1921 to 7.42 cents in 1922. Fares generally are remaining practically stationary, however, because of the general understanding that the industry is using its increased fare returns liberally as shown by figures previously given, to improve service which suffered so greatly during the war. Increased efficiency of operation is reflected clearly in operating expenses, which have been cut down $10,441,036 or 7.2 per cent, and car miles 3,379,729 or 0.8 per cent. As a result of these decreased expenses the operating ratio has dropped 3.6 points, from 75.6 to 72.0 per cent, and net revenues have increased $5,526,365, or 11.8 per cent. The use of one-man cars, automatic sub-stations and other labor saving devices and the abandonment of unprofitable and unused trackage are responsible for these figures. Material and labor costs also have been reduced somewhat during the year, materials now being about 50 per cent higher than they were prior to the war and labor slightly over 100 per cent. The economic situation of the interurban lines differs materially from that of the city lines and is a particular object of the Association's |
