end of the block to be locked with a duplicate padlock, the key to be attached to the staff. The motorman can get his car out of the block, but he cannot get into it without having possession of the staff and the attached key. Of course, that would not do on the complete block system, because the delay would be too great, but it is perfectly safe. The system, if the travel becomes heavy enough to require double-header cars, is simply to allow the first car to unlock the block and hold the lever over until the cars enter the block, and the second car carrying the staff, the cars carrying the regular signals of lights by night and flags by day, the same as are used on the standard steam roads. That is as far as we have gone in this

matter.

It seems to me, after a long study of this matter occupying ten years, and having had control of some of the earliest interurban roads in the country, that we are after all working in the wrong direction, and we should have, to make the system of blocking as complete as possible, not a stationary block on the railroad, but an indicator of some sort on the car itself. I have had some conversation with persons who have a great deal of electrical capacity in the direction of original research, and I have asked them whether it would not be possible to provide on each car a signal of some sort, for instance, an incandescent lamp, which would glow on the approach of another car within, say, a thousand feet. That sounds like a difficult problem, but I think that is the direction in which to look for the best results. I think there should be something used like the signals employed in elevators in city buildings to indicate to the operator of the elevator that he is desired to make a stop at the next floor; one of which will indicate the presence of a car in advance and another of a car in the rear, within the limited distance. I believe that is perfectly practicable of attainment. Indeed, we are working at the thing ourselves, having a man for that purpose.

We have tried several of the block signal systems. We do not believe that any of them that we have investigated or tried will be satisfactory, or are sufficiently reliable to warrant their

use, and to-day we are standing in the position of simply getting along with something that is absolutely safe as far as we can go.

In times of fog we do not allow any car to leave its switch except on the passing of the regular car that was to meet it at that switch, and we do not vary from that rule, even if we hang up our line for half a day. We believe a delay of that character is much better than taking chances of collision in a fog. It does not pay to take chances in operating cars at high speed on a single track.

The territory we cover consists of a number of towns, and in the entire territory outside of Troy, Albany and Cohoes, with 250,000 people, we serve a population of about 100,000, and we are not able at this time (and probably will not be for some years to come) to double track much of the road. Of course that is the final remedy for this sort of thing, yet we do believe that we can by these expenditures reduce the danger of accidents very greatly; but what we do insist upon is that whatever device we adopt shall be as nearly perfect as possible; and no single device that we have ever seen is anything more than taking another chance, for a signal device that does not work occasionally is far worse than none at all. I hope the problem will be worked out so that we may have a satisfactory system of signaling, but I believe the proper way is to advise the motorman of the presence of a car and have him know in which direction the car is from him. If that is done I think we will have eliminated a very large proportion of the dangers of collision.

President Holmes-Gentlemen, perhaps we had better close the discussion on this subject, as our time is limited, and take up the report of the Committee on Nominations.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS. Mr. Sergeant presented the report:

New York, October 11, 1901.

To the President and Members of the American Street Railway Association:

Gentlemen-Your Committee on Nominations beg leave to submit the following report:

They recommend as nominees for officers of the Association the following gentlemen:

For President,

H. H. VREELAND, New York, N. Y.

For First Vice-President,

C. W. WASON, Cleveland, O.

For Second Vice-President,
E. C. FOSTER, Boston, Mass.
For Third Vice-President,
H. M. SLOAN, Chicago, Ill.
For Secretary and Treasurer,
T. C. PENINGTON, Chicago, Ill.
Executive Committee:

WALTON H. HOLMES, Kansas City, Mo.
JOHN A. RIGG, Reading, Pa.

D. B. DYER, Augusta, Ga.

T. J. NICHOLL, Rochester, N. Y.

G. W. DICKINSON, Seattle, Wash.`

Your committee has received several invitations for the entertainment of the next convention. They recommend the acceptance of the invitation received from the Everett-Moore Syndicate to hold the next convention at Detroit, Michigan.

Respectfully submitted,

C. S. SERGEANT, Chairman,
ALBION E. LANG,

F. L. FULLER,

W. W. WHEATLY,

W. P. READ,

Committee on Nominations.

Mr. Heft-I move that the Secretary be empowered to cast one vote for the nominations as read. (Carried.)

Mr. Heft-I move that it be resolved that we accept the invitation of the Everett-Moore Syndicate to hold the next convention at Detroit, Mich. (Carried.)

President Holmes-The vote has been cast for the gentlemen whose names have been read.

VOTE OF THANKS TO LOCAL COMPANIES.

Mr. Sergeant-If general business is in order, I move you, sir, that the thanks of this Association be tendered to the officers of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, the Brook

lyn Rapid Transit Company, the Manhattan Elevated Railway Company and the other corporations and individuals that have done so much for the Association and enabled it to have such adequate provisions for this convention and such a satisfactory convention altogether. I believe that a great deal has been done for us, and that we all appreciate it, and that a motion of this sort is certainly in order. (Carried.)

Mr. Heft-I move that a vote of thanks be tendered to the gentlemen who have prepared the papers that have been read here for discussion.

President Holmes-I think those that led the discussion ought to be included.

Mr. Heft-Those who have prepared papers and read them and those who led in the discussion.

(Carried.)

VOTE OF THANKS TO PRESIDENT HOLMES.

Mr. Lang-I offer the following resolution:

Resolved, That the thanks of the Association be and are hereby extended to the President, Mr. Walton H. Holmes, for the able and impartial manner in which he has presided over its deliberations.

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Association that the present highly satisfactory condition of its affairs is in a great measure due to his zealous and untiring efforts, which not only reflects great credit upon the Association, but himself, as the youngest man ever elected to the office. (Applause.)

The motion was unanimously carried.

President Holmes-I thank you very much, indeed, for the resolution and hope that what little work I have done for you will be of benefit to us all in the future; but I have been more fortunate, I suppose, than most presidents. I have had the able assistance of a good Executive Committee, and the papers which were prepared were well prepared and ably discussed. I think if we continue the same line of policy our meetings will grow more interesting each year.

I hardly think it proper for me to say much at this time, but will thank you all for the promptness with which you have attended these meetings and for giving such careful attention

to the different discussions. We would welcome you back to Kansas City any time, and our people have asked to be kindly remembered to the members of the Association and some day hope to have the pleasure of seeing you out West again.

There is one more matter. I see Mr. Cooper is in the room and he will explain a matter in regard to the mail service.

DISCUSSION WITH REFERENCE TO MEMORIALIZING CONGRESS TO INCREASE

APPROPRIATION

FOR CARRYING UNITED STATES MAIL
ON STREET RAILWAY CARS.

Mr. S. C. Cooper, Cincinnati-Mr. President and Gentlemen: With reference to the report of a committee appointed by the Postmaster-General relative to compensation for the transportation of mails on city and surburban railways made in 1896, I wish to make a few remarks in regard to the fact that the compensation now received for the transportation of mails on our electric cars is insufficient. In the circular referred to Mr. C. Neilson, at that time Second Postmaster-General, says: "The act of Congress, approved June 9, 1896, making appropriations for the service of the postoffice department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, provided for transportation of mail via electric and cable cars on routes not exceeding twenty miles in length, $150,000.00," etc. Now, the appropriation which was made at that time, 1896, remains the same to-day. On June 25, 1896, the Postmaster-General appointed a committee for the purpose of securing information upon which to recommend the basis of compensation for the transportation of the mails by city and suburban railways. This committee made certain recommendations to the PostmasterGeneral, which were accepted, and, with your permission, I will read some excerpts from their report bearing on the distribution or application of the $150,000.00 for the transportation of mails via electric cars. One says: "Our conclusion is that the rate of sixteen cents per car mile for cars not exceeding sixteen feet in length, inside measurement, would cover operating expenses and in most cases allow a fair margin of profit.