increase in the gold supply created great fortunes and great prosperity in Italy, accompanied by an advance in the cost of living and tremendous unrest on the part of the people. Demagogues, backed by rich men, fought for Roman supremacy. In the final struggle with Augustus Cæsar the great senatorial class was entirely destroyed; with them fell also the power of the tribunes of the people. There was no force between the disorganized masses of the people and the imperial government which could resist governmental encroachment. And so for more than fifteen centuries liberty fled from the territory which Rome ruled. Individual liberty was again established in the world by the slow process of lopping away the powers of government and returning them to individuals and communities. So, through blood and revolution, expenditure of treasure and of lives the powers of government were steadily reduced over the constant opposition of the governing class until the people themselves passed into full control of government. There was never in those strenuous days a single power lopped away from government without resistance. It was natural that men who had the power should resist having that power curtailed. But now the people are in power and they find in the law of the land limitations against the exercise of power by government which they, themselves, established in the interests of their own liberty when kings were in power. These limitations are a necessary restraint upon the execution of the will of the people, and therefore, demagogues, assail these limitations as the safeguards of corporations and of the wealthy, as if the limitations which protect the corporations and the wealthy could be destroyed without destroying the limitations which protect the weak and the poor of all classes of society. It is the patriotic duty of the railroad manager, fighting demagogism and socialism on the outposts of society, to stand firmly for the protection of those limitations which form the basis of the liberty of the individual. He must learn and he must teach that our principles of government did not spring from a written constitution, but that our written constitution, carrying with it the protection of life, liberty and property, sprung from principles which were the product of eighteen centuries of conflict with despotic power; that the principles that a contract must be held inviolable, and that the humblest citizen of a community, as well as the richest, has certain inalienable rights of which the whole of society cannot deprive him, are necessary in order that the people may prosper and find liberty and happiness in their prosperity; that a government of, for and by the people has no place in it for the political serf or the beneficent ruler; that equal and exact justice to all men can only be found under a reign of law. In this day when we hear so much of the conservation of our material resources-and every patriotic man wants to see them intelligently conserved and legally developed-I say to you, gentlemen, that the conservation the country most needs is the conservation of a government of law. GENERAL HARRIES :- It would be commonplace, Mr. President, to move merely a vote of thanks to Mr. Calhoun for the admirable address he has delivered. It was my fortune to have the opportunity, of which full advantage was taken, to examine into the conditions under which Mr. Calhoun has done his work in San Francisco, and after two months of the most careful, the most faithful investigation which was possible to me, and of contact with all the elements in that remarkable community in which he lives, I came to the conclusion and I would state it perhaps more easily if Mr. Calhoun were not here that he deserves to be and is, in my opinion, the exemplar of the street railway manager. The elements he fought and defeated are not to be discussed within the limits of a very brief address. It would be difficult to make clear even to the keen intelligence here assembled the more than uncommon mixture of open and secret dishonesty, vice-political and non-political-with which he has contended, and contended successfully. With courage the like of which I have never seen he has upheld all that he has spoken for today. The man who speaks, who preaches, is not necessarily the man of action. But he has been a man of action, and all that he has done has been governed by the principles and practices he has made clear to us to-day. Therefore I think that our vote of thanks, which I rise to move, be not merely for Mr. Calhoun's admirable address-for his kindness in coming here but it should include some expression of our esteem for him as an individual and gratitude to him for what he has done as the president of a company that fought its way through the results of a great natural convulsion and a conflagration that is historic; labor difficulties far beyond, I am sure, the thought of any man who only read of them; and political situations so complicated that most men would have retired from them in dismay. I think we should make it clear, in our vote of thanks, that we appreciate much more than the address the wonderful achievements of Patrick Calhoun, the man. (A unanimous rising vote of thanks was given.) (Vice-President Arthur W. Brady in the chair.) VICE-PRESIDENT BRADY:-The next subject is that of an address on "The Philadelphia Question," by Mr. Charles O. Kruger, president of the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company. Mr. Kruger then addressed the convention and at the conclusion was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks for his admirable paper. VICE-PRESIDENT BRADY:-That ends the formal program for this afternoon. There are two or three matters to be disposed of before we adjourn, however. The first is with reference to amendments to the articles of association, one in relation to the change of the name, the other in relation to associate membership. The constitution provides that "this constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting, provided the proposed amendment shall have the approval of two-thirds of the Executive Committee, and provided that a copy shall have been sent to each of the active members at least thirty days prior to the date of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be acted upon." The amendments proposed were read yesterday in the report of the Executive Committee. The first, you will remember, relates to the change of the name, so that the steam railroads that have electrified a part of their system may be included. The other relates to the associate membership.. What action do you desire to take with reference to these amendments? GENERAL HARRIES:-I move their adoption. They have been submitted to the member companies, and everybody has full information. The motion was seconded and unanimously carried. VICE-PRESIDENT BRADY:-Another matter reported by the Executive Committee which requires action is that with reference to the adoption of some permanent place of meeting. You will recall that we have had an offer from the citizens of Saratoga. What action do you desire to take on that matter? MR. HEGARTY:-Has the Executive Committee made a recommendation? VICE-PRESIDENT BRADY :-No. GENERAL HARRIES :-The Executive Committee felt, as indicated in the minutes, that the matter was too large, that it was of too great general interest, to be passed upon by the committee. While the committee was in a large sense representative, still it did not care to assume the burden of the determination of this matter. We had only the offer from Saratoga, which was to the effect that we might, in the course of a few years, own a building in Saratoga which we could occupy without cost, it would be our building and there would be no actual charge upon the Association. Speaking now for myself, it is not, in my opinion, a desirable thing. In the first place I doubt whether the Association wants to go into the real estate business. It means that we would have a building, to be acquired by the use of funds derived from the sale of exhibition space; that we would have to attend to the maintenance and the care of the building; that we would have to organize a real estate department, practically, to rent space to other bodies that might need the use of it. In the second place, the building would be in Saratoga, and while Saratoga is a beautiful place and may have ample hotel facilities, it is much too far East for the general membership of this body. I do not believe that we would care to tie down to any such one place and be there three years out of five, especially on a line of railroad somewhat remote from the great highways of travel. It is not always an easy place to get to, and if my memory is not at fault many persons have had trouble in getting away from it. (Laughter.) Again, we have not given other communities an opportunity to make a similar offer. While this offer seems to be very liberal, in that it would result in nobody having to pay anything (for bye and bye we would have the building without cost and Saratoga would have us come there without cost to Saratoga), it does not appeal to me. There may be other communities which would like to make a similar offer, and if another offer came from a central point we might possibly be willing to consider it. The migratory plan works well. Something was said today about going to Minneapolis, and Mr. Calhoun says that San Francisco is a pretty good town once in a while; when it is behaving itself properly. Some one thought we ought to go to Canada occasionally. I came from Canada a good many years ago, and would like to go back and take a look at it, especially under the auspices of this Association. I therefore move, Mr. President, that the offer which is outlined in the minutes be declined with thanks. THURSDAY SESSION. October 13, 1910. With President Shaw presiding, the third and last session of the convention was called to order at 2:45 p. m. PRESIDENT SHAW :-The meeting will please come to order and the Chair would ask those in the rear of the room to move up to the front, as it makes it easier for those who are to address us. The first business before the meeting is the report of the Committee on Education. PROFESSOR RICHEY:-Professor H. H. Norris, chairman, not being able to be present, has asked me to present the report of the Committee on Education. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. To the American Street and Interurban Railway Association: GENTLEMEN:-Your Committee on Education has now been in existence for three years and a fair question to ask is: "What has been accomplished in this time?" The committee was created for the purpose of keeping the members of the Association in touch with methods for improving the efficiency of employes by direct and indirect efforts to make them more intelligent in regard to their work. The Executive Committee realized that steam roads, gas companies, manufacturers and others were making more rapid progress in this direction than the electric railways. During the period before the next annual meeting after its appointment the committee collected material regarding the practice of companies in other fields and presented it at the meeting. In the following year an effort was made to interest the members in a cadet or apprentice system. Last year correspondence was conducted relative to the introduction of a correspondence course for bright young men in the employ of the member companies. The plan was laid before the membership by means of a circular letter and considerable enthusiasm was manifested. The members stated, at the start, they would put from 500 to 1000 young men into such a course if it were established. The committee considered all the details of the proposed plan and reported these to the last annual convention. The matter was referred to the Executive Committee for action during the past year. The committee has held itself in readiness to carry out the wishes of the Executive |