ecutive Committee, and the Secretary will place before you printed copies of all the papers that are to be read at the meeting, with the exception of the paper written by Captain Ross, which was unfortunately not presented to us in time to be printed. The several papers presented have been considered by the Executive Committee, and the following have been approved by them, and will be read in due course.

1. Daily Experience and Observations of a Gas Manager, by James Somerville.

2. Construction of Gasholders with Wrought Iron or Steel Tanks Above Ground, Frederick Mayer.

3. Experience in Distributing Gas under Extremely Low Temperatures, by D. H. Geggie.

4. Gas Coals, with Especial Reference to Provincial Coals, by James D. Perkins.

5. Observations During Many Years' Experience in the Gas Business, by James R. Smedberg.

6. The Ross Steam Stoker and Improved Charger, by A. Q. Ross.

The Committee have adopted a programme for the meetings, printed copies of which have been placed in the hands of the members. It will be as closely adhered to as possible during the sessions of the Association.

The sum of $25, which was some time ago placed in the treasury of this Association by a Scotch gas engineer, to be given as a prize to the writer of the best paper upon any subject which the Association might designate, has been offered by your Committee to the writer of the best paper upon "Naphthaline," which may be read at this meeting. All of the members of this Association have been notified of this fact, and have been invited to compete. It is to be hoped that a number of papers may be presented, and a decision reached, as this money has been in the treasury for some time awaiting distribution.

The subject of a permanent badge for members of the Association has been talked up at several sessions, and at the meeting in New York a committee appointed was charged with the duty

of procuring designs for such a badge. The committee have been in correspondence and consultation with jewelers in New York and elsewhere, and have received from them several designs; but fearing they might be deemed too expensive, that committee have come to the Executive Committee and asked for their instructions in the matter. Your committee recommend that the committee on badges be instructed to proceed with their labors, to the extent of getting a badge of suitable design, which shall not exceed in price $4. They have several designs, but, at present prices, somewhat in excess of this figure. It is supposed that if an order for 200 was given the badges could be obtained for $3.50 or not to exceed $4. The Executive Committee recommend that these badges be purchased by the Association from its own treasury and presented to the members, and that hereafter new members, in paying their initiation fee of $10, shall be entitled to receive a badge from the Association. We make this recommendation because we feel that even a $4 badge may possibly not be purchased with any great degree of unanimity by the members, and that while some might have them others might not. If we desire to have a distinctive badge the committee believe that it is best for the Association itself to purchase the badges and present them to the members. We now have a surplus of nearly $3,000 in our treasury-a sum of money for which we have really only little use, as our current expenses are more than met by the current income of the Association. The committee feel that this money belongs to its members, and can be disposed of in no better way than by returning a portion of it to the members in the shape of a neat badge. It is, therefore, for you to approve our action, so that the committee on badges may be authorized to secure the badges, or else be instructed to drop the matter entirely.

The annually recurring question of proper compensation to the Secretary for his labors in our behalf has been considered by the Executive Committee, and we recommend that the salary to be paid to the Secretary for the ensuing year be fixed at $600. I presume there is not a gentleman in the room having any acquaintance with the duties of that office who will hesitate to agree with us that even this salary is, perhaps, less than we ought to pay. His work is not only great and pressing,

but it is increasing all the time. The matter of printing these papers has thrown an unusual amount of work upon your Secretary. The fact that, by resolution passed at the last session, we have dispensed with the services of the various papers in obtaining reports of our proccedings, and now employ our own stenographer and place upon the Secretary the duty of revision of the reports of our discussions, throws upon him an additional and onerous duty.

The Executive Committee, in carrying out your instructions on the subject of reporting the proceedings, have employed a stenographer, and the report will be made under the direction of the Association, and not under the direction of any gas journal; and any one of the journals paying its proportionate share of the cost of reporting the proceedings will be entitled to a copy for publication.

I believe, Mr. President, the Committee have no further recommendations to make at present.

THE PRESIDENT-You have heard the report of the Executive Committee, and the various recommendations they have made. What action will the Association take upon it?

On motion of Mr. Harbison the report of the Committee was accepted and its recommendations adopted.

The Secretary read the following reports, which were, on motion of Mr. Stiness, received and placed on file:

REPORT OF FINANCE COMMITTEE.

The undersigned members of the Finance Committee have examined the books and accounts of C. J. R. Humphreys, Treasurer, for the year ending September 30, 1888, and find the same to be correct.

66

66

66

rence..

Deposit in South Brooklyn Savings Inst.

Williamsburgh Savings Bank..
Lawrence Saving Bank

National Pemberton Bank, of Law

Cash in Treasurer's hands

$1,240.87

838.12

634.82

113.40

35.74

$2,862.95

Due from members, including year 1889...... $2,270.00

Roll call of the American Gas Light Association for the year ending September 30, 1888:

J. H. Collins, Phila., Pa.; Wm. Helme, Phila., Pa.; J. M. Murphy, Chicago, Ill.; J. C. Pratt, Jamaica Plain, Mass.; T. F. White, Houston, Texas.

C. J. R. HUMPHREYS, Sec. and Treas.

On motion of Mr. White, the Secretary was instructed to make the proper entry upon the minutes of this meeting of the deaths of the following members of the Association during the past year :

Joseph H. Collins, Jr., Assistant General Superintendent, United Gas Improvement Company, Phila., Pa.; William Helme, Engineer Atlanta Gas Company, Phila., Pa.; J. M. Murphy, with Maryland Meter Company, Chicago, Ills.; John C. Pratt, Prest. Jamaica Plain Gas Company, Boston, Mass.; T. F. White, Treasurer and Superintendent Houston Gas Light Company, Houston, Texas.

MR. NETTLETON-I desire to say, on behalf of the Committee on Badges, that our report has practically been made already by the Chairman of the Executive Committee. As he has stated, the Committee have procured designs from some jewelers in New York and Boston, and a majority of the Committee reported unanimously in favor of one of the designs. I have the designs with me, and will be glad to show them to the members