Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-08-22
TRACTION MEN COMING
To Pittsburg to Talk Over Matters of
Great Mutual Interest.
THEY WILL LOOK OVER THE CITY
And Carry Away Good Impressions of Her
Street Railways.
FULL PROGRAMME FOR THE CONVENTION

| can OGTeeb halfway ASSOclaGl0n, as MAJ
heretofore been announced in The DIS
PATCH, will be held in this city at the
Monongahela House on Wednesday, Thurs
day and Friday, October 81, % and %. The
American Street Railway Association is the
only organization of street railway men in
the country. 1t was formed ten years age
in Boston, and has grown and prospered
until now I'll companies are on the mem
bership roll. About 300 delegates and
about 800 manufacturers of street railway
supplies will be present at the Pittsburg
meeting. The membership is limited to the
officers, individual owners and lessees Of
street railways, and the supply men are not
permitted to take part in the proceedings,
unless by special invitation.
The association has met snccessively in
Chicago, New York. St. Louis, Cincinnati,
Philadelphia, Washington, Minneapolis
and Buffalo. The invitation to come to
Pittsburg was conveyed to the association
| by Messrs. John G.. Holmes, David f.
Henry and John E. Rugg, of this city. Kan
sented Invitations, but Pittsburg was Sc
lected by almost unanimous consent.
OBJECTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
The object of the American Street Rail.
way Association, as expressed in its consti-
tuition, is: '"The acquisition of expert
mental, statistical and scientific knowledge
relating to the construction, equipment and
operation of street railways and the diffusion
| of this knowledge among the members of
this association, with the view of increasing
the accommodation of passengers, improv-
ing the service and reducing its COST the
establishment and maintenance of a spirit
| of fraternity among the members of the as
sociation by social intercourse, and the en-
| couragement of cordial and friendly rela-
| tions between the roads and the public
In word, the street railway men hold
annual experience meetings to learn how to
| do better in every way.
The officers of the association this year
| are as follows
President Henry NJ. Watson, of Buffalo,
the President of the Buffalo Railway Com
pany.
First Vice President, William A. Smith,
general manager of the Omaha Street Rail-
Second Vice President Charles Odell,
President of the Newburyport and AInes-
bury Street Railway Company, of Newbury-
port, Mass.
Secretary and Treasurer, William J. Rich.
ardson, Secretary of the Atlantic Avenue
Railway Company, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
Executive Committee, Thomas Lowry, of
Minneapolis; David F. Henry, Of Pittsburg;
Albert +. Thornton, of Atlanta; Henry NJ.
Littell, of Cincinnati, and Thomas C. Keefer,
of Ottawa, Canada.
PROGRAMME FOR THE CONVENTION.
The association will be called to order at
10 O. clock A. NJ. Wednesday, October q, in
the banquet hall of the Monongahela House,
and will probably hold four business ses-
sions in all. Wednesday afternoon, if pleas
ant, will be devoted to sightseeing iu the
city. Thursday evening the banquet will
be held, and Friday will be given up to a
pleasure excursion.
A large portion of the work of each con-
vention is laid out nearly year in advance.
Certain members are appointed as special
committees, to investigate certain matters
and prepare special papers embracing the
conclusions reached. Among the well di-
gested papers which will be presented at
the Pittsburg convention will be the fol-
lowing reports:
"a Perfect Electric Motor by H. A. Ev-
erett Secretary of the East Cleveland Rail-
road Company, Cleveland, Q.
ga Years Progress of Cable Motive
Power" by j. c. Robinson, formerly Vice
pany, Los Angeles, Cal.
"Public and State Treatment of Corpora
tions,'' by G. Hilton Scribner, President Cen
tral Park, North and East River Railroad
Company, New York.
.'The Dependent Overhead or Underground
system of Electric Motor Power" by George
w Mansfield, of the Attleboro, North Attle-
boro amd Wentram Street Railway Company,
of Attleboro, Mass.
"The Independent Storage or Primary
Battery System, by Knight Neftel, Elec-
trician Lancaster Street Railway Company,
Lancaster, Pa.
Special papers are likewise presented in
the convention, after inspection by the Ex-
ecutive Committee to determine whether
they are of sufficient merit to be worthy of
the time of the convention, as well as to
make certain that they are not disguised
advertisements of some device or system
seeking Endorsement. After each paper is
read it is discussed fully and freely by the
members who differ from the conclusions
reached, or who have some further informa-
tion on the topic under consideration.
IMPORTANCE OF RAPID TRANSIT.
In this age of evolution from horse power
to more rapid forms of transit, with all the
problems which the change in motive power
brings up, these discussions are of great
value to the members.
Among the matters which will be consid-
cred at the Pittsburg Convention will be
the relative merits of cable and electric
power in street railroading, expedients for
reducing operating expenses and increasing
the traffic, the construction of power houses
anu tne SulGgu:tFdS against DTeikuOWnS
and other accidents; the prospects and pos
sibilities of the storage battery and conduit
electric cable, the use of street cars as col
lectors and carriers of the mails, labor
troubles, employees savings and loan asso-
Citations, devices to make conductors honest,
and 100 other matters pertaining to power
stations, cars, tracks, employees, etc.
These conventions usually bring to the
city where they are held large number of
manufacturers and dealers in street railway
supplies, who are quick to perceive the adj
vantages of meeting several hundred practi-
cal street railway men from all parts of the
country, away from home in quest of infor-
nation. Pittsburg will have its full quota
of visitors of this class. Already all the
ground-hoor rooms and second-toor parlors
not absolutely needed at the Monongahela
for. entertainment of the guests of the house,
have been engaged by the leading manufact-
urers of electric motors, ears, registers, and
bell punches, street car heaters, etc, while
for the great body of manufacturers for
whom there are no accommodations in the
hotel other provisions have been made.
THE LOCAL COMMITTEE AT WORK.
The work of preparing for the convention
has been delegated by the Pittsburg Street
Railway Companies to o committee consist
ing of Messrs. John G. Holmes, of the Citi-
zens' Traction Company, Chairman; George
Rice of the Duquesne Traction Company;
d. +. Henry, of the Pleasant Valley Pas
senger Railway Company; j. d. Gallery, of
the Second Avenue Railway Company;
John H Dalzell, of the Pittsburg, Allegheny
and Manchester Traction Company; Murray
Werner, of the Pittsburg and Birmingham
Traction Company, and j. E. Rugg, Of the