PROCEEDINGS.

Pursuant to the foregoing notice, the stated annual meeting of the NEW ENGLAND COTTON MANUFACTURERS' ASSOCIATION was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, on Wednesday, April 30, 1890, at 10 o'clock A.M.

The President, Mr. WALTER E. PARKER, Occupied the chair.

The call for the meeting was read by the secretary. Upon motion, the following were appointed a committee to nominate officers of the Association for the ensuing year:

The Secretary presented his annual report, together with those of the Treasurer and the Auditor.

Voted, That the reports be accepted and placed on file.

The PRESIDENT. The reports of the Secretary and Treasurer seem to suggest some things that ought to be discussed at this time, and the Chair will be glad to hear from any member. The reproduction of copies of the proceedings from the organization of the Association to the present time is a matter you are asked to consider.

Mr. GREENE. I would like to inquire of the secretary what the cost will be.

The SECRETARY. The rates might be reduced somewhat by competition. These parties suggest printing in instalments of one to ten numbers; varying the number according to the size of the different reports. The estimate for reprint

ing eleven numbers, 1 to 11 inclusive, for fifty copies, would be $610.20, and for 300 copies, $656. The next estimate, for numbers 12 to 19, $524 for fifty copies, or $566 for three hundred copies. The others are to be the same proportionately.

The PRESIDENT. At what time was the index made? The SECRETARY. It covers thirty-seven of the reports. The PRESIDENT. Probably the proceedings could be printed in two volumes, up to and including that part that would make the index good for that time.

Mr. R. R. SMITH. I should like to inquire, Mr. Chairman, what is the demand for these extra copies? Are these intended for circulation among the members, or are they to be kept among the papers of the Association? Has the Association now a complete set?

The SECRETARY. The Association will have a complete set if they accept Mr. Parker's offer to give those he has. That would be but one. We had ten to one hundred sets . before the fire. Those are gone. The only copies we should have, except from reprints, would be furnished by members. The difference in cost between a few and many is very small. The difference between fifty and three hundred is only for the press work, a difference of $45 or $50. Each member would then have an opportunity to complete his files.

The PRESIDENT. The desirability of having a complete file of the proceedings of the Association is evident. This Association is expected to grow, and members will be coming in who will doubtless want a complete file of the proceedings. This is the chief reason for reproducing at the present time. Then there are calls from various members, from libraries, from associations, and perhaps from individuals outside of this Association, for copies. Such as are supplied to non-members have been disposed of at, I think, five dollars.

The SECRETARY. Two dollars and one-half.

The PRESIDENT. Two dollars and one-half apiece when called for by parties not belonging to the Association. I do

not know that the Association is ready to vote to reproduce them at the present time; but it seems to me the time will come when they will be wanted.

A MEMBER. Did the estimate which the secretary read, cover two volumes to No. 37?

The SECRETARY. The estimate was for the first eleven numbers, in one volume, and, for the second volume, the next ten numbers; these giving about an average number of pages. They would be bound in paper.

On motion of Mr. WOODBURY,

Voted, That the question of reprinting the past transactions of the society be referred to the Board of Government, with power to act.

The PRESIDENT. The nominating committee is ready to report.

The chairman of the committee, Mr. BORDEN, reported as follows: Your committee decided to drop one name from the Board of Directors, Mr. S. S. SPENCER of Lancaster, Penn. He lives at so great a distance that he could not attend the meetings, and so wished his name to be dropped. The nominations are as follows:

President WALTER E. PARKER, Lawrence, Mass.

Vice-presidents - ARNOLD B. SANFORD, Fall River, Mass.; ROBERT MCARTHUR, Biddeford, Me.

Directors-0. S. BROWN, Salmon Falls, N. H.; STEPHEN N. BOURNE, Manchester, N. H.; ALFRED M. GOODALE, Waltham, Mass.; ROBERT R. SMITH, New Hartford, Conn.; E. W. THOMAS, Lowell, Mass.; WILLIAM II. WHITIN, Whitinsville, Mass.

Mr. BOURNE. I would like to resign, and have a better man elected. My train was late, or I should have seen the committee.

The PRESIDENT. The names will be acted upon by the Association, as presented by the committee.

Mr. BORDEN. I move that the secretary be instructed to cast a vote for the Association.

The motion was adopted.

The PRESIDENT. The secretary has cast the vote, as suggested, and the gentlemen named by the committee are unanimously elected.

I wish to thank you for the re-election. I somewhat expected a change would be made, but I will try to serve you for another year.

The next business in order on the call for the meeting is the following proposed vote:

That it is the sense of this Association that certain statistics concerning the production of goods, and the cost per pound of labor, in the mills represented in the Association, would be of great interest and value; and that the Board of Government is hereby authorized to inaugurate a system whereby such information can be obtained, the expense per annum not to exceed dollars.

A few years ago, such a system was inaugurated by the Board of Government, on the suggestion, I think, of Mr. Lippitt of Providence, for an investigation into the methods and cost of picking in twenty-five or thirty mills in New England. The investigation was made by Mr. REED, under the supervision of a committee representing the Board of Directors; and he presented a valuable paper to the Association. Such statistics from the mills represented in this Association would be of value. The methods employed; the different kinds of machinery, all producing the same or similar results; and the cost of production, if studied by some competent person, it seems to me would be something every member of this Association would like to see; and I can hardly see why any member of this Association should hesitate to give that information. You will remember that the investigation in regard to picking was so made that, while each mill was known to the investigator, no one else could tell what mill was represented; and that same system could be maintained. The Board felt unanimous in this matter, but wanted to test the sense of the meeting; because they did not wish to spend money or enter upon the work without the full consent of the Association. I hope you will consider the matter, and that it will come up for discussion.

The Board of Government has not considered such a work in detail, but simply advocates at this time a general plan to be worked up by some committee, which shall give the information, that I am sure we all desire, concerning important processes of manufacturing, without disclosing, of course, the entire cost, etc., of any completed fabric.

After a brief discussion, in which some opposition was expressed, it was voted that this subject be indefinitely postponed.

The PRESIDENT. The matter of nominations for membership will now be taken up.

The SECRETARY. The following names have been proposed, and are recommended by the Board of Government for election:

The PRESIDENT. You have heard the nominations made by the Board of Directors. Shall they be voted on singly? If I hear no objection, the vote will be taken on the names as proposed.

All of the nominees were thereupon elected to membership.

The next matter on the call for the meeting is a paper by Mr. Guastavino of Boston, Mass., on a new building material adopted in the Boston Public Library and other buildings.

Mr. WOODBURY. Before that paper is read, I wish to offer the following motion :

Voted, That the Board of Directors be authorized to lay an assessment on the members of the Association, not to exceed ten dollars each, to defray the expenses of the ensuing year.

The motion was adopted.