NOTES ON FUEL ECONOMY. 243 



appreciated very much, to correspond at times with our president on matters 

 concerning the Society, and I know from my own knowledge that the esteem and 

 personal effection with which Mr. Taylor is held by high officials in Washington 

 has contributed in no end of ways to the advancement of this Society. I further 

 wish to say that I consider the stamp of his personal example on the members of 

 this Society as one of the greatest assets of the Society. I think you will all agree 

 with me that this meeting has been very successful from the point of view of 

 interesting papers presented and the number of members in attendance at the 

 meeting, but to me, throughout the whole meeting, there has been one great draw- 

 back, and that is the fact that it is the last time that we will hold one of these 

 annual meetings under the able leadership of Mr. Stevenson Taylor. (Applause.) 



Commodore Jacob W. Miller, Vice-President: — May I add a few words to 

 what has been said regarding our worthy president. 



It has been my good fortune to be associated with him for over twenty-five 

 years; during that period many contracts between the company which I repre- 

 sented and his corporation were made. Now we all know the close relationship 

 between the owners of steamships and the builders thereof, and how difficult it is 

 always to avoid friction in settling business matters of large import. It is, there- 

 fore, a great pleasure to state that during our long official and personal acquaintance 

 there never arose between us any questions which were not readily and speedily 

 adjusted; such a result is only possible when a contractor acts from the highest 

 motives. So thoroughly did our corporation appreciate the man with whom it 

 had dealings, that one of the latest contracts given him consisted of only two or 

 three pages, although the amount involved was nearly $2,000,000. The result 

 of our confidence was not misplaced, the witness thereof being the steamer Com- 

 monwealth — perfect in its design and appointments and equipped with even more 

 completeness than the specifications required. The integrity of the man has always 

 been supplemented as shown since his occupancy of the presidential chair by a 

 courtesy which is rare, and therefore I personally wish to add my own eulogy of 

 one with whom I have been associated for so long a period, and whose personal 

 regard I consider one of the greatest assets of my life. 



The Chairman : — Gentlemen, it is needless for me to attempt to add to what 

 has been so happily said by Mr. McFarland, Admiral Watt, Admiral Cone and 

 Commodore Miller. Most evidently, what they said came straight from their 

 hearts. Had I not been sure of the character of our tribute, I might have hesitated 

 to ask our president to sit down and remain a few minutes; but he now knows 

 what we think of him and has had from the lips of his colleagues expressions of 

 esteem and affectionate regard that must bring to him, as to us, a tightening of 

 the heart strings. To have such a unanimous expression of deeply appreciative 

 feeling from a body of men of this kind, which has had to be ruled, at times, with 

 an iron hand by its presiding officer, is truly a tribute of which any man should 

 be proud, and, I need hardly add, is thoroughly deserved by the recipient. 



