NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY 31 



vested with adequate powers of supervision and control. The following 

 paragraphs are important enough to be given in full : 



"It should be farther said that, while a majority of the Com- 

 mission have felt that it would be wise to adopt the remedy sug- 

 gested by the carriers in the present emergency, we do not admit 

 that Congress is altogether powerless to correct this evil without 

 the adoption of that means. The difficulty with enforcing the 

 present law is not in its criminal features, which, with some slight 

 changes, are well enough and strong enough, but in obtaining evi- 

 dence of violations of that law. When those who have knowledge 

 of what is actual]}' done are put upon the witness stand, they re- 

 fuse to disclose the truth." 



" Since these witnesses will not state the fact as it exists, some 

 means must be provided of otherwise ascertaining that fact. So 

 long as these gentlemen refuse to tell, it is necessary to provide a 

 way by which the Government can find out for itself. If the in- 

 terstate carriers of this country were compelled to keep their ac- 

 counts in some prescribed form, and if the agents of the United 

 States had the right at. any time to inspect those accounts, or to 

 take charge of one or more of the stations of a carrier when so ad- 

 vised, the effect must be to greatly diminish these practices. This 

 kind of supervision would be no more rigorous than that under 

 which national banksnow exist." 



The report also discusses the work of the Commission during the cur- 

 rent year, uniform classification of freight, through routes and through 

 rates, procedure in the courts on applications for the enforcement of the 

 orders of the Commission, railway statistics, and other matters of im- 

 portance. Previous recommendations in regard to legislation on these 

 subjects are renewed. Attention is called to the recommendation of the 

 Statistician in regard to the establishment of a bureau of railway statis- 

 tics and accounts, and to the endorsement of the plan by the latest con- 

 vention of state railroad commissioners. H. T. Newcomb. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 

 SOCIETY, SESSION 1897^98 



Special Meeting, November 12, 1897. — Vice-President Greely in the chair. 

 Dr Sheldon Jackson gave an illustrated lecture on Alaska : a Trip to the 

 Yukon and Klondike Gold Fields. 



Excursion to the Naval Observatory, November 13, 1897. — Saturday even- 

 ing excursion to the Naval Observatory by invitation of Commander 

 Charles H. Davis, U. S. N. ; attendance, about 400. Reception by the 

 Superintendent and officers in the library. Parties were formed, in 

 charge of officers and assistants, to visit the various departments and in- 

 spect the instruments and the magnetic observatory. On the return, the 

 members and their guests called at " Twin Oaks " to pay their respects to 

 President Hubbard, who had been prevented from attending the meeting 

 by indisposition. 



Regular Meeting, November 19, 1897 . — Mr Henry F. Blount in the chair. 

 The report of the committee appointed to audit the accounts of the 



