Dt, F, J, Toiiitjkihs. ofLftiisingbumh'', K, Yi, wfites 
Us concerning the weight of the heaviest dog _ recorded. 
We 'egret that we cannot furnish the information. Per- 
haps some of our readers might give pertinent informa- 
tion on this subject. The Doctor concludes his letter as 
what you think of a dog that weighs 265 pounds, honest 
measure." 
ealb it costHiHis'ABsomtioji fPbiii $f 'fn' $5'6> mafetoi" 
e.Tcfi 
The annual meeting of the American (janoe Associa- 
tion, the full report of which was published last week, 
disclosed a fairly prosperous state of affairs. Within the 
vear the Association has enrolled a new division, com- 
posed of canoeists of the Middle West, formerly tlie 
Western Canoe Association; the membership is good, 
about r,30o; <ind the Association has a balance of over 
$1,300 in bank, with no outstanding obligations. With 
so much in its favor at the present time, there is, liowcver, 
still plenty of room for advance and improvement in 
varioi;s details of the organization. 
That the Association is not only out of debt, but in 
possession of a substantial sinking fund in case of need, 
is due mainly if not entirely to the board of governors, 
a body created in 1893 to control the general finances 
of the Association, with a view to the avoidance of such 
deficits as had occurred at times. Not only was the gen- 
eral plan of this board ably conceived, but the personnel 
has always been high, including some of the oldest and 
mo.st devoted members, and its work has been in every 
respect beneficial. It has restrained some executives and 
aided all: and it is to-day an indispensable part of the 
A. C. A. machinery. Under it the policy of the Associa- 
tion has been to limit the yearly expenditures to some- 
thing less than the estimated receipts, not for the sake of 
accumulating a surplus, but to avoid the other extreme, 
which at times has threatened serious disaster and im- 
posed a great amount of labor on a few faithful officers 
in clearing off the debts of their predecessors. That there 
is a surplus is a matter for congratulation, though merely 
incidental. 
While there is no fear at present for the future of the 
Association, there are some details disclosed by the re- 
ports which are far from satisfactory. The office of sec- 
retary-treasurer involves a good deal of work at best, and 
when the incumbent is of the right sort, as was decidedly 
the case this year, he will find plenty to do, both in office 
work and while in camp. A great deal of the work done 
by the retiring secretary-treasurer was thrown on him 
by the neglect of other officers and members of commit- 
tees. To mention only one detail, the reports of division 
officers and committes, on which the secretary-treasurer 
must base his report, were nearly all delayed to the last 
few days preceding the meeting, one division faiUng 
to put "in any report at all. The business year of the 
Association closed on Oct. i, four weeks prior to the 
meeting, and as a matter of fact the actual business of 
the year ends with the meet in August, so that there are 
two months in which to close accounts and make up 
reports. There are some small accounts, especially those 
of the camp site committee, which it is difficult to close; 
but most of the leports, especially those of the division 
pursers, might easily be in the hands of the secretary- 
treasurer by the first week in October. If this were done 
the secretary-treasurer would not only be saved much 
unnecessary work, but he would be in a position to put in 
a much more complete report than at present. 
It would be interesting and of value to the Associa- 
tion to compare the reports of 1899 with those of previous 
years, but this is not easily possible. The reports are not 
made out in the same manner by all officers, and in some 
years they are incomplete or involved. We find the fol- 
lowing in the Year Book of 1895, made by Secretary- 
Treasurer George P. Douglass, and appended to his full 
report: 
Gross cost of 1894 meet ,$1,052.00 
Net cost of 1894 meet 285.67 
Gross cost of regatta '^l'^^ 
Net cost of regatta 10. 54 
Net profit on Book 178.92 
This statement is remarkable not only for its favorable 
showing as to- finances, the surplus being increased by 
over $300, but it tells to the members just what they 
should know— how much the Association is paying for 
its fun. 
It would be impossible for any one but an expert m 
A. C. A." finances to compile such a statement for the 
present vear, and those intervening back to 1894; but 
this is just what is wanted to show how well the busi- 
ness is managed from year to year. AU that can be said 
as to the year just closed is that the expenses seem to 
have been very heavy, and the surplus for the year very 
small, being only the $50 demanded by the board of gov- 
ernors. Iu"st why this is so we are unable to say after a 
study of "the reports. There was no Year Book to count 
this year, either as profit or loss; the receipts from camp 
fees were larger than usual. The largest expenditure was 
on account of the camp site committee, and the items for 
both labor and material are heavy, especially as prices 
range in Canada; but it is a fact that the committee ex- 
perienced great difficulty in obtaining labor, and had to 
pay high wages. It must be said that never in the history 
of' the Association has the work been as satisfactorily 
done as by Mr. Wright, who practically was the camp 
site committee, a fact to which all present at the meet 
bore willing testimonv. The arrangements were such as 
to provide both tents and cots for rental at a moderate 
expense and all reasonable expectations were more than 
fulfilied.' .... A 
There is no question that the Association expends a 
gre?t deal of monev in the arrangements for a camp 
of two weeks at which the members pay for their trans- 
portation, lodsing, board and all expenses. Why the 
meets cost so much, especially when there is no special 
steamer needed, is a hard question to solve, but it is an 
important one. Theoretically the Association merely 
OTovides a meeting place or camp site, the niembers pay 
to get there, pay for their tent floors and labor, pay tor 
their meals and pay the camp fee of $1 as well. Practi- 
membr'f m damp. 
Foii sotne y^-ars past up li.> 1898 the Association has 
published the i^ear Book itself, with advertisements in the 
front and back. This has entailed some extra work on 
the secretary-treasurer, but has when properly managed 
netted an average of $150 profit to the Association. Two 
years ago the officers entered into a contract with a cer- 
tain sporting publication, by Avhich, in consideration of it 
being endowed with the sole right to the title of "oflicial 
organ," it was to print and mail the Year Book free of 
expense to the Association, and also to publish a certain 
amount of canoeing news each month, and to send a 
copy of the journal free to every member of the Associa- 
tion. As a plain business proposition it was evident 
from the start that no established paper could, as a matter 
of business, aft'ord to give away at least a thousand copies 
per year with no compensation save a possible small 
profit on the Year Book; and such proved to be the case. 
The canoeing news which served to leaven a large mass 
of advertisements consisted of the ordinary official an- 
nouncements and such personal and club items as ca- 
noeists chose to contribute, finally dwindling down to a 
department title and some comic almanac jokes. The 
Year Book, though it cost the Association nothing, was 
the worst ever published — in small type and of such a size 
tliat it cannot be filed or bound with the uniform series 
extending back to 1888. Before the year was out the 
concern begged off from its contract. 
Last year, in spite of this experience, a similar contract 
was made with another monthly journal, which imme- 
diately proceeded to array itself in large type with all the 
dignity of "the official organ of the American Canoe 
Association." The experiment resulted much as before — 
tin Year Book was not mailed to any members prior to 
the ineet, and the complaint is generally made that mem- 
bers have received neither their books nor the monthly 
copies of the journal. A motion was made at the meeting 
in camp, after hearing the complaints of members, to 
terminate all business relations with this concern, but it 
was withdrawn for the time, as the Year Book had not 
been delivered. At the recent meeting the officers an; 
nounced that their dealings with the concern had been 
must unsatisfactory, and recommended that the agree- 
ment be terminated. 
In i8r5, when it was dcpirable fo hare some direct and 
speedy means of communication between the officers and 
members, the Forest and Stream was chosen by the 
executive conmiittee for this purpose, both as being a 
weekly journal and as the leading supporter and ex- 
ponent of canoeing in America. The title was purely an 
honorary one, conferred for the purpose of giving due 
authority to the official notices, and it was of no pe- 
cuniary advantage to the Forest and Stream. During 
these many years the Forest and Stream has published 
promptly all the official notices of the Association, in- 
cluding the names of applicants for membership, the 
proposed amendments to the rules, and similar matter 
which it has been necessary fo present promptly and 
publicly to members. It has also published a long and 
detailed account of every meet and every business meet- 
ing of the Association, reporting them at its own ex- 
pense. Acting solely on their individual responsibility, 
the A. C. A. officers of 1898, without authority from the 
executive committee, pretended to withdraw the title of 
official organ from the Forest and Stream and to confer 
it exclusively upon one other journal, omitting the name 
of the Forest and Stream from the Year Book of 1898. 
While doing this they modestly suggested that for the 
good of the Association the Forest and Stream should 
still continue to publish the official notices, which other- 
wise could only appear irregularly and at long intervals. 
As a part of this policy, continued through the past year, 
the officers of the A. C. A. have used their influence to 
divert all canoeing news from the Forest and Stream 
except at times when they specially desired to give pub- 
licity to some announcement. 
After the complete failure of the two monthly papers 
to live up to their contracts, the whole scheme has been 
abandoned, and the Association will resume the publica- 
tion of the Year Book itself. Without in any way making 
amends for the illegal and discourteous action of its offi- 
cers, it has now passed a resolution that the Forest 
and Stream is still an official organ. This in itself is 
superfluous, as the action of the executive committee in 
1885 has never been rescinded and still stands. 
The question of a canoeing journal is an important one, 
both here and in England. Both countries have at times 
had admirable monthly papers or magazines devoted ex- 
clusively to canoeing; and both have tailed to support 
them. For some years past the canoeing department of 
the Field, under Mr. Baden Powell, has been the best , 
representative of British canoeing, and for nearly twenty 
vears the Forest and Stream has represented the sport 
"in the United States and Canada. While on the one 
hand few will subscribe to large weekly papers solely for 
the sake of the canoeing news, on the other it has been re- 
peatedly proven that the sport cannot su.stain a paper, 
even a small monthly, devoted to it alone. 
If canoeing news is to be published at all in the present 
condition of the sport, it must be in some large paper 
with many other and more profitable departments. Tlie 
Forest and Stream still proposes to continue its 
canoeing department and to publish such canoeing news 
as can be obtained at a reasonable outlay compared with 
the return. How much this may be depends largely on 
the Association and on canoeists themselves in lending 
their aid. It must be recognized that there is not at 
the present time one-tenth of the amount of interesting 
canoeing news that there was a dozen or more years ago, 
and also that it is much more difficult to obtain the little 
that there is. When the master minds of canoeing — 
Butler, Barney, Gibson, Yaux, Ford Jones and Oliver- 
were working to improve the canoe and its fittings, they 
to(5k a delight in making known to all canoedom the 
lines of their new canoes and the details of their new rigs. 
In contrast to this spirit is that of some later canoeists 
who, happening to own fast canoes, have guarded them 
as though their values would depart if their lines were 
once known to others. The practical improvement of 
canoes, rigs and camp equipment has almost ceased, 
and'it is iiow ttlf^iilillt to' obtain fbf putl icatiofi 'the Mail 
■of such stnall improvements as are still made. 
There is a portion of the canoeing fraternity, by no 
inearis a minority, vvhich would like the Association to 
furnish it free of cost a weekly paper containing lines of 
canoes, plans of rigs, detailed descriptions of cruising 
v/aters. and interesting logs of cruises, while at the same 
time it is unwilling to part with any of its own knowledge 
for the benefit of others or to take the trouble to write of 
what it knows. It will probably be a long time before 
this demand is gratified, and those canoeists who wish to 
read canoeing news will lind it necessary to lend a hand 
in contributing a part of it themselves. We are always 
ready to publish news of the right kind; we do not care 
for photos of convivial camp groups, each member armed 
with a l)ottle; for cruises which are interesting only to 
the participants and not to the canoeing reader; nor for 
mere formal lists of persons present at canoe meetings 
and dinners; but we always have space for live news, for 
details of practical building anel canoeing, and especially 
for the discussion of the rnles, actions and general welfare 
of the American Canoe Association. If the canoeists of 
America — and especially the members of the A. C. A. — r 
are willing each to do his own small share toward the 
cause of a canoeing journal which shall fairly represent 
the sport, we are willing to do ours. 
ThB iilQi,st imijortant matter before the late meeting, 
the amendment of the racing rules, resulted quite as 
well as could be expected — that is, in but a few changes. 
The representation at the meeting was not as large as 
it shoulel have been, but fourteen being present out of 
some twenty-five or twenty-si.x members of the executive 
committee, some of these being proxies. As some of the 
members were more or less new to the meetings, anel re- 
luctant to speak, most of the motions and discussions fell 
to half a dozen of the older members. At the same time 
out of a large number of matters brought out in the 
course of the day's session, most were very fully dis- 
cussed before a vote was taken or they were abandoned 
without being seconded. 
The proposals for the amendment of the racing rules, 
though published four weeks prior to the meeting, and 
involving some important changes, brought out no dis- 
cussion in print prior to the meeting. Those who were 
so vei-y active over the faults of the existing rules and 
the necessity for their amendment in camp seem to have 
quited down before the time came for the proposal and 
eliscussion of amendments. None of the proposers of 
the amendments were present to explain and advocate 
them, anel it was left for Mr. Smythe to explain them as 
best he could. 
The proposal for a "racing board," as published, seems 
to have been understood in different ways by dift'erent 
readers. As we understood it, the idea was to create a 
body with the same eluties and functions as the present 
regatta committee, but elective instead of appointive, and 
with one member retiring each year. Some of those at 
the meeting had an entirely different view, that the races 
at the meet were to be managed by the division regatta 
committee, and that the proposed racing board was to be 
purely advisory, to suggest changes of rules, programme, 
etc. Owing in part to these two dift'erent views and to 
the inability of any one present to explain exactly what 
was intended by the amendment no action was taken 011 
it; as an additional reason the regatta committee re- 
cently named by Com. MacKendrick promises to be sat- 
isfactory as far as the immediate future is concerned. 
The amendments as published were appended to the 
report of the regatta committee, though not embodied in 
it, and it was decided that they could legally be acted on. 
As was to be expected, after the disturbance of la.st 
August, a number of amendments were proposed ele- 
signed to place the regatta committee directly under the 
control of the executive committee, or to specify minute- 
ly the racing programme. These were opposed by 
several, on the ground that with a competent regatta 
committee they/ were unnecessary and with a poor com- 
mittee they would still fail of their end, as they would 
probably be disregarded. The trouble in the present 
case was largely a personal one between the regatta com- 
mittee and the so-called Sailors' Union, neither party 
paying overmuch attention to the rules of the Associa- 
tion. None of these amendments were passed. 
The much-disputed point of the trial race was settled 
by a rewording of the present rule, making the trial "-ac;- 
compulsory in the event of nine entries for the trophy. 
This was a compromise with those who demanded vhat 
there should be a trial race, though only one man wa^ 
entered for the trophy. In itself it is an absurdity, as 
there is no need of a trial race to select fifteen starter.s 
from a field of ten entries. As far a$ the incidental point of 
more sailing races on the programme is concerned, a 
committee which knows its business will probably give 
them without being compelled to do so by the con- 
stitution, and on the other hand will omit them when 
but two or three sailing men are present to race. 
The programme of the meet races must necess.arily 
change from year to year to meet the altered conditions 
of canoeing, one class of canoe going out and another 
coming in; so that it is impossible to embody the racin-z 
programme as part of the constitution, by-laws and 
racing rules, as some would like at the present time. 
The racing programme Is prepared early in the season 
and published in the Forest and Stream; all who do not 
like it have the opportunity to file public and timely ob- 
jerlions; and it is reasonable to presume that such ob- 
jections will be considered by the regatta committee. By 
this means it is possible to vary the programme as cir- 
cumstances mav require, and yet to comply with the ex- 
pressed wishes 'of the racing men. If the racing men de- 
cline to make known their opinions of the programme, 
or the regatta committee refuses to act upon .such sug- 
gestions and criticisms as are thus presented to it, n-i 
amount of legislation will make the matter right. 
The statement was made at the meeting that such 
prizes as were prepared but not won and awarded ? 
different meets had been given away as tronhies, and ih"^ 
members were in possession of prizes which they hrw' 
never won. It was ordered that in future all prizes nor. 
