It is a trite but mistaken saying that electricity is in its infancy. It dropped its swaddling clothes when Mforse senit the first telegraphic mnessage. It put aside dresses and pinafores when the dynamo miachine and are light were invenlted. The incandescent lamp, the telephone, the art of welding, the transformer, are incidents of buoyant youlth. The modern electric motor and electric railway mark a vigorous manhood. The truly marvelous development of electric applications of every kind, the

more »

... ccomplishinent of many things which in ignorance of the very art, or lack of knowledge of what are now well known facts, and more particularly the great commercial development of the transmission of power, whether for stationary purposes or for electric railw ays, has lead to many a foolish prediction and idle boast. This is no age of inspiration, nor timne for hopes never to attain fruition. It is above all things a practical age, perhaps too practical, but nevertheless one in which cominercial enterprises to be ;successful must promise either a new field of development or economies in older fields. As the orthodox few have been waiting in sublimie faith for many centuries, and will wait for mnany more, for the fulfillmenit of ancient prophecies, so too will imipracticable electric enthusiasts vainily wait for the milleniunm when investments are boundless, performances limitless, and efficiencies unity. It would perhaps have been proper in making my inaugural address to so representative a body as that of the electrical engineers, that I should touch upon the special discoveries and experi--ments which have recentlv attracted attention, but there have