A Search for those Elements 
 The Proper Combination 
 Of which Constitute 
 The Successful Railway Official * 
 
 By MR. W. J. HARAHAN 
 
 ■0 
 
A SEARCH FOR THOSE ELEMENTS, THE PROPER COM= 
 BINATION OF WHICH CONSTITUTE THE 
 SUCCESSFUL RAILWAY OFFICIAL. 
 
 BY MR. W. J. HARAHAN. 
 
 It is not intended by the writer of this paper to convey the 
 idea that he is the oracle of success, the intention being to simply 
 review what seems to be some of the principal essentials required 
 for success so that we may take a mental inventory as it were. 
 Most of the essentials herein detailed are, no doubt, familiar to 
 all, but, even so, it is well to occasionally determine by a review, 
 how, and where, we stand. 
 
 To derive the most substantial good from the consideration of 
 the subject it is necessary that we approach it in a proper spirit. 
 If we, like the Pharisee of old, exclaim: “0 Lord, I am thankful 
 that thou hast not made me like unto other men” thus attempt- 
 ing to extol our own perfections, we are more likely to exercise 
 our ingenuity in seeking to justify in our own mind our acts of 
 the past rather than endeavor to use the light of experience as 
 a guide for the future. Let us, therefore, rather give heed to the 
 memorable words of the Scotch poet : 
 
 “Oh wad some power the giftie gie us, 
 
 To see oursels as ithers see us ! ” 
 
 so that by contemplating our imperfections we may draw light 
 from the lessons of the past. Let us also seek to profit by the ex- 
 perience of those who have gone before. Yet, let us not forget, 
 however, that while experience is a great teacher, observation is 
 its necessary accompaniment to make it as effective as success 
 requires. Observation may be either a natural gift, or an ac- 
 quired one. If one is not gifted with observation, naturally, he 
 must acquire it, else he does not exist to fill out the quota of hu- 
 manity. Experience therefore is incomplete without observation 
 and both are in vain unless a practical application can be made of 
 the lessons to be learned from them. 
 
Wliat may be designated as the first element, or rather, es- 
 sential, of success, is common honesty. To state the old maxim : 
 “Honesty is the best policy” is but to reiterate a truism, and to 
 repeat parrot-like the principle that has stood the test of ages. 
 There is, however, a broader honesty than that apparent on the 
 surface that is a requirement. This consists not entirely in the 
 application of the Commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” hut seeks 
 also for its guiding principle the “Golden Rule.” In other words, 
 a studious and persistent effort to render just and fair treatment 
 to all alike whether he or it be great or small. 
 
 I regard this principle a most important one, and one the ob- 
 servance or non-observance of which surely tends to advance, or 
 otherwise, a man’s career. Temporary advantage may sometimes 
 be obtained by some other course but it is not lasting as a day of 
 reckoning inevitably comes. Recall to your memory those officers 
 successful in railway work. You may remember some who have 
 seemed a very martinet in discipline, who may have been sour of 
 disposition, stern and exacting, hard to approach, yet, eminently 
 successful, because always just. Men know and appreciate this 
 quality and it commands their respect and ensures to the officer 
 exercising it their earnest work which means his success. 
 
 Loyalty is a predominating characteristic of railroad officers, 
 and it is a necessity to perfectly weld the links of the chain of or- 
 ganization and system. The Railroad Company should have the 
 first and preferential call upon our loyalty, but this follows as a 
 natural sequence to loyalty to one’s superiors, such attribute rarely 
 conflicting with loyalty to the company, and in the degree that 
 a man is loyal to his superiors so does he engender that feeling 
 towards himself on the part of his subordinates, correspondingly. 
 
 An element requiring the exercise of a peculiar and really 
 great ability is the gift of creating harmony. It is the keystone 
 of the arch of success without which the structure will not sus- 
 tain itself. True harmony, when carried to a finality, familiarly 
 known as team-work, engenders enthusiasm on the part of the in- 
 dividuals forming the organization. An organization without har- 
 mony disintegrates and soon becomes utterly demoralized so that 
 a disturber should be ejected from it with little ceremony or he 
 will prove its undoing. Departmental lines should vanish before 
 the company’s welfare. If, by sustaining an expense, another de- 
 partment can be helped sufficiently to justify the expense assumed 
 
 2 
 
there should be not only no hesitancy, but an eagerness to do so, 
 bearing in mind that the ultimate result to the company as a whole 
 is what should govern. Where possible to do so, however, it will 
 be found that the introduction of a friendly rivalry between officers 
 of the same relative grade will, if properly handled, produce far 
 reaching results, without in any manner affecting harmony, be- 
 cause of the incentive thus given them to use their intelligence and 
 ability to accomplish at least as much, and, if possible, more than 
 their fellows. 
 
 It may seem that it should not be necessary to cite the ne- 
 cessity for industry. Much, however, should be said on this im- 
 portant element. It does not merely consist in being prompt at the 
 place of work and remaining the full time required by the letter 
 of the law — but it requires much more to lead to the highest suc- 
 cess. It means the earnest, painstaking, patient and persevering ef- 
 fort to accomplish everything well; the putting in of whatever 
 time is necessary to perform those duties which are assigned to the 
 individual officer, and it may even be necessary at times to do some- 
 thing that someone else should have done. It requires, particularly, 
 the doing of these things cheerfully. A man who is truly indus- 
 trious is busy in any position whether it be high or low. He who is 
 thus busy in the lower position will always render such high grade 
 service that he will be called to the higher. It will be found that he 
 who concentrates his efforts, and is the steadiest in his work ac- 
 complishes the most. As exemplified in the fable of the Tortoise 
 and the Hare, the brilliant men who are only sporadic in the ac- 
 plication of their brilliancy do not accomplish as much as their 
 less brilliant fellows who are continually applying what abilities 
 they possess. 
 
 Thoroughness is an important adjunct and it is requisite to the 
 fullest extent. Affairs should be closely analyzed. A “touch and 
 go” method of handling matters is not conducive to success be- 
 cause it invariably leads to neglect. Correspondence should not be 
 shifted around simply to relieve desks of the presence of papers, 
 but it should be thoroughly gone into, all questions answered, and, 
 if an answer naturally develops another question, it should also 
 be answered. It is exasperating to receive returned papers in 
 which all questions are not answered, in an effort evidently to 
 easily get rid of the correspondence, and such methods are insensi- 
 bly treasured against those performing such indifferent service. 
 
 3 
 
It should be the pride of a man conducting correspondence to feel 
 that his superior officer did not have to return it for additional 
 facts, if such additional facts could have been reported on in the 
 first instance by a conclusive investigation. Where possible and 
 consistent, definite recommendations should always be made, other- 
 wise a man’s office becomes but a clearing house for correspondence, 
 and such clearing houses are not essential or even desirable. When 
 difficulties arise they should always be discussed to as absolute and 
 as satisfactory a conclusion as the conditions will allow, otherwise 
 half-baked measures result, causing frequently, unwarranted ex- 
 pense, and always embarrassment. In arriving at a conclusion it 
 should always be assured that the root of the difficulty is reached, 
 otherwise no permanent relief is effected, as cure only is applied 
 instead of prevention. Thoroughness is one of the cardinal virtues 
 of a successful practical business man. 
 
 As is true in all lines of work, one of the prime essentials is 
 what I may call love of the work. There can be no success without 
 it as indifference is sure to result. There is no line of work more 
 exacting than railroad work and there is no character of work re- 
 quiring a greater sustained interest. There is no line of work 
 either in which the indifference is more easily, or more quickly 
 manifested. The results of such indifference immediately appear 
 as they cannot be concealed. For the benefit of those who are 
 really struggling with might and main to achieve success it is well 
 that this is true as it serves to brush out of the path those who 
 falter or linger by the wayside. A great deal of railroad work has 
 to be done upon honor, that is, officers are away by themselves, 
 and not under the direct observance of their superiors. A man is 
 therefore necessarily judged by the results he produces. Love of 
 work is a great incentive to spur him on in producing these results, 
 not merely for his present, but also for his future benefit. 
 
 I regard common sense as one of the very greatest of these 
 elements. I believe that we often fail to realize how much is ex- 
 pressed in these two words. It is the foundation upon which all 
 of the professions are laid. Its application is absolutely essential to 
 the proper carrying on of business as it is the rudder of business 
 existence. The most gifted man but drifts upon the turbulent sea 
 of trouble if he is not governed by its precepts, which cannot be 
 specifically laid down, yet are as plain as the A. B. C. of our child- 
 hood. On account of its evident necessity it may be superfluous 
 
 4 
 
to discuss this essential to any greatk length, but too often there 
 are examples which prove that it is necessary to call attention to 
 this principle in a discussion of this subject. When in doubt, we 
 should ask ourselves: “Are we proceeding along common sense 
 lines?” The application of this test will invariably open a way 
 towards the proper solution of our difficulties. 
 
 One of the elements seriously lacking in many men is origi- 
 nality evidenced by their easily succumbing to difficulties, or in their 
 inability to keep pace with progress. This is an important attri- 
 bute, and without it failure is certain. To do something a certain 
 way because it has always been done that way is not always a good 
 reason for so doing. A thing should be done the way best suited 
 to the present requirements. There is, of course, great value in 
 precedent, if properly applied, and it would be just as much of an 
 error to cast it to the wind as to always slavishly follow precedent. 
 The proper mean between the two is true conservatism, avoiding, 
 however, the type of conservatism that stagnates, and stops the 
 circulation as it were, making the body inert. Ability to adopt 
 the proper course constitutes the successful man. This to very 
 large and also very small affairs in railroad work. So far as the 
 lack of originality is concerned the principal way in which it is 
 manifested is that when difficulties present themselves enough ef- 
 fort is not made to surmount them. Situations are accepted where 
 originality may change them to advantage, or may overcome them 
 altogether, or probably a substitute can be made just as effective, 
 or, at least, not as bad as total alteration. We should al- 
 ways ask ourselves before accepting a situation which appears to 
 be bad, whether it is really and undoubtedly the best thing that 
 can be done, devoting conscientious and hard thought to its proper 
 solution. Originality is also vitally necessary to keep abreast of the 
 times and to make the proper expansion so as to keep step with 
 or outstrip our competitors as business necessities may dictate. 
 
 A great deal is accomplished by an intimate knowledge of the 
 work which can only come from experience in the harness, that 
 is, practical experience. Men respect this sort of knowledge and 
 their best efforts are obtained when they feel that an officer pos- 
 sesses it. If one is not in full possession of knowledge on any par- 
 ticular detail, however, it is the greatest mistake not to ask ques- 
 tions so as to become so. It is not a lowering of dignity, nor an 
 indication of incompetency to have to ask for such information, in 
 
 5 
 
fact, much can often be learned from even the men of the lowest 
 grade by intelligent questioning. Any other principle of conduct 
 usually results in an ostrich act on the part of him who attempts 
 it, his ignorance being easily apparent. 
 
 The great Chinese philosopher, “Confucius,” said: “When you 
 know a thing to hold that you know it, and when you do not know 
 a thing to allow that you do not know it; that is knowledge.” 
 
 Good organization, and its resulting element, system, are 
 among the greatest of all the requirments, for without them no 
 large business can be properly conducted. When good organization 
 is attained, system naturally follows, and system is essential be- 
 cause no one officer, beyond a certain grade, is able to keep up 
 physically with the infinite details occurring in the handling of a 
 large property. The amount of detail is, necessarily, in proportion 
 to the position occupied, the work of the minor officer being practi- 
 cally all detail. Let me remark, however, that there are a great 
 many officers who make the mistake of not knowing enough of de- 
 tail. It is impossible to lay down any definite rules governing the 
 amount of detail which should be handled, hut a man should know 
 enough to be intimately familiar with his work. The necessity for 
 the most perfect system should be uppermost in a man’s mind as 
 he goes upward. He should surround himself with the most ca- 
 pable men he can find for the respective positions under him. Some 
 men, by their action, seem to feel that brilliant subordinates may 
 detract from them. There can be no more mistaken idea, nor can 
 there be more short-sighted policy. A man of moderate capacity, 
 can, in a relatively high position, be successful with good and ca- 
 pable subordinates, but a brilliant man cannot be successful with 
 incompetent subordinates because of the very physical impossibil- 
 ity aforementioned of one individual knowing the details of a large 
 business. The ability to select capable subordinates is a most im- 
 portant art and most necessary to success. To do so properly re- 
 quires that a man shall be somewhat of a student of human nature 
 and an analyst of the human character; it also requires a close 
 and careful supervision of the work of those under him to know 
 their capability because there should always be understudies who can 
 be promoted to the various positions, otherwise the organization 
 will become weak. Organization and system therefore are the most 
 vital elements, in fact, they are the very life-blood of a large cor- 
 poration. Every man should be entrusted with whatever responsi- 
 
 6 
 
bilities the duties of his position and the general organization of 
 the company will allow. To deny officers authority is to dwarf and 
 stunt them and thus thwart their efforts. My personal opinion 
 is, a great deal should be entrusted to the divisional organization 
 so that the man on the ground could accomplish more, the idea 
 being that the man selected for such positions should be capable 
 of carrying out such an organization rather than to attempt to cen- 
 tralize, because such a localized authority means more intimate in- 
 tercourse between the men on the ground and the public, and, I 
 believe, tends to a better understanding between the railroad com- 
 pany and the public because the railroad is more literally and inti- 
 mately personified in the person of such a representative. 
 
 Those having to do with the line of the road, should be ac- 
 quainted with it from personal knowledge, that is, by getting out on 
 the road as often as is necessary to obtain a full understanding of 
 the characteristics producing or affecting local conditions. This 
 brings them in contact with the public and the employes, and they 
 ascertain many an important fact which is either not communicable 
 in correspondence or mayhap the correspondent does not appreciate 
 their importance to the same extent that the officer does. Often- 
 times complaints from the public are thus intercepted at their root 
 preventing their attaining the stage of the festering sore that time 
 and often inattention produces. In bringing the officer and his men 
 closer together there is also developed the best means of fostering 
 proper relation because of the knowledge each obtains of the other’s 
 difficulties from personal contact. Such personal contact also 
 serves somewhat to rob the company of its inanimate character so 
 far as the men are concerned. 
 
 An important detail, in the proper carrying on of a large busi- 
 ness is the careful following up of instructions. The issuance of 
 instructions is but the preparatory stage of the process. They must 
 be followed up to see that not only are they put into effect, but 
 carried out in the future. Man is prone to follow along the lines 
 of least resistance, therefore, if it is easier to do something else he 
 is likely to do it. For this reason instructions should be closely 
 analyzed before issuing them and a determination made as to 
 whether the proper thing is being done and especially to determine 
 whether the course that is being taken to accomplish the purpose re- 
 quired is along the most natural lines possible under conditions, 
 as when once issued they should be rigidly insisted upon. Confer- 
 
 7 
 
ences of division staff officers, to which the men should, upon ap- 
 propriate occasions, be invited, should be held at stated intervals 
 as they are a most effective method of obtaining a complete under- 
 standing of instructions as well as obtaining the benefit derived 
 from the interchange of views at such conferences at which diffi- 
 culties surrounding the operation of a division should be fully dis- 
 cussed, and the proceedings should be written up. When putting 
 into effect instructions vitally affecting a system, which are a radi- 
 cal departure, it will be found that the best results will ensue when 
 a general conference is called and the whole subject exhaustively 
 explained. 
 
 He who would seek to develop his capabilities to the fullest ex- 
 tent and keep that proper pace with progress absolutely required 
 for the continuation of success should read carefully the literature 
 of the profession. It is as necessary for the successful railroad offi- 
 cer to follow the changed conditions surrounding railway prac- 
 tices, and to know the new and advanced ideas and physical im- 
 provements as it is for the lawyer or doctor to do so in his pro- 
 fession. The Railway and Engineering periodicals and certain 
 books on railroad subjects are the most valuable aid to him and 
 should be freely used. They contain everything that is current and 
 information pertaining to all departments so that a man may in- 
 form himself fully as to not only the work of his own department 
 but as to that of other departments. 
 
 Without being an officious busybody it should be the aim of 
 the railroad officer to acquaint himself with the duties of other 
 higher positions and even conditions in other departments besides 
 his own. He should feel that some day he will be called to exercise 
 those duties, at which time he should at least have an elementary 
 knowledge of them. 
 
 Membership in such clubs as this, and kindred associations, is 
 also a most fruitful method of obtaining information as to the 
 progress of the profession not only from participation in the formal 
 proceedings but in the chance to meet his colleagues, discuss his 
 difficulties and take advantage of their ideas and impart his to 
 them. The human mind is so constituted that often what may be 
 a serious stumbling-block for one individual will be readily solved 
 by another of equal or even inferior capacity. 
 
 One of the most important duties of an officer entrusted with 
 it is the employment of men, and it is one which he should weigh 
 
 8 
 
well, and, should seriously appreciate the gravity of. In hiring 
 the inferior grade of employes he should reflect that he is hiring 
 the future section or shop foreman, the future dispatcher, the fu- 
 ture engineer, the future conductor, and if the true principle is 
 carried out the future officer of whatever grade ; it therefore re- 
 quires rare discimination to do that which is the proper thing. He 
 should know that the man hired is of proper calibre, as determined 
 by his looks, actions, and his references. When a man is employed 
 or promoted, he should be carefully instructed as to what his duties 
 are, as to simply drop a man into a new position and tell him to 
 go ahead without any advice is conducive of very poor results. 
 These instructions, in addition to the examination required in cer- 
 tain eases, should be exhaustive and complete and it should be the 
 aim of the officer instructing to make it the occasion for the giving 
 of that good advice which every man can cull from his past ex- 
 perience and which will enable the newcomer to avoid as many pit- 
 falls as possible in his future career. The practice brings good re- 
 sults entirely disproportionate to the amount of trouble and time 
 involved in the carrying of it out. It also makes better men and 
 better officers as it brings the officer and men closer together and 
 puts a new employe or new officer at once on his mettle to attempt 
 to warrant the good opinion of his superior officer by attempting 
 to carry out his evidently well-meant advice. 
 
 The treatment of men is a problem usually solved by the in- 
 dividual as his disposition seems to dictate. Its proper solution is 
 a necessary element of success. There is no truer saying than that 
 “Familiarity breeds contempt.” To become too familiar with men 
 means a loss of their respect, yet to stand aloof and icily distant 
 means also a loss of respect on their part, and certainly tends to 
 prevent any enthusiasm for their work. There is a middle course 
 which should be adopted. There should be an easy bearing between 
 the officer and men which will beget confidence on their part and 
 make them feel that the officer is their friend and will always 
 do them full justice whenever anything occurs. If officers coming 
 in contact with the men are on proper terms with them they Avill 
 often be advised of things inimical to the company’s or their in- 
 terest especially if the officers display interest when receiving such 
 advice. 
 
 Proper discipline is as much of an essential in railway work 
 as it is in army work. Most Railroad Officers occupy the dual po- 
 
 9 
 
sition of superior and subordinate. If a man carried out carefully 
 the principles of discipline in his capacity of subordinate it cannot 
 but be far reaching in influencing the conduct of his subordinates, 
 and cannot but make easier his path so far as the proper appli- 
 cation of discipline is concerned, as example is the most effective 
 teacher. Implicit obedience is an essential of proper discipline. It 
 is sometimes necessary to issue orders which cannot be explained. 
 This, therefore, requires that all orders be carried out implicitly, 
 unless they involve evident danger, as they may be of a very im- 
 portant chain in a plan of action ; but, if on account of danger, de- 
 viations are necessary they must be carefully explained. It is, how- 
 ever, nearly always practicable to fully explain the purport and 
 intention of orders and when possible they should be explained to 
 such an extent as is consistent, as it is conducive of a much more 
 intelligent and harmonious carrying out of a plan if those who are 
 executing orders can have some knowledge of what they are doing 
 as they will intuitively plan their actions so as to fit in with the 
 following moves if they know what they are, or will be. So far as 
 application of discipline to men is concerned, in punishing them 
 for not carrying out rules or instructions, they must be dealt with 
 justly and all must be handled on the same basis. The most care- 
 ful and painstaking thought should be given to this most impor- 
 tant duty to insure that consistent treatment is given to all. Em- 
 ployes will render most satisfactory service to those officers who 
 treat them with uniform justice. He who vacillates, being severe 
 at times, easy at other times, loses their respect. Prejudice and 
 favoritism are fatal faults — and they should be abhorred and 
 shunned as a disease. The officer should always take what appears 
 to him to be the right course, for while it is not always possible 
 to convince a man himself of the justice of a sentence imposed 
 upon him — yet his fellows nearly always judge correctly of such ac- 
 tion. When a man has made a mistake and it is necessary to apply 
 discipline he should always be told how to avoid such mistakes in 
 the future ; to simply assert to him that a mistake has been made 
 without showing him in detail in what his fault consists, and how 
 to avoid it, is not taking advantage of such experience as a guide 
 for the future either for the employe involved or for other employes. 
 When possible to avoid it men should not be reprimanded within 
 the hearing of other men as it serves only to inflame and wound 
 them — and such reprimand thus loses a large part of its efficiency. 
 
 10 
 
I cannot, even at the risk of repetition, fail to state that the ability 
 to properly discipline is a most important element, and it is the 
 rock on which has occurred the shipwreck of many a promising 
 career. It would seem that no one would be purposely unjust or 
 purposely prejudiced, so that much of it must be attributed to bad 
 judgment, or the inability to distinguish as between right and 
 wrong on this particular proposition. I believe it can be unques- 
 tionably stated that the more contented a body of men are the 
 more satisfactory will be their service and proper discipline by 
 which the men always know where they stand and what they may 
 expect goes a long way towards making for contentment. Care- 
 ful consideration of this most important duty also means that the 
 higher officers will need to overrule the lower officers less and thus 
 avoid that impairment to a man’s influence which then occurs. 
 
 I come now to that essential which may be said to deal with 
 the business end of the railroad, although all matters heretofore 
 touched upon deal also with railroading as a business, and the 
 proper working out of each component part is essential to the 
 proper working out of the whole. Railroading, as has been stated, 
 so many times by others, is purely a commercial proposition, the 
 same as any other kind of business. The commodity in which the 
 railroad deals, that is, transportation, must be produced at as 
 cheap a cost as is consistent with the conditions surrounding its 
 production. Every railroad, no matter what its good or bad condi- 
 tions are>, is capable of being operated at a certain proper cost de- 
 pendent upon its conditions. To produce this proper cost of oper- 
 ation is the problem of the railroad officer, which applies from the 
 highest executive to the lowest subordinate officer in proportion to 
 the responsibilities their respective positions impose upon them. 
 The successful operation of trains, the maintenance of roadway and 
 equipment to a proper standard, the avoidance of accidents, the 
 proper handling of men, and, in fact, the proper solution of the 
 manifold problems presenting themselves, all tend towards the suc- 
 cessful accomplishment by a railroad officer of the purpose which is 
 really the end for which this, and, in fact, all business is conducted, 
 that is, the sale of its commodity at a reasonable profit. Too many 
 men, however, seem to be attracted by what may be called the love 
 of the tinsel in railroading with its glamour and romance so that 
 they lose sight of its business features and necessities. The only 
 way to insure the proper business result is to require on the part 
 
 11 
 
of the officers an intimate knowledge of the proper costs of the per- 
 formance of service and a comprehensive planning of the future 
 expenses based on the probable business and the railroad’s policy 
 of expenditures. Comparisons with last year are not conclusive, 
 in fact, are misleading, unless the same conditions obtain in both 
 years. The basis should therefore be cost of service based on units 
 of service to be performed. To assume that expenses can be regu- 
 lated without some definite planning is unbusinesslike and does not 
 prevail in any other kind of business. 
 
 The Traffic Department officers should have some familiarity 
 with costs to enable them to make proper rates. It is true that 
 conditions, too numerous to be discussed in a paper of this charac- 
 ter, in a great measure govern rates, yet a full knowledge of the 
 conditions governing cost on the part of traffic officers is conducive 
 to the obtaining of remunerative, and, what is very important, 
 consistent rates. 
 
 As this club is composed largely of operating men I address 
 myself more particularly to them. So far as the operating man is 
 concerned, he should know what his expenses are going to be be- 
 fore they occur. They, of course, will have to be cut to fit the cloth 
 as much as is consistent with the safe and proper operation and 
 maintenance of the property, but unless they are determined be- 
 forehand there can be no intelligent control of them. This can only 
 be carried out to a practical conclusion by an allotment system, 
 and this system must be carried all the way down to the lowest 
 supervising officer, that is, the section foreman must be told how 
 much he can spend per day for labor; the shop foreman must be 
 told how much he can spend per day for labor; the track super- 
 visor must know what he can spend per day for labor; the road 
 master or division engineer, the master mechanic, and the division 
 superintendent must know what they can spend each day for labor 
 and material. I prefer to allot in units of money rather than men 
 or material because I believe that the money unit is more graphic 
 in conveying the idea that money is actually being spent. The ac- 
 counts showing what is actually spent each day must be in the 
 hands of those in control as soon as possible after it is spent; not 
 a month’s nor a week’s report at a time, but a day’s report at a 
 time ; and it must be in the possession of the officer or man in charge 
 of the expenditure as soon as possible. The section forman must 
 know at the close of today what he has spent today. The same is 
 
 12 
 
true of the shop foreman. The supervisor should know tomorrow 
 what has been spent by his section foreman today. If a week is 
 allowed to elapse, foremen are likely to put on more than they 
 should, the result being that towards the end of the month forces 
 may have to be laid off, shop work reduced below the usual ex- 
 pense or other uneconomical things done to equalize the allowance, 
 or, what is just as uneconomical, it may be necessary to increase 
 largely the forces in order to use up the allowance. Neither is 
 necessary where a record of expenses is kept as they are incurred. 
 Other advantages also accrue, such as for instance; when daily 
 reports are made, supervisors often find that in certain seasons 
 they can get men on one section and not on others ; so that they 
 can increase their forces at points where they can get the men. 
 The same is true of roadmasters, or division engineers. They often 
 find they can, in certain seasons, get men in one supervisor’s terri- 
 tory and not in another. In being so closely in touch with their 
 expenses, as herein outlined, they can employ men to advantage. 
 The same is also to a great extent true of shop work. It is of course 
 assumed, in this discussion, that no more men are allotted than 
 necessary so that if men cannot be procured at one time they must 
 be at another during the season. 
 
 So far as the transportation department is concerned, a large 
 proportion of its expenses should be governed as nearly directly 
 as possible by the amount of business being done daily. To do so, 
 however, in a businesslike way, requires that many expenses of 
 this department must receive judicious and careful watching and 
 cheeking. The individual loading of trains should be checked up to 
 see that they are handling the proper tonnage, and they should be 
 checked immediately, otherwise a reduction in the tonnage per train 
 mile is bound to ensue. This item, as is of course understood, be- 
 comes a most important factor in the cost of conducting transpor- 
 tation. Overtime, with the cause should be reported to the train- 
 master and the superintendent each day, and the matter analyzed 
 so as to remedy it if it can be done locally, or recommendations 
 made seeking to remove the cause. Cars on the divisions must be 
 carefully checked each day to see that they are being properly 
 utilized so that the company may receive the full benefit of the 
 money that has been invested in its own cars and so that no more 
 shall be paid for per diem on foreign cars than the conditions re<- 
 quire. The agent of every large station should have on his desk 
 
 13 
 
every morning the tonnage handled by his platform force the pre- 
 ceding day with the platform cost of handling; such statement 
 should also show the loading of the cars so that unnecessary ears 
 can be cut out. He should also, with the division superintendent, 
 receive a monthly analysis of the station’s working expenses, so 
 as to regulate it to the most economical basis. The daily figures 
 are absolutely essential, however, to intelligently handle the labor 
 force, which is a large item in the total expense of the station. 
 
 Division superintendents should know as soon as possible the 
 total expenses of the division today for yesterday, if possible, labor 
 and material will have to be separated as the labor charge can be 
 furnished before the material charge can. I have given this sub- 
 ject a great deal of thought and I do not believe that any method 
 except the daily check, is effective. At first thought it may seem 
 that this would involve an immense amount of bookkeeping and 
 complication of accounts, and consequently a large additional force 
 of men. This, however, is not so. It does not involve the putting 
 on of any additional men as this daily check can be carried out by 
 the present force without difficulty as the necessary accounts are 
 so simple and are kept by so many that it puts but little work on 
 each, and in the larger offices such as the division superintendents 
 and master mechanics it means but a consolidation of figures. This 
 is no theoretical or fanciful scheme whatever, but is a definite prac- 
 tice which has been in actual operation for sufficient time to thor- 
 oughly demonstrate its practicability. It simply means system in 
 expending the money for operating expenses and adapting to the 
 railroad business the same rules as to knowing and watching cost 
 that apply to all other lines of busness. 
 
 An important element which is not given the consideration it 
 deserves usually is the question of intercourse with the public. A 
 broad guaged man usually comes out with flying colors in this re- 
 spect as his very nature solves the problem, but often there is a 
 mistaken idea as to what is proper. Courtesy and frankness are 
 essential in the proper dealing with the public. A railroad com- 
 pany always desires to have the public feel as well toward it as is 
 possible, and intends to impress the public as favorably as possi- 
 ble. A courteous set of officers and employes does more to im- 
 press favorably the public than any other means, as the only way 
 a railroad meets the public is through its officers and employes and 
 upon their conduct depends the public’s verdict as to the company 
 
 14 
 
they represent. Oftentimes the public is inconsiderate, finds fault 
 without due investigation, but this should be expected and courtesy 
 practised nevertheless. “A soft answer turneth away wrath,” and 
 this should be practised. Conciliation, not antagonism, is what is 
 vitally needed. The public along the line of the railroad should 
 be solicitously well-treated, letters should be answered whether of 
 complaint or otherwise and if requests cannot be complied with, 
 consistent, not childish or palpably unsatisfactory reasons should 
 be given. An earnest effort should always be made to remedy any 
 reasonable complaint. It is true that under present day practices 
 people seem to largely run to the commissions, but the railroads 
 are still the recipients of a volume of complaints. I am firmly con- 
 vinced that a great deal of the crop of injudicious laws that have 
 been made against the railroads in the past were caused by the 
 treatment of the public, although I do not feel that the avalanche 
 of the past two years can be placed in this category as I believe 
 that they were more largely the result of the efforts of designing 
 politicians to secure stepping stones for future political advance- 
 ment. Let us therefore endeavor to regulate ourselves in this respect 
 so as to be in the confidence of the people for the future as much as 
 possible. I believe that one result of the present situation will be a 
 closer relation between the railroad and its customers for the future, 
 so that the old saying: “ ’Tis an ill wind that blows nobody good” 
 will be realized as it has many times in the past. The railroad sub- 
 ject should in any event be stripped of its mysteries to the public as 
 there is nothing in the general characteristics of the railroad busi- 
 ness whatever different from any other businesses, and every ef- 
 fort should be put forth so that the public should realize that this 
 is so. 
 
 Let us now call to mind that which I said in the opening para- 
 graph, and ask ourselves if we have considered the subject in the 
 proper spirit. However well or ill these principles have been put 
 before you, they are in a great measure the basis and the founda- 
 tion of success in railroad work. 
 
 The foundation for the whole structure which is herein raised, 
 is, of course, the individual. He must possess the determination 
 to do everything that is necessary to be done. He must be of such 
 a stamp that he can assimilate all the qualities herein set forth. He 
 must possess true self-confidence, not, however, that kind of con- 
 ceit often mistaken for self-confidence, sufficient to carry him 
 
 15 
 
through difficult situations. He must finally have that proper am- 
 bition which will always spur him on to accomplish greater things. 
 
 To summarize all that has been herein said, it requires, among 
 the other essentials, honesty properly applied, ability to harmonize, 
 industry, thoroughness, love of work, common sense, originality, 
 experience, ability to systematize and organize, study the proper 
 treatment of the men under you, the ordinary business-sense re- 
 quired in any other line of business, capacity and disposition to 
 treat the public frankly and courteously; added to these the other 
 qualifications herein mentioned. To say that it is not impossible) 
 to possess all of these in a high degree is not a theoretical declar- 
 ation. To him who is the most proficient in all will come to the 
 greatest success beyond peradventure. As the individual is con- 
 stituted so follows the result as sure as night follows day, yet con- 
 sideration of such a subject as this is bound to brighten up anyone 
 and put him on his mettle to try to accomplish all that is in him. 
 
 16