The herald., 1895-09-08

lished statement that the app oaching
national congress of railway surgeons
would vigorously enter upon the matter
OF the establishment of chairs OF railway
surgery in the leading medical colleges OF
the country, SO that men might be
specially trained for what has come to be
most important branch OF surgical sci
ence, the following article oil Higher Edu-
cation in Railway Management will have
an added interest, especially to those con-
cerned with railways. The. article was
contributed TO the Harvard Graduates
Magazine by Mr.. George B. Leighton,
president of the Los Angeles Terminal
Railway company, Los Angeles corpor-
alton. 1t is learned from railway circles
that the article has attarcted much atten-
ton among railroad people in the east,
and has led to an interchange OF views
between railway managers and educators
which may result, at no distant day, in
some of the leading eastern colleges at
tempting to carry out Mr.. Leighton's
views:
At a recent meeting of railway ofncials
in New York, one OF the speakers en-
deavored to arouse the interest of the
mem bers of the convention in definite
ex periments to determine with accuracy
the efficiency of modern locomotives in
their several classes, and in conclusion he
stated that if these experiments could
be carried out methodically it would be
one substantial step toward making rail
way management science, which it is
not now. Bankers, investors, shippers
and even railroad operators are giving
attention to the thought that railway
management of today is in many. re-
spects very crude, though cund uot5d By
men of confessedly large ability.
In no country is there such a demand
for the methodical education of young
men and young women in the duties they
are to perform in life as there is in ours.
But, speaking of schools in the broader
sense, those tor the many and those for
the few, those of advanced instruction
and those of elementary, may we not find
that the railway, one OF the greatest in
strunents of modern civilization, has no
school where its leading principles can
be learned? BY pefsevering alone in
practical work in one Limited depart
ment. the young man must educate him
self by this narrow and unsatisfactory
method, Just as the lawyer. the physician,
the engineer and the architect did of old
The old method has been superseded in
those professions by the establishment OF
schools or special courses Of study. where
the most elaborate provision is made for
clear, comprehensive and msthodical
teaching. Why may not such provision
be made for the railway profession?
The work of which l speak should
cover the principles governing the man
agement Of railways in all departments.
The intelligent members OF all comm I'M
titles now understand that the railway has
rights and obligations due on the part Of
the state, as the state and people have
rights which must be recognized by the
railways. The railway in it's very nature
combines vast sums OF capital, requires
the highest ability on the part OF great
mum bers of men, and is an immeasurable
influence for good or evil in our econom-
ic progress. The well-belng of countless
industries, and. incidentally, of countless
homes, may exist or fail under the final
yes or no of perhaps single manager.
Under this one manager the heads OF
the various departments give their yes
and no on smaller, yet often vitality i'm
munities. The ablest of these men today
have rarely had opportunity to study
the essential principles upon which theii
success and the success of their com panies
must rest except through their own rel
atively limited observation and eXper-
fence. No well-informed and directing
mind at the beginning of their work has
Piles of broad application helpful to spe-
cific cases, illustrated by the carefully
tabulated results of application in differ
ent countries under different controlling
conditions. 1t would seem, therefore,
that had a course of study in railway
science-may we not use that term?-
been offered at one of our universities, 1t
could have helped them.
Let us see what a responsible official in
a railway ought to know, whatever may
be his special department.. He should
know that those who own the property
expect and believe that, if properly man
aged, their investment can derive the
have an economic reason for its existence.
and be operated to secure economic re-
suits. He must understand the relation
of the railway to the owners, to the pub
lie and to the state. Again. he must
understand ths Importance of managing
men, the result of experience in the or
ganization of departments, and selection
of proper and efficient subordinates. The
railway official must be broadly versed in
the principles OF the railway from me-
chanical and engineering standpoint.
When called upon to examine new
line he must be able to pass upon its
merits intelligently. He must satisfy
himself whether it will be better to build
a new line at all; whether it will be
better 10 build cheap line. but one more
expensive to operate, or an expensive
line, yet one cheaper to operate. He must
know the theories of rates and traffic,
must pass intelligently upon such ques.
tions as whether certain traffic is worth
dhing or not, the true theory of conpe-
tition, and the limit of competitive bust
ness. He will have to know what to leave
to subordlnates and how to direct them.
These ars but q few of the qualities nec-
essary for an efficient manager. His pro-
fessiOn is one of the most versatile of all
professions. In broad way, he must
be not only a man OF affairs but lawyer,
engineer, financier, economist, account
ant.
1t would be premature in a paper of
this character to present full scheme OF
the instruction which should be given.
My purpose Is simply to suggest the needs
broadly. AS an outline merely OF what
this course of study should embrace, the
following III portant headings present
themselves. Probably it would be better
to conduct it as sort of postgraduate
course:
ment of the subject, reviewing the con :
ditions of commerce PRIOR to the advent
of the railway. Transportation and dis
trioution in 1900. How the land was
more of an obstacle to commerce than
the sea. Limitations of commerce and
travel.
Second-The history of the railway.
Development of the tramway from the
cart-road, and the further development
OF the modern railway. The surmount.
ing of early difficulties. public opposition
and the lack of proper track and equip
ment.
Third-Civil engineering. Fundamen-
tai principles of economical permanent
way. Proper location of line; grades,