The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1898-12-09
THERE TO STAY.
Division Headquarters to Re-
main at St. James.
&eneral Manager Scott Gives r. D Hub
bard the Reasons That Brought
About the Removal.

&. D. Hubbard, of the business
mems committee appointed to inter-
view the officials of the Northwestern
system in an endeavor to have the
headquarters of the st. Paul & Sioux
City division returned to Mankato,
WIS n st. Paul Friday and CALI d
upon General Manager W. A. Scott.
Mr.. Hubbard expected that the other
members of the committee would be
there also, but they failed to put In
an appearance Mr.. Hubbard's inter-
view was of some length and of very
pleasant nature, although he ascer-
tanned that the object for which the
committee was appointed cannot be
accomplished.
Mr.. Scott opened the conversation,
as Mt. Hu Dbard entered, by remark
ing that it was very curious that the
person of whom he had been intently
thinking should enter at that mo.
ment. To Free Press reporter, Mr..
Hubbard gave the substance of
the conversation which ensued.
Mr.. Scott said that ia interviews
which he had had with acquaintance
from Mankato during the past week,
he had been surprised to learn Of the
agitation which the removal of the
division headquarters to St.sJames
had caused. Economy in manage
ment was the sole object sought by
the change, he said. 1t has been de-
monstrated to the management of
railways during the past few years
that it is far more economical TO han
die traffic If the train dispatchers and
division officers are at the terminals,
where employees can be interviewed
and Investigations had without the
necessity Of their going from one sta
tion to another for the purpose. In.
designations helpful I good decipline
and proper serving Of patrons are some
times ignored when those whose duty
1t is to enquire of the train crew about
the matters complained of are so To-
Gated that it cannot be conveniently
done. The amount of letter writing
and wiring essential from terminals
to the immediate point. such as Man.
kato is, which with offices properly
located is unnecessary, has caused de-
lay in traffic and much additional ex-
pense in handling it. Mr.. Scott went
into more detail, which 1t is unneces-
sary to give, and which, he said, in.
dictated not only the propriety but
the absolute necessity of changing
headquarters to a terminal, Hesaid
that the question from any business
standpoint is not even debatable. He
said that these reasons this year had
become more apparent on the Omaha
road than ever before, because of the
larger volume of traffic, which could
not be satisfactorily handled under
the old plan.
Mr.. Scott declared that the Omaha
road has always been friendly to the
interests of Mankato, and
said that it had often favored this
city to an extent not done at other
points. In view of this fact, it was
singular that sentiments of antagon-
ism should exist, but he was glad to
know that many of the citizens had
personally expressed themselves to
him as not harboring such q feeling.
Mr.. Scott said that very little trade
could be lost to Mankato by the
change, as the road affords excellent
facilities for it's men for some dis
tance west to come here to make pur-
chases, and he remarked that it was
difficult to believe that prominent
city like Mankato could be largely af-
fected by losing such small number
of people as the change brought about.
The Omaha road was not the only
one, said Mr.. Scott, that has been
moving it's division headquarters, and
in many cases. in the interest of
economy, abandoning some of them in
order to consolidate one division with
another. In fact, this process has
gone to an extent that it is now the
exception for any railroad to operate
it's divisions with headquarters
at other than terminal points. The
Omaha road had deferred making the
change from Mankato to st. Sames as
long as possible, and until the change
became absolutely necessary in order
that the trains could be handled so as
to meet competition.
In regard to the criticism made up
on the seemingly clandestine manner
of moving the headquarters, Mr..
Scott said that it is not the custom of
railroads to advise the public of their
intentions on purely business mat
tiers that in no way affect rates or
transportation facilities The divi.
sion officials were advised early