The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-18
RAILROAD NEWS.
Infusion Of New Blood and Rail-
road Progress.
One Does Not Necessarily Mean
the Other.
DANGER IN CHANGES.
GER IN CHANGES.
RadicaIism Likely to Take the
Place of Conservatism.
Records Are Sometimes Made
With Injury to Railroads.

The past few months have been re-
markable as a period OF general turning
ov er and shaking up Of railway STATS,
says the Railway Review. An unprece-
dented number Of heads Of departments
have been changed, since effort has
been made to energize the corps OF each
department by the infusion OF new
blood, and there seems TO be a general
awakening 10 the fact that good enough
is not sufHcient-that men are required
IN each department who have a. peculiar
talent Tor their particular avOcation-
that talented men are q positive divi-
dendial necessity, and as such, are
worthy Of their hire This is as it should
be, since such general upheava1 has in
many cases afforded the man of real
ability a chance TO exhibit his Qualifi-
cations.
All this is a very desirable state of
ama1rS--One which is a matter Of con-
siderable qualification TO those interest
ed in the progress Of railway manage
ment and opera iOn-One which enables
many able men ID bring their light out
from under the bushel and permits
them to produce most satisfactory and
even unhoped-fOr results But is it not
possible that steps too far in this di
rectiOn. may be taken2 Can not the
pendulum be swung toward radicaliSm,
beyond. the point of possible improve
ment, to as undesirable a degree as it
has hung back in the other direction
on the Old-fOgy side OF conservatism
And tcO great radicalism cause dis
ruption and Generalization of an en-
tirely efficient department.
Good men are hard to find New blood
does rot always mean better work.
Simply setting a department in an up
roar does not insure efficient results any
more than a smooth and quietly run
ming department signifies dry rot In
many cases there seems to be a cycle
in which department lives revolYe. The
motive power statistics show that a new
man on a neighbOring line is apparent
I " running his department on little
/ less money
/ The result of an inquiry brings out the
fact that our man is disinclined to sac
rifice the best interests of his depart
ment according to his views, TO a strife
/ for records. His department is running
smoothly, the men are satisfied. the roll
Z ing stock IS IN good condition. and all
I work is we'll in hand It has taken some
time 10 bring about this state of affairs
and ne is disinclined to fall behind
/ again merely in order to compete with
/ the new man on the neighbOrlng road
/ who has a record to make. Such a spir-
/ it is thought TO plainly show that he is
not in sympathy with the management;
J he is too conservative; he is superseded
/ by a rev man.
/ The new man is clever he knows that
he is put there to make q record, he
/ sees that everything is in such good
I shape that the rolling stock will hold
] UP for six months before commencing
I to fall down on the road He reduces
I the force and all possible expenses, he
/ knows that such a course is folly be
( cause it viii take q year to get the pow
er back into shape, but ne also knows
that if ne does not reduce the expenses
/ he viii be considered to be incapable.
I He also knows that by this foolish
Z course he is enabled to reduce the eX-
/ penSes and thus make a record for those
I first six months that will cause him to
I be regarded as a hrst-class man, and
! accordingly his actions in increasing the
J expenses after that, IN order to get the
/ rolling stock back into shape, viii not
! course and gets along all right for few
I years. Then Calls madeupon him to re-
| duce again; he feels by this time he has
/ cause much question He follows this
( demonstrated his ability. he is disin-
/ clined to carry his department through
another such sapping process, and
/ stands upon his judgment in regard to
] the best interests of his department.
| The result is another change and anoth-
| er cycle is begun