The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-20
ITO RUN 4 ROADS.
Unique Position of Vice Presi-
dent j. Z. Stubs.
VIII Be Traffic Director of the
Hartman Lines.
1T is SOMETHING NEW
In the Management and Direc-
tiOn of Transportation
Department Entirely Separate
From Other Interests.

vice president of the Southern Pacific,
whose appointment as traffic manager
Of the vast system of railroads controll-
ed by the Hartman interests was an
nounced from Chicago, has arrived in
this city. In speaking Of the innova-
ton to be introduced in railroad meth
DDS by the creation of the position to
which he has just been appointed Mr.
Stubbs explained the matter by saying
that Mr. Hartman had been consider
ing for some time the feasibility and
practicability of divorcing the traffic of
the lines and he is interested in other
ana1rS OF the road. He has talked over
the scheme with other gentlemen who
helped to frame the policy and direct
the fortunes of the Union Pacific and
Southern Pacific. and has evolved a
plan which, in Harriman'S opinion,
ought to accomplish the heretofore i'm
possible task of harmonizing the inter-
ests of the several Hartman roads. As
Mr.. Stubbs puts it, it is a plan to bring
about a unificatiOn of interests with n
reduction of friction and the elimina-
ton of unnecessary competition. with
out consolidating the properties under
one management Under this plan one
man is to have entire charge of the
traffic of the several corporations and
in order effectually to divorce the traf-
fc from the other affairs of the road
this official will report directly to the
board. This position of power and re-
SpOnSlDli1Iy, comparable TO no Olner IN
the history of railroads, was offered to
Mr.. Stubs and he accepted. Mr..
Stubs does not even know what title
will be bestowed upon him.
Il suppose" said he. that it will be
traffic director or director of traffic
That is a matter of detail that has not
been considered as yet.
In a word" Mr. Stubs went on to
explain, I am to be placed in entire
charge of the traffic of the Southern
he T0ia ho
Railroad and Navigation company and
the Oregon Short Line. and I will report
to the boards of directors of the several
companies. That means that I am to
report direct to Mr.. Hartman. The or
ganization is simply this: Each COM
pany has its board of directors, and
each board of directors has an execu-
tive committee, presided over by a
chairman. When the board of directors
is in session it is supreme and when
the board is not in session and the ex-
ecutive committee is holding a meeting
the executive committee is supreme.
When the executive committee is not in
session. the chairman of the committee
runs things Z. H. Hartman is chair
man of the executive committee of the
four roads.
THE other Hartman roads. such as
the Illinois Central and the Chicago &
Alton are not embraced in this arrange
ment. My responsibilities will be con-
fined to the lines west of the river This
is the territory within which all the
traffic troubles have existed. There |
have been pools and gentlemen's agree
ments and they have all failed to solve |
the problem. Now Mr.. Hartman pur-
poses to try this experiment of hand |
ling the traffic of the lines over which |
he presides.
Il am relied upon to show Mr. Har-
riman and his associates that a sys- |
tematic readjustment of the traffic |
methods of the several roads in har- !
limo n al
istration of the affairs of the traffic de- /
partmentS will be attended by greater |
profit. MI. Harrin an has such an idea, |
and / am to demonstrate it to him in |
practice. Tt is all new and expert |
mental. The pathway is unbIazed. I
Whether the result viii justify the ex-
pertinent remains to be seen 1 have |
no idea whether or not the arrange !
ment win be permanent Because of |
the novelty of my new position and be- |
cause 7 will live henceforth in Chicago /
instead of San Francisco, / am not as 4
happy over the change as / might be-" |
Mr.. Stubbs said that the new ar |
rangement respecting himself was a |
complete surprise to the presidents of |
the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific. |
as it was to railroad men in the coun- |
try, who were not prepared to see such |
a revolution in the methods of conser-
vative railroad corporations.
The whole thing was cut and dried |
he said before President Hays of the !
Southern Pacific and President Burt OF /
the Union PaClfc TeaCh6Q Gh1cagO- ALI /
that had to be done when they arrived |
was to inform them of the fact
Mr.. Stubs was asked if his promo |
ton would be attended by any other |
changes in the general office of the /
Southern Pacific or in the traffic de- 1
partn ents of the other railroads with /
which he will henceforth be identified. |
He said he saw no reason for any .
changes. and believed that all the pres
ent officials would hold their positions. !
Mr. Stubbs said that when he left /
Chicago a plans was being perfected to |
place the traffic of the Northern Pa |
cific. the Great Northern and the Bur 4
lington in the hands of Darius Miller, /
at present second vice president of the |
Great Northern. and that there would. I
in all probability, be brought about a
centraliza tion Of the management Of /
the Gould lines, including the Missouri !
Mr.. Stubbs viii leave here early III |
July for Chicago to enter upon the |
duties of his new DositioD-
ALL RIGHT WITH MR. BURT
Omaha, June 20.-President Horace G. /
Burt of the Union Pacific was shown |
the dispatch from San Francisco with |
regard to the appointment Of Mr.. Stubs I
as traffic manager of the Hartman Il
lines. and asked as to the effect of the |
appointment on the traffic of the sys-
tenn
Mr.. Burt was reticent as to the choice |
of a man for the position. but thought /
the new arrangement would be a sue
cess in bringing the traffic relations OF /
the Union and Southern Pacific sys-
TENS into a closer union and harmony.
When asked if the appointment OF
Mr.. Stubbs to tie newly created posi-
ton was at the suggestion OF himself