The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-09-17
He QUOTED BAER.
George Il. Henderson Gives
Pointers to Organized Labor.
Tells Topeka Laboring Men
Why They Make Mistakes.
INJURE THEMSELVES.
His Authority Is the Eastern
Railroad President.
An Interesting Meeting at Rail-
road Y. N. c. A.

George r. Henderson, Superintendent
of motive power for the Santa F'e, made
an indirect attack on organized labor in
an address at the railroad Y. NJ @. A.
He quoted with evident endorsement
from President Baer of the Reading
railroad who has become notorious for
his opposition to organized labor during
the miners strike which is now in pro-
gress in the east. President Baer
doesn't like labor organizations and he
doesn't hesitate to say SO. He wants to
see the interests of the laboring men
protected by those. as he expresses it,
TO whom God in His infinite wisdom
has given the control OF the property in
terestS of the country
Mr.. Baer has been denounced for his
sacrilegious statement everywhere and
1t is surprising that his utterances on
organized labor should be used by
man who has the direct supervision of
thousands of iaboring men in Topeka
and elsewhere in the west.
Perhaps the greatest impetus which
educational work has ever received
among railroad men of Kansas was that
given it at the rally held in the Jefferson
Street Mission of the First M. E. church,
426 Jefferson street, Tuesday evening.
An elaborate programme was rendered,
consisting of vocal music, graphophone
selections. stereopticon views and an
address on the subject at hand by George
r. Henderson, superintendent of Santa
Fe motive power. The attendance was
not especially large owing to change
in the place of holding the meeting
which was decided upon only Tuesday
afternoon. and because of a number of
other events which occurred in the
city at the same time. Superintendent
Henderson was listened to attentively
to be derived from scholastic training.
but upon some of the traits which make
men successful He opened by saying
that he had desired a closer acquaint-
under the Jurisdiction of his office on
the Santa Fe but the great numbers
made it impossible
The advantages of education" he
continued, have been gone over in a
previous address. it being shown yon
how difficult it would be to build loco
motives and cars. determine the value
of fuel and number of kindred sub
jects without education The age has
become one of specia1ties; SO much so
that it Is necessary for one who wishes
to make the greatest success to train
himself along special lines. 1t seems to
me to be successful railroad man one
should be versed along more lines than
in any other work. think that the mo-
tive power department comes upon
more general range of problems than
any other"
Taking up the subject of special ap-
prentices, number of whom have been
given positions at the various shops
along the Santa Fe system since the
y
Henderson said:
I'VE have no idea that the special ap-
prentices shall interfere with the work
of the regular apprentices. Questions
sometimes come up that require some
one who has training; there are me-
chanical phenomena, the testing of ma
chimes and materials, which compel us
to draw at times upon this talent. With
out study it would be impossible for
one to make tests on locomotive fuel
consumption. There are some who by
hard study, of course, could do this.
but that is the object of having special
apprentices. But it becomes you who
have not had these advantages of study
to do the best you can There is no
doubt that it is better for a young man
to take course in some of the great
educational institutions If he can, but
if he cannot, then he should make it up
the best he can, thus fitting himself
for the position that IS certainly wait
ing for him. Looking over the cours.
of study prescribed by the Y. M. G.
A. find a number of interesting sub
jects, and l. hope that in addition to
the courses given here by next winter
we shall be able to have class in ma
chine design. There is no reason why
this class should not be started and I
must say there is no more interesting
study than that of mechanics.
But all the education in the world
might not make good man: and it is
some Of these other things that I wish
to speak of. There is one very neceS-
sary quality which for want of any
more dignified word we call gumption,'
success. And then there is the charac-
teristic of willingness to do whatever is
wanted, that is necessary. A man
should feel that he is paid to do what
an unwillingness, and he is let alone
when the matter of promotion comes
up. 1t is always good plan to do
little more than is expected of one. And
then If a man show that he is COM
petent, the opportunity is sure to come
for him to get more money; otherwise
it will be long time before the oppor-
tunity presents itself" In this connec-
ly the story Of Elbert Hubbard's "A
Message to Garcia how that a young
American soldier carried to Garcia, the
Cuban general, the message, regardless
of considerations for what recompense
he might get. He also quoted from the
experiences of p. A. B. Widener, Phil
adelphia millionaire, who rose from the
trade of butcher to his present posi-
ton. He quoted the saying of General
Sherman that the railroad men of the
country made excellent soldiers. be-
cause they had been taught by expert
ence to obey orders and to shift for
themselves in emergencies. He said 1t
was dfscouraging to, give an order over
and over and and that it was NOT
obeyed. The speech Of President Roose~
velt last week before the Fsiremen's
convention had impressed him psrticu-
larly as showing the influence of indi-
viduality. In substance he said it was
that all the organization In the world
would not make good man but at the
same time it might be used as a means
of helping the good men.
with regard to the incentive to work
I will say that of course it is one of the
most important considerations to a man
how much money he can earn. And
think the incentive In this country is
much greater than in Europe. was
talking to a friend this afternoon and
he related to me how that In one of the