The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-03
WHO Is TO BLAME?
Wall Street journal Discusses Rail-
road Accidents.

The remedy for the increasing num-
Der of railway accidents is not neces-
sarily found in governmental regula-
ton, says the Wall Street Journal. The
question involved is not necessarily one
of government versus private enter
prises. 1t goes deep to the heart of the
problem of administrative organiza-
ton. 1t Is one with the problems that
confront the railroad manager every
day in the difficult task of organizing
his working forces into effective and
responsible departments. 1t is a ques-
ton of how much can be left to the
discretion of the individual or the de-
partment of the organization and how
much must be specifically prescribed in
advance by precedent or rule or general
order or statute enactment. In the
same way in which the people have it
within their power to prescribe the
conditions of safety and enforce them
absolutely upon the railroad, the rail-
road manager has 1T in his power to
prescribe the conditions of safe opera
ton to the remotest detail and to en-
force his subordinates when his judg-
ment dictates to execute them to the
letter.
In laundering exercise of this prero-
gative, many an otherwise able man
agement has gone down because it has
not conceded sufficient discretion to the
subordinate units and individuals of
the organization. The evil is described
as over-organization of which an inci-
dent is red-tape. Statute provisions OF
government may become open to the
same criticism. Like all extremes,
there is a median and this is the line
that the practical man must discover
and follow.
The object sought must be kept
clearly in mind regardless of what may
be the methods by which the problem
is approached. That object is two
fold % To absolutely connect the
lines of responsibility SO that the con-
sequence of an unfortunate act may be
lodged against the offender. I'd To
90 -i=Ty afaH
after the responsibilities have been
fully defined, the individual may see fit
to incur. Society in it's larger interests
in the same way as the railroad mana
ger. in the larger interests of his work.
ing forces, frequently sees fit to limit
the risk which it will permit an 1nd1-
Vidual to incur on his own account.
On the necessity of connecting the
lines of responsibility so that the act
and it's consequences may be met in
the same individual. opinions cannot
differ. The more deliberately this con-
nectiOn is perfected beyond all perad-
venture, the better for society at large.
But when we undertake to say what
risk shall be incurred and generalize IN
advance upon the character of the con-
ditionS which are to be met, and an
deavor to embrace all within the scope
of fixed rules, we enter upon dangerous
territory. The man who makes the
rule assumes far too much of the re-
sponsibility Too many factors in the
local situation where the rule applies
are beyond his view. The same will be
true if by legal enactment or the IL
censing of employees the state under
takes to prescribe in too great detail
the conditions of safety.
If the public becomes convinced that
railway accidents are seriously on the
increase, the tendency will be to i'm
pose certain arbitrary requirements
which they conceive to be the condi-
tions of safety. There will be inter
ested parties to define for them what
Of fofx nd q
skill and discretion of the railway
manager will not be conceded its pro-
per weight.
In the age of mechanical appliances
we come easily to think that the ma
chine can operate without the man. The
automatic block signal systems seem at
first completely to meet the require
mentS of mechanically absolute safety.
In their absence the manual block is
thought of as the next best expedient.
But, fortunately or unfortunately, the
personal equation cannot be eliminated
from the situation The best automatic
block signal in the world an engineer
will sometimes run by. and automatic
control which has been theoretically
proposed has its limitations. But the
personal equation Is constantly chang
ing. according to the standards of dis
cipline in force. At this time there is
pronounced tendency to demoraliza-
ton among working forces. Managers
cannot express themselves, but the
plain implication is that there is an
influence which is weakening their au-
thority to enforce orders with the Sc
verify of army discipline as was for
merly their won't The extraordinary
authority of the general of the army
or the captain of the ship was not
without its reason. The superintend-
ent who assumes the responsibility of
life and limb within the bounds of this
division should have conceded to him
not only by the regulations that are in
force. but by the spirit of the service
and the cordial consent of every indi-
vidual in the service that absolute con-
troll for the time. In this way in the
discharge of his duties he cannot es-
cape nor divide the responsibility. ex-
cept as in his discretion he specifically