Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-07-02

Who did not receive their training Ii
the United States. Most IL then
spenf years in working their sas q
the TOP Of the ladder before COMING
% Mesica. while others came herr
earlier and with The spirit Of advance
nlent 80 typical to the American rail-
reader. pushed themselves forward
by hard work until today they hold
high salaried positions at the head
Of railroads y n the head % depart
menfs.
Only q small percentage Of Aneri
esns employed IN the various railroad
DEPARTMENTS In Mexico were given pa
sitions here and Instructed 10 their
work without having had any former
experience. In The various office de
partmsnts the majority Of the stenog
raphers aud clerks with special work
10 do. are mostly young Americans
WIN have had several years Of expert
eace before coming 10 Mexico. In The
train service departments the con
daetors, engineers. the trainmasters,
the roadmaster. the superintendent
train dlspatchers and q part Of the
telegraph operators are Americans
who have had years OF experience 10
their respective departments before
coming TO Mexico. In these depart.
ments especially there are few Young
men most Of Them having BEEN nj
the service for many years.
The salaries paid to these employees
are In the main higher than Ii paid
In the United States and the rules
and regulations laid down are much
less axaciiug than on the railroads ol
the north. The Mexican lines do an
enormous amount n business .whef
MI things are considered. but the
business IN small In comparison with
that done hy the greater lines ut the
United States. hence. the operation
nf trims aud the work of nil depar.
ments Ii much less complicated. The
officials, NJ q rule, are quite ieniaas
In Mexico. and are not wont 10 dis.
charge Mn enplose for n slight In.
fraction uf u rule for which HI would
probably be- LEI ont Of the service on
American line. The last state.
inent however. must no be taken n
''i~an that there Is any laxity here
TINT makes the railroads less service.
able or makes travelling more danger.
than In any country on earth.
On ali the railroads there Is a
very large percentage of MeSicans
employed In all departments. lip to
the present time only a few Mexicans
risen 10 an official rank. al.
though somle Of the most Trustworthy
have been given positions Of great
responsibility, and the number is In.
croasing gradually. The Mexican EN-
are. as q rule. paid less than
the Americans In every department Of
the service. This can be readily ac
counted for by the fact thar the
Americans employed are what Is
termed specialists In their respective
work and a demand o wages,
and also the Americans In accepting
work In idextco must be paid addition.
al for going into q foreign country.
The merit system Is probably no
stronger any place than In Mexico
The officials here watch the work OF
their employees and the ones showing
a desire and ability to push forward
are helped along as vacancies ecu
The rise of some men Ia the service
Of Mexican railroads has been re.
markable. but when the record Of
such me Il summed up. II Ii founi
their success Ii due mostly to
perseverance and hard work. For re-
sponsible positions II Is the general
plan 10 promote q faithful employe II
one Il to be had. but when such Is
not the case. the appointee must
rome from the United States.
Another feature that Ii attractive
to the railroad man m Mexico whn
Il working on 4 monthly salary Il.
that he Il not required to work the
extra hours and handle more than
one man Ii really able to III Il RI
anired Oh some of the railroads III
the Upifed States. The employees
ate, an i rule, very vel treatad. an.
4 harmonious condition exists no.
among the employees of one rail-
road. hnt among all. One prominent
railroad man recently expressed thf
sit1ation In the following words:
We are Ill one big family Ii Mex
lea. that Il i family without family
rows. The best of feeling prevails
~ all aides and there Il d general
progress evident on all sides.
Mexico. Is BIZ no mean the Mecca
for RAILROAD men Who have been found
wanting ii the United States. and no
evidence of this can be had
than the appointment 81 officials o.
Mexican railroads to important post
tons On the lines Of the United
States snd also the employment Of