Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-09-09
THE YOUNG MANS CHANCES.

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the young man of today does not have
the chance that was open in former
years. W. 9. Brown. a former How :
ard county boy, now vice president of
the New York Central, does not look
at tie matter in that light, and the
following article from his pen in the
New York Herald will be of interest
Ninety nine per cent of the men in
charge of the highest branches of rail
road operation today are men who
came up from the ranks, advancing
step along the straight, hard road and
not by any short cuts.
Today the chances for advancement
of the workmen in the ranks are i'm
measurely greater than when these
men were climbing upward.
Today there are more division
superintendent than there were con-
ductors in those days; there are more
general managers than there were
superintendent and more presidents
than there were general managers.
And, because of his pracricality. the
workingman is the man to whom
these increased opportunities beckon."
These statements were made to the
Herald by William @. Brown, senior
vice president of the New York Cen.
trail lines. who thirty mine years ago
began his railroad career as section
hand. By hard work. untiring in
dustry and making a business of
every task that came to his hand, this
man today occupies position as one
of the nations foremost railroad
authorities.
To every workman, especially in
the present conditions affecting the
railroads, his career reflects the truth
of the rule that the best interests of
the individual workman lie in his
cordial cooperation with the inter-
ests of his employers
Of recent years Mr.. Brown has been
prominent in the public eye because
of his extended statements dealing
with the situation faced by the rail-
roads. He has pointed out through
analytical figures that 10 per cent
increase in freight rates would remedy
the trouble, add but mere fraction
Of l per cent to each yard or pound of
commodities generally used by the
consuming public. and avert the
curtailing of the peoples purchasing
power by the acknowledgements
of wage scales.
THAT the workingmen. especially
the railway employee, is vitality in.
terested in this present impossible
condition. which forms the most
pressing problem facing the country
TODAY. is apparent. said Mr.. Brown.
"Of the population OF the United
States today more than one-fortieth is
composed Of men who are employed by
the railroads. Put in another way.
approximately one tenth of the adult
male population are railway employees.
These men are thinking, earnest men,
as rule, and they can be counted up
on to the man in any great public
crisis They judge problems for
themselves and seldom is their jLdg-
ment very far from right
My Initial statement proves how
the chances of advancement have in
creased immeasurably. Now if you
take corresponding increase in all
other grades of railroad service, aside
from tire positions mentioned. you
will get some idea of the magnitude
Of this business field alone and Of the
constantly multiplying chances of mp
ward progress that it offers. In the
first place, wages are double today to
each man what they were for the same
hours of work thirty years ago. That
very fact equips each workman, no
matter how seemingly humble his
pre- emit task, with greater initial
assets with which to make his way in
the world contest.
"Another factor that makes for
rapid promotion is that the demand
for men who accomplish things is
greater than ever before. The bust.
ness mechanism grows bigger and
more complicated with every turn of
the clock That growth constantly
creates more places that must be filled
by men who have proved themselves.
The tension is greater, too, and no
longer do men stay at their jobs until
hey are simply played out More
energetic men are crowding them
every hand and the incompetent and
indolent soon are forced aside.
"It is the practical man who is
wanted in these responsible posts that
demand men who do things. The
problems to be solved lave become
more formidable. They require the
utmost of skill and knowledge for
their solution. The day has passed
when q railway director cOuId walk