Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-24
OFFER bRANDE|S JOB
Railroads Willing He Should
Name His Own Salary.
MUST SAVE AS MUCH MORE
His Work to Stop Part Of 81 600, 900
a Day Waste.
CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS
Western Transportation Officials
Skeptica1 as to His Ability to
Trim Expenses.
MUST SAVE AS MUCH MORE
CONFERENCE OF PRESIDENTS

recently made at the railway rate hear
ing in Washington by Louis d. Brandeis,
as attorney for the eastern shippers. that
the railroads of the country through in
efficient management waste million
dollars a day has been answered by west
ern railroad presidents with telegram
offering Mr.. Brandeis a position at his
own salary IL he could point out the al
legged mismana cement
"A salary Of a quarter of million a
year would not be excessive if he could
save twice that much. all told, to us,
said the representative of the presidents.
Conference of Presidents.
The telegram followed conference of
western railroad presidents. in which
Darius Miller, Il. H. Winchell I'll. l.
Nudge and F. A Delano participated
1t was signed by O. l.. Dickson who
was authorized to speak for the western
railroad presidents interested in the cases
before the interstate commerce commits
sion. and read:
Louis d. Brandeis: 1t is reported you
have stated before the Interstate COM
merce commission that American rail-
ways are wasting 81 ,oUo,W0 daily.
IF YOU can point out practical way
BY which substantial portion of this
amount may be saved several western
employment, allowing you to name your
own salary.
This proposition is made to you in
the same spirit of sincerity in which
YOU rendered your statement to the COM
mission
His Comparisons Faulty"
Commenting on the statement made by
Mr.. Brandeis. F. ID. Underwood, presi-
dent of the Erie. says:
Mr.. Brandeis' comparisons are faulty:
they give a guide for the railways the
costs in other branches of business, car
ried on in well defined premises. under
constant supervision, doing one thing.
Conducting railway and repairing
its equipment involve constant renewals
and repairs. both to- new and old material.
widely varying. and so far no one has
been able to make cost sheet so called,
the manufacturer of one or more ar
ticles does with good effect
l. F. Loree, president of the Delaware
and Hudson, says:
IL do not believe the suggestions put
forward by Mr.. Brandeis are likely to be
of value.
The railroad officers have made and
are making untiring efforts i'm evolving
and applying unit tests of efficiency.
The results-and they will compare ia
vorably with those In other lines of bust
ness activity-are that the capital invest
ment involved In the movement of a unit
of traffic has fallen materially since 1882,
while the charge TO the public has been
reduced from II. cents To a shade less
than ] cent
II see no reason why the tendency,
though perhaps not the rate of progress,
should not be continued but far as
it is the result of Intelligent effort and
capital investment il would seem that the
results should primarily belong To the
shareholder rather THAI % the jobber.'
III.
T. p. Shonts, president of the Chicago
and Alton, says:
MIR. Brandeis' deductions coincide so
closely with those expressed by Harring-
ton Emerson in his book on Efficiency as
to lead one to believe Nh Brandeis' re-
marks are in great measure, if not en-
tirely. promised on that work.
That there is waste today i'm every
human enterprise is Universally accepted
by students of economies. Therefore, to
measure the work of man on a basis Of
100 per centum efficiency is fallacy
1t Is "A ttopian condition which can
not be reached in practice, either i'm
agriculture. mining, industrial or trans
portation pursuits. and more especially
by the latter. since tho demands of the
shipping public. backed UP by orders of
various commissions, :tually prohibit it.
IF the gentlemen how discoirsing so
waste We're in a position to guarantee re-
suits they would be in greater demand
than any other set of men i'm the world
because railroads today are looking for
men who can accomplish these things"
Daniel Willard, president of the BaIti-
more and Ohio. says:
There are practically only two ways in
which railroads can reduce operating ex-
penses-one by the purchase and use OF
less material. and the other by the en-
ployment of less labor"
Government Restrictions.
Darius Miller, president of the Bur
lington, says:
The ability of the railroads to econo-
mize rs restricted on the one hand by
certain government regulations and on
the other by the demands of the public
for good service.
If IL were possible to put Mr. Bran
deis' theories into practice the interests
of the railroads would cause them to
adopt methods of. saving independent of
any suggestion"
III. u. Nudge. president or the Rock
Island. says:
IF Mr.. Brandeis would look into our
accounts he would see that we are al
ready doing some of the things he adyo-
Gates i know the Rock Island would
Ike all the assistance il can get in saw
Ing It's share of that 100000 Geo.