The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-01-29

1000 900 men. II is the largest and
most highly organized example Of as
sociate effort in a. epoch conspicuous
for industrial gnd commercial concen-
tration. Education IS a broad sense
must always be large factor.
sIn the course Of railroad develop
ment. there was a first era. which was
the era OF railroad building. There
was the next an era OF coordination
Of the railroad service and finance
to the commercial and financial eondi.
tions as a whole with which the rail
roads were called upon to deal.
Next came the era Of internal ad-
iustments on the physical and mechan-
ical side-perfection Of the machinery
cutting down grades. strengthening
bridges. increasing the train unit
And now has come the era OF sociol-
ogical adjustment. The human part
Of the machine is quite as vital as the
steel and wooden part in producing
efficiency and so in increasing the in
come.
THE most practical and efficient
railroad manager today is now
squarely up against the problem
which he is attacking in one form or
another, OF education. of himself, his
stan, the individuals in the rank and
file, and the rank and file as whole.
This is the last and highest and
most comprehensive stage Of the func-
ton of administration. 1t implies, for
instance, an eager. resourceful, self
respecting individualism throughout
the working force, co-ordinated with
keen appreciation of the social char
acter Of the work, which expresses it
self in a loyalty not to a person or
local group, but to the income ac-
count of the railroad-nor yet to one
income account, but to the aggregate
I of the income accounts of several
years. These income accounts, show
ing steady, healthy growth over sew
eral years, became at the same time
the terms of largest service to the
community, the stockholder, and the
individual employee.
"A note OF warning may at this
time seem to be premature, but GER
tain tendencies are already fore
shadowed which should not go UNI
checked. When the railroad manager
come fully to realize how his new
found tool Of education enables him
to shape almost absolutely to his pur-
poses the working body, there may
4 arise the dangers that railroad spe-
cialization in education be carried too
/ far.
'If the railroads, when they come
very generally to instruct their EN-
ployees, turn their back upon the pro-
fessionaI teacher, severely diyorcing
their work in subject-matter and in
method form and at the same time
substituting it for the work of the
regular established educational agen-
cies OF the grammar school and high
school grades, the result can only be
what the psychologist calls arrested
development for the learner.
Railroads as whole, through q
representative body such as the Amer
ican Railway association, should in a
comprehensive way take up the mat
/ ter of the education Of railroad EN-.
ployees. AS they now have commit
/ tees devoted to standards of eonstruc-
tion, maintenance, and operating prac-
4 tice, they should also have a standing
committee of character to command
confidence, who should sedulously fos.
ter closer relation between the rail-
road and educational agencies"
Mr. Eaton draws these conclusions:
Railroad financial arrangements
should incorporate an educational
scheme as a definite part Of their po-
Icy on the ground of business pru-
denee. Such policies should be in
augurated for periods of not less than
five years, preferably ten, otherwise
thr money appropriated will be large,
ly wasted.
Railroads should extend the prin-
ciples of definite apprenticeship to ev.
cry department of the service, and
should provide for two or more grades
of apprentices in order to take ac-
count of differences in capacity and
work done elsewhere, either in proper
" accredited schools or by experience
and leading to different grades Of ser
vice.
"There should be formal provision
for movement among departments un-
der proper conditions. and the comfy