Los Angeles herald., 1910-01-24
RAILROADS SEEK
EDUCATED MEN
HUMAN PART OF MACHINE AS
VITAL AS MATERIAL
EXPERT URGES SCHOOLS FOR
DEVELOPMENT
Declares Companies Should Extend
Principles Of Definite Apprentice
ship to Every Department and
Branch of Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-"The time
will come when railroad employ for
every man in the service will not mean
drudgery, nor sinecure, nor accidental
opportunity, but an enlightened, slim
ulating, highly efficient service of high
est earning power, least uncertainty
from accidental causes, largest freedom
for individual initiative, entire self
respect and thoroughly democratic
spirit"
With this prediction ]. Shirley Eaton,
former statistician of the Lehigh Val
ley railroad, concludes lengthy mon
ograph for the United states bureau
of education on Education for Eff
cheney in Railroad Service" which
Commissioner Elmer Il. Brown has
submitted to the secretary of the in
terror
In his letter of transmittal Commits
sioner Brown says the subject of edu-
cational preparation for definite occu-
pations in life, and particularly for the
several trades, is under serious con-
sideration in the United States. Inc
relation of trade education to general
education is one of the important as
poets of that question This relation
was summed up by President Nicholas
Murray Butler of Columbia university
in saying: What science and practl-
cal life alike need is not narrow men,
but broad men sharpened to the point
Surprising Advance Made
"The advonce made in the present
decade in the subject of education for
railroad service is very surprising 10
those who may not be informed, says
Mr.. Eaton. ideas of practical men
on the subject are now less INDEFINITE
and conflicting The relation between
education and efficiency in railroad
service is coming to be generally con-
ceded. The large educational value of
the railroad service itself is being
turned to systematic practical account,
and the value of educational agencies
in preparing for specific industrial Ell
ficiency is better understood.
1.-THE railroad service in the United
States will shortly reach a total OF
2 900 900 men. It is the largest and
most highly organized example OF as
sociate effort in an epoch conspicuous
for Industrial and commercial concern
tration. Education in a broad sense
must always he a large factor.
'In the course of railroad develop
ment there was a first era, which was
the era of railroad building. There
was next an era of coordination OF
the railroad service and finance TO the
commercial and financial conditions as
q whole WITH WHICH IlIC leNiiA OSN" 49,
called on to deal.
Era of Adjustment
"Next came the era of internal adj
iustment on the physical and mechan-
ical side-perfection of the machinery,
cutting down grades. Strengthening
bridges, increasing the train unit. Ana
now has come the era of sociologlcal
adjustment The human part of the
machine is quite as vital as the steel
and wooden part in producing ettl-
cheney and so in increasing the in
come.
1.-THE most practical and efficient
railroad manager today is now square
ly up against the problem, which he
is attacking in one form or another,
of education of himself, his staff, the
individuals in the rank and file ana
the rank and file as a whole. 1t I'M
plies. for instance, an eager, resource
full, self-respecting individualism
throughout the working force, co-or-
dinated with a keen appreciation OF
the social character of the work,
which expresses itself in a loyalty, not
to person or a local group, but to
the income account of the railroad.
These income accounts, showing
steady, healthy growth over several
years. become at the same time the
terms of largest service to the commu-
nifty, the stakeholder and the individ-
ual employe."
Draws Conclusions
tel mo a