Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1911-06-02
The Business Apostle of Peace

Manufacturers Record: Benjamin
F. Bush, the president of the Missou-
ri Pacific Railway, is attracting much
attention in the West, which, judg.
ing from press reports, finds in him
new sort of railroad chief executive
One who, according to public esti-
nation will "make good" He is pro-
nounced for friendly relations be-
tween his company and the public,
saying that such harmony must be
established preliminary to fulfilling
the task before him-the building up
of the great system of which he has
just become the official head, after
most successful term as president of
the Western Maryland. He is quoted
as saying: "The railroads are neces-
sary to the public good, and the peo-
pie and the railroads ought to be
friendly" also, "The first thing is
to know that the people will not be
too hard on us, and that the investors
will get their money back with a rea-
sonable addition
Mr.. Bush puts the situation tersely,
and with force. What he says is
true, and the people generally know
it is the fact, but it is another thing
to check demagogues who start upon
campaigns of railroad batting for the
purpose of currying favor with voters
who may not realize the position of
the companies with respect to financ-
ing improvements and extensions. In
some parts of the country the people
and their representatives have attain
ed realization of the truth, and
wholesale attacks upon the transport
tion companies have ceased, with the
consequence that capital, which is al
ways timid, has been treasured, and
is now finding investment there; but
in other places exactly contrary con-
ditions exist, and it remains difficult
to finance railroad enterprises.
1t is most regrettable that in some
few states such apparent hostility to
railroad companies should continue.
Every year that new lines and i'm
provement are delayed scores a dis
tinct loss to the section of country in
which they are needed, but the loss
cannot be measured by any part of
time; it is incalculable. A years de-
lay in the building of needed rail
road may mean five or ten year set
back for the region which it would
trovorco hmm; uro t;o,, o,J ,ottIo,,,o,,,
may be turned to other section. where
more liberal ideas prevail concerning
transportation enterprises, with the
result that they are settled and made
many times more valuable, while the
others remain in statu quo, or they
may even recede; surely, as compared
with the newly-settled sections, they
are at much greater advantage
than they were previously.
There will be a vast deal of new
railroad required in this country, es-
pecially in the South and Southwest,
within the next five OF ten years, and
clearheaded, progressive men like Mr..
Bush will do all they can to Establish
conditions favorable for securing such
results. They will seek harmony first
to get doWn to an Understandings
working basis-with the people, so
that their work may proceed without
hindrance. Conflicts are to be avoided.
Every good business man knows this,
and will go out of his way to escape
them. They are consumers of time,
energy and money, and when ended
usally leave little, if any, gain to
either side. The wise man in the
workaday world of affairs is an apos-
tie of peace, because he has neither
time nor money to waste in fights
which profit him naught.