Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-27


BY casting about for the best system on
which is 70 be built the national railroad
system Of the United Colonies Of South
Africa. the authorities Of the federation
found the operation system OF the Union
Pacific railroad nearer perfection than any
examined and decided TO adopt Il. Word to
that effect has reached the New York Of
fees Of the company and forms the text
OF an informing letter By Holland" New
York correspondent Of leading eastern pa
pers. Among other statements OF local in
terest the writer mentions the new head
quarters building in Omaha, on the com
pletion OF which "ail the general operating
offices OF the Union Pacific system will be
consolidated there"
Describing the origin Of the system and
it, success up 10 the present, Holland"
| writes; Although only a little over two
years have passed since President p. H.
Hartman and Vice President Kruttschnitt
adopted this reorganization scheme, follow
ing the suggestions OF Major Charles Hlne
who has long been on the staff Of the
Union Pacific directory OF maintenance and
operation. the results already obtained have
been even more satisfactory than were
deemed probable at the time the plan was
adopted.
For example, approximately, $4,000 let
ters we're eliminated last year from the cor
respondence carried on between officers
and subOrdinates OF the Union Pacific, and
II is expected that within another year an
amount once again as large will have been
further reduced.
| The reorganization OF the Union Pacific
has made It possible TO perfect eight units
OF operation and direction each under a
vice president and general manager, all Of
whom are under Vice President Krutt-
schnitt at Chicago. These units are the
Union Pacific at Omaha, tho Oregon Short
line at salt Lake City, the Oregon Railroad
& Navigation Co, which Is divided into
three districts, with vice president and
general manager at Portland, Seattle and
Spokane; the Southern Pacific at san
Francisco, the Arizona Eastern and South
ern Pacific OF Mexico at Tucson, Ariz., and
the sunset-Central line at Houston, Tex.
At Omaha, Portland and Seattle the unit
system has been adopted in the general
offices, and so far there have been twenty
three railroad divisions placed under the
new system.
One Of the fundamental evils OF modern
railway organization has been that 80
f@--Aa HSAeAhAA dNb permitted 70 E1gn
communications, many OF which the supe
riors never see. 1t often happens there
fore, that a 81, 800 clerk will write instruc-
tons to one Of the higher executive Off
GERS, and this has always been a source
OF humiliation. One purpose OF the Hine-
Krcttschnitt plan was to put an end to
this custom in the Union Pacific
There are three principal features OF the
reorganization plan so far as IL affects
all division officers. The first of these
features is that there must always be an
| assistant superintendent in charge of a
division office Second, that no one shall
be permitted 10 sign letter OF instruction
or advice except the man whose name is
appended to this communication. No one
Ia permitted to sign for instance. for the
assistant superintendent. Third, the clerks
and al others are instructed To address
communications impersonally. that is to
say, to the office and not to the indi-
vidual ~
All officers IN charge Of general division
offices are given the uniform title OF as
sistant superintendent. II was early dis
covered that this equalization OF titles fos-
tered spirit Of cooperation and, in
stead OF tending 70 suppress individuality,
served to increase the sense of personal in
AANNA1o anu dulHOIltNt LnIOuRn lack OF
envy and jealousy and the feeling that
each man stood on an equality with every
other,
The grade OF assistant general manager
has also been created This makes Il possl-
| BILE to dispense with long used titles. For
instance, the titles Of general superin-
| tendent or Of chief engineer and superln-
tendent Of the motive power. or OF super
intendent Of transportation, are given up
and these officers are each given the title
OF assistant general manager, again
placing them upon an equality.
When the new general office now under
construction at Omaha is completed, all
OF the general operating offices Of the
Union Pacific system will be consolidated
there. The reorganization has IN one re-
spect followed the example set by the
courts OF many OF the states For instance,
there is in each Of these states a supreme
court consisting often OF one central body
and Of various subdivisions one clerk Is
the central recording authority Of the SUI
preme court; but he has assistant clerks
In the subordinate courts. The Union Pa
cific system has now concentrated in
like manner into one office what hereto
fore has been large number OF independ-
emit offices Of records.
|
These are some OF the general features
OF the original and unique plan which
the Union Pacific railway system has put
into operation. IL is believed that when
this reorganization is ultimately perfected
80 far as to include the entire system Il
will point the way TO great improvements
In the Arrangements OF the larger indus
trial corporations of the United States, as
well as railways. Those who are familiar