The Washington herald., 1911-06-18

say of names, say also Of initials, the
writing Of which on an order or memo
randum Is likewise a forgery. But apart
from the legal and economic aspects OF
this national abuse of power. 1t is un-
ethical and iIl-mannered to write another
mans name on paper. Names are sacred
more so than property, because they be-
llong to character.
"'Oh,' some railroad superintendent, or
governor, or other public official will say,
I can trust my head clerk. He is safe
and sensible fellow. Why. am acquaint-
ed with his father. Besides, 1 always
know what is going on in my office.
Nevertheless the whole proceeding, which
1 may call legalized counterfeiting, vio-
lates the fundamental canons Of busi-
ness. It is feudal, TO start with, and be-
gins at the very top OF the organization,
whether the organization is railroad, a
great manufacturing concern, or the ma
tionaI government. And the top and not
the bottom is where modern reorganiza-
ton. is needed.
I'VE have followed the superintendent
out on the line, where he goes IN his
special car on a tour of inspection" Mai.
Hine continued Now, let us return
with the master mechanic VINO has come
in from up the road on a train that was
behind its schedule. The engine was all
right he will say to the superintendent.
No blame can attach to my department
Pressed, he explains that the train
dragged at the stations, and that the
steam seemed short at a certain long
grade which he mentions. Even so. but
IL he had complained to the conductor
his interference would have been re-
sented, because the conductor is a subor-
dinate of the trainmaster and not OF
the master mechanic. Furthermore, the
conductor would have reported the Incl
dent to the trainmaster, and the train
master, by the process of human nature,
would have defended his particular
branch of the service. He would have
taken the position that the master me-
chanic had attacked his management.
Such a clash between feudal lords is not
good for railroad or factory.
Typical Case Of OverspeciaIization.
Logically. under the ancient plan of
doing the big business of the country,
managers and superintendents become
specialists. We specialize; it is one of
the requirements Of civilization. A man
cannot be great physician and a great
merchant simultaneously. My preach
ments are against overspecialization,
which hands the task along to the other
fellow, and, as / have often said, side
steps responsibility. In this hotel, when
I pay my bill, I cannot have bell
boy carry my travelling bag to the ONCE.
telephone the clerk and he tells the bell
boy. The bellboy tells the head porter,
and the head porter sends me one of
his assistants. Such circumlocutIon in
hotels, Of course, is contrived so that
fees may be properly distributed, and
that travellers may pay the wages of
the employees. Still It is typical of all
our methods of doing business, and is
one Of the factors entering into the
causes of dear living.
"A man in wagon stops at q farm
er's house to purchase eggs. He carries
the eggs to a village. The merchant
there sends them to a dealer in city.
The dealer places the eggs in cold stor-
age. In course of time the eggs reach
the consumer from the grocery keeper
on the nearest corner. Many special
lists have added their profits between the
poultry yard and the kitchen, and the
eggs are stale in the bargain. Yet we
boast of our intelligence and point to
our machinery as witnesses Of our time
saving. labor-saving. and money-saying
ingenuity.
'sThe American people are eminent as
inventors. but they are lacking in ca
pacity as executors. They are bound up
IN red tape and are not economical In
applying their obsolete methods. More