The Washington herald., 1911-06-18

correspondence. The chief Of staff, tenn
porarily. may be the head dispatcher or
some one other than the senior officer
at headquarters. So authority and infor-
nation and management are passed up
and down the staff, and every man can
work at one desk as well as another.
Il go over a road on which 1 am en-
ployed, lecturing and teaching like a
college professor. No demands are
made that the new system be adopted.
1t is explained and left TO the common
sense of the superintendents. The
scheme has not been written out In
that respect 1t is like the constitution
of Great Britain. l lay down three
fixed and primal requirements. First,
that no man shall sign the name or in
itials of any one else. Second, that all
communications from station agents,
conductors, foremen, and other en-
ployes shall be addressed impersonally to
the superintendent. Third, that an as
in the main Office. We say to a con-
ductor: Here are three brakemen. Put
them where you please, but never neg
lect to have a flagman on the rear car
to protect the train Practically we
use the same language to the superin-
tendents with respect to their assist
ants.
Policy of Hire and Fire Ant1quated.
The superint endents and their STATS
are expected to do their own thinking.
We believe in human nature-eyery-
thing else changes, but 1t doesn't, ex-
cept for the better. Most of the large
questions of the day are not industrial
but sociological The policy of fire and
hire, stopping there and going no fur
ther, is antiquated. The transactions
of yesterday are interesting, but the
transactions of to-day are important.
Stop false motions. Centuries ago mil
itary experts discovered that marching
troops for fifty minutes and letting
them rest for ten minutes would carry
them farther than walking steadily, or
running. Business men can get many
lessons in scientific management from
the army, where the unit, otherwise the
individual man, is dominant in every
scheme of organization. Stars, or spe-
cialists cannot win a baseball or
football game. Victory waits for the
team that plays all together"
'Can the railways of the country"
asked, save 1856, 100000 annually by prac-
teal economies. as has been claimed by
Louis D. Brandeis?"
IT have heard Mr.. Brandeis lecture.
There Is some truth mixed in with his
prophecies. The Frenchman said to the
woman: Madame. all that Is possible has
been done, and all that is impossible will
be DONE"
"The national government" said, 'fs
paying 81, 100000 year in travel expenses
OF public officials
Solely because Of overspecialization."
Maj. Hine answered. THE same sleep
ing car from Washington may carry four
experts bound for the same city on tours
OF investigation-on business pertaining
to the post-office, the customs service,
the national banks, and the land office.
The government ought to be reorganized.
The President should have a chief Of
staff. a prime minister. and should give
up his little wart OF an ONCE next to the
White House and move into the dignified
building of the State. War. and Navy
Thomas Jefferson was
George washington's chief of stan.
Since then our Secretaries OF State have
specialized in foreign affairs.
"a prime minister-call him something
else II that name Is offensive-could as
sist the President. relieve him OF the
irudgery OF details. and give him q
chance to think out great policies for
the general welfare. At the same time,
government by the Presidents private
secretary would be brought to close"
1c0pgrsht. IHll. b. James 3. M0zoul