The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-07-30

with President Theodore N. VAN and who
nave had opportunity to gain good knowl-l
cage of his intellectual processes and Of
MS broad business craftsmanship are in-
ellned to think that there are certain per-
sonal characteristics of President Elliott.
both intellectual and temperamental,
which strongly appeal to President Vail
because they are qualities which are SINH
iar to those which he has demonstrated as
ms own since he became president of the
telephone and telegraph corporation.
If this view is correct then undoubtedly
President Elliott as chief executive of
the New Haven system will undertake
to carry out in wise, patient and unag-
gressive manner much of the fundamental
railroad philosophy upon which President
G. S. Mellen attempted to build UP a great
New England railway system President
Vail is reported by his friends to have
said often that fundamentally and from
the soundest economic point of view the
principle upon which President Mellen
worked was thoroughly defensible. This
may not mean that President Vail has
been in sympathy with MIR. Mellen's poll
ey in securing a monopoly of the trolley
lines of New England or a monopoly of
the steamboat lines whose vessels ply be-
tween New York and Boston.
But the harmonizing into one organic
railroad system of the various pieeemeal
lines which formerly operated independ-
emily in New England would in the long
run, according to the view of President
Vail, If he has been reported correctly, es-
tablish railway transportation in New
England which would give very adequate
and very economic service TO the business
interests of the community and it would
also compass the construction of one OF
'the best and most satisfactory railroad
systems In the United States.
It has been evident to those who have
been in close touch with some members
of the New Haven directorate since the
resignation of President Melen that the
directors were anxious to secure a man
who has all of the pre-eminently strong
intellectual qualities that President Melen
unquestlonably possesses. but who has
also certain temperamenraI as we'll as in
teilectual gifts which at times during
President Mellen's administration he
seemed to lack There is not director
of the New Haven system who does not
willingly speak with enthusiasm Of the
very high gift of business Imagination
which President Mellen possesses. He
was able to project his Imagination far
into the future, so that with his minds
eye he could see a wonderfully prosperous
industrial community in the New Eng
land states aided in attaining this high
condition by a thoroughly systematized
and soundly economic organic railway sys-
tenn.
But the directors say that this great
gift of President Mellen was somewhat
impaired so far as the practical utilza-
tion of 1t was concerned by certain tenn
peramental defects. They sometimes
thought that he was disposed to be cyni-
cal. They knew that he was often impul-
sive and there were many times when it
Al.
possess the high art of persuading the
public TO his way of thinking They
thought that sometimes he was disposed
to drive. or at least to ignore, the public,
although they knew that he was really
anxious at all times to gain the public
support.
The Support of the Public
President Elliott has much of the power
of imagination which distinguished Pres
ident Melen. But he is not an impulsive
man, although his mind moves quickly,
sometimes seeming to operate upon judg-
ment intuitively, but accurately formed.
He has, however, to wonderful degree
the art of persuading his public to accept
his point of view. This has been one of
his conspicuous triumphs since he became
president of the Northern Pacific. The
people along the line of that railroad for
the most part understand that President
Elliott is in sympathy with them, espe-
cially in their effort sto improve their g.
riculture. not as a matter of policy, but
because he enters with his soul into their
plans and purposes and because if he were
a farmer or manufacturer he would be
animated by exactly the honorable ambi-
tions which are so characteristic of the
great agricultural communities that have
been built along the line of the Northern
Pacific.
A quality of this kind is likely after
while to persuade the people of New Eng
land that the fundamental philosophy of
the New England railway situation is one
which is of benefit to the people instead
of being harmful
The details of reorganization If there
be much of any in the system. the di-
vision and subdivision of responsibility
and labor are matters of minor import.
The great feature to be discovered in the
selection of President Elliott is the mani
festation of the desire of the directors of
the New Haven railroad system to bring
the people of New England into cordial
cooperation with the management of that
company.