The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-15


George the other day to Prehendary
Wilson Carlile, head of the church
army.
Time was when an English king had
no praise for hard work OF any work
at all. For centuries it was a pose
of English aristocracy to show con-
tempt for labor and for what was called
"going into trade. -
Simultaneously with the kings COM
ment on work, comes the announcement
that the Great Eastern Railway COM
pany Of England has decided TO employ
an American as its chief executive Of
ficer. Lord Claude Hamilton, chairman
of the Great Eastern board, stated that
his company had been obliged to go to
the United States for new general
manager and had selected Henry Thorn
ton, general superintendent Of the Long
Island railway, for the position. In
making the announcement his fordshIp
thought it fitting to comment on the
dearth of proficient men for the more
prominent positions on British rail
ways.
~ think there is something wrong
in tho British system, he SAID, which
tends to interfere with the mental ac
tivity of employees, They are reduced
10 automata. as merit is sacrificed to
seniority. | have not heen able TO find
in England man fit for the post, but
in Mr.. Thornton have found a general
manager admirably qualified and whose
career has been one succession of intel
lcctual triumphs. -
Lord Claude s enthusiasm seems to
be triflc excessive, but is probably
due to the fact that after long and fu-
tile search in England for the man he
wanted, he was unable to restrain his
delight when he found in America
man exactly qualified for the work.
Reasoning from the comments of
King George and of Lord Claude Ham
itoD, 1T is perhaps possible to detect
some of the causes of British inefi-
cheney in the industrial field. These
causes might be listed rs follows;
IN Th, &C k.o, aIu I.j
classes III England for trade and in
dnstry. (2) The sacrifice of merit to
seniority go Worlemcn are reduced
to mere automata aud do NOT acquire
initiative or inventiveness.
Great changes have occurred in the
English point Of view on this subject
within the last fifty years but it can
not be said that labor and trade have
risen to the diguifed position in Eng
land that they occupy in the United
States. On this side Of the ocean it is
the general view that the nation 8
wealth, prosperity and stability depend
upon the work of all classes. This doc
trinc has been of measureless benefit
in an age when industry has become
more gigantic and more intensive than
ever before in the world s history. The
doctrine was adopted before this age
began and American people were pre-
pared by the doctrine TO cope with a
mighty industrial civilization. On ihc
other hand, the nations Of Europe, br
their false views of human dignity and
by their apparent forgetfulness Of the
Carpenter of Nazareth were not as well
equipped TO deal with the Industrial
evolution.
In the reign Of the third George, the
aristocrat who dcspiscd labor and trade
bottles Of wine he could drink before
he fell under the table Naturally II
has required the arguments Of phil
osophers, the songs Of the bards, anC
the pleadings Of the preachers Il
change this situation, but gradually
England is being brought TO the bettei
view.
In the first quarter of the nineteenth
century, the English were contempt
ously described by Napoleon as "a ma
tion Of shopkeepers. The vain anc
foolish took the criticism much t.
heart, but the wise saw that Napoleon
bad pointed ont the secret OF ENGLAND :