The sun., 1918-09-08

was drafted into the national service to
be fuel administrator of the State Of
New York.
1t has been extremely gratifying to
railroad officials in New York to note that
Uncle Sam has recruited so many of the
best of his new aids from tie ranks of
railroad men. But the general public is
not yet aware of the great changes that
have resulted in American railroading,
and of what these changes portend.
A new type of railroad man is coming
"A type that even the United States has
not been familiar with; in other words,
a more efficient railroad man than has
heretofore been known.
The national administration is calling
the very pick of the great railroad opera
tors and executive chiefs. 1t is going to
let them return to their respective po-
sitions after The war is over, with vastly
enhanced capacity for public service.
"The Administrators control of the rail-
roads," said well known railroad man,
with its training in coordination of effort
and unificaton of control will result in
such high degree of efficiency on the
part of the directing heads that when the
roads are turned back to the property
owners for management after victory has
been won they will be worth far more in
material value to the stockholders and
will be of far greater value to the public
as utilities.
Many Serving Without Pay.
"The roster of railroad executives right
here in New York who have been fur
Laughed or definitely transferred from
their own roads to new governmental
activities-principally fuel, food and rail-
road administrations long and notable.
Railroad presidents, vice presidents, traf-
tic and operating managers have entered
the Government service-some with, some
without pay, some taking on the duties
of their new positions in addition to their
former duties and so doing double work
all actuated by patriotism.
"As directly affecting both the present
and the future usefulness and value of the
railroads, two benefcent things are now
being secured in a degree hitherto I'M
known. The first is the magnificent coop
Grafton the railroad operators are receiv-
ing from their subordinates, freight and
passenger agents and service men of all
degrees. The second is the cooperation
which is growing between the railroads
and the public. This latter is chiefly in
the field of freight traffic. 1t has been Sc
cured, in many instances virtually under
compulsion, but now that the shippers and
receivers, as well as the carriers, have be-
gun to realize the good results that come
of this cooperation, they are giving il
with spontaneous good will that i:
heartening in the extreme.
"Specfc instances of the way in which
the public is cooperating with the Rail
road Administration, and of the new unity
of effort between railroad executives ant
their employees, will best illustrate wha
mean.
RAILROAD men were very much in thu
dark for considerable time as to wha
would be required of them. The disrup
ton of the old routine in PRACTICAL,
every department of railroading conse
quent upon the change of administrative
control made it necessary for the respon
sibe officials of every road to act TO
months with certain degree of caution
lest they do something prejudicial to Gov
eminent needs.
Necessarv to Work Out New Plan,
"When at last the policy of the Rail
road Administration was defined it be
came necessary for the operating official
to find themselves, so to speak, to estat
lish new routine and lay down all sort
of new regulations. Under Federal cor
troll, the operating department of til
roads is separate from the corporation