New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1919-07-11
VETERAN MANAGER DISCUS.
SES RAILROAD PROBLEM

re Railway IS one OF the roads that
during Federal control has earned
more than the cost of operation. 1t
is one of the largest roads in Amer
ica, built up under the careful and
businesslike management of E. P.
Ripley that became president in
1895. Mr.. Ripley is to-day leading
figure in the railroad world, because
of his practical ability and broad
understanding of transportation.
Recently Mr.. Ripley addressed
City Club of Chicago and discussed
the present transportation problems.
Part of this address is here repro
duced as it is of interest what the
practical and successful railroad
manager has to suggest.
"One of the many problems that
is troubling the American public to-
day is service. There is trouble with
service everywhere there is trouble
with service in the shop, in the fac
tory, in the trades, in the club, The
trouble everywhere is that there is
practically no service, or that eivice
is inefficient; that II is not half
what il used to be. | think the real
trouble is that there is no master.
| think the work done under
master is always the best work. 1t
is not derogatory to anybody to have
master, Every one interested in
the accomplishments of any concern.
whatever may be the business of
such concern, is responsible to some
one as master Everybody must
account to somebody for his actions
Today we seem to have gotten away
from that, to such an extent that
every one is a law unto himself To
this extent we are Bolshevists, and
are initiating Russia. 1t is this dis
organization which accounts for the
lack Of service and the actual lack
of production
81 noticed that the bulletin board
saws What shall we do
with the Railroads? :" | find it a
good deal easier to criticize plans
that have been suggested than to
offer plans of my own. Almost
everybody in Congress and think
almost every body out Of Congress
has an idea as to the plan which
should be operative"
Mr. Ripley discussed briefly sew
eral of the plans proposed by various
interests from the proposal that the
buy the railroads and
form a directorate of which the em-
ployes should be in the majority. to
the Warfeld plan, representing the
security holders.
Mr. Ripley also discussed the pow
erS OF the Interstate Commerce Com
mis- sion and the increase of power
given it by the Esch- Pomcrene bill
now before Congress. In closing
Mr. Ripley said:
1--WE shall probably be obliged to
take over the railroads not later than
January lst next but we can not
take them back under the conditions
as they have existed heretofore. 1
With the Interstate Commerce Com /
mission regulations there must ac-
company more onsibility for the
payment of our bills, which have T
been enormously increased by con
cesSions to labor II is a bad situa-
tion and | would be glad if any one
ran show me a way out of it, II is
much easier to criticize the plans OF
others than to make new plans for
others to criticize, and the question
IS often asked me what | would do
il | could do just as liked. That is
always embarrassing because | do
not know to what length | would go
Il | could do as | liked. But il has
seemed to me that while the Inter
state Commerce Commission ought ]
10 be in charge of regulations it ought I
D be shorn of its functions of prosecut-
Or, Judge and jury. II ought not to be
permitted to prosecute an individual
for some infraction OF the
aw and at the same time pass on
he guilt of such railroad and fix
he penalty There ought to be
to whom appeal may be
lad. Ny thought has been that while
he Interstate Commerce Commits
zion should perhaps exist as here
ofore there ought to be body of
hree or five people, appointed by
he President and acting for the
people of the United States, hold
ng almost the same rank as judges
If the Supreme Court, and receiving
ialaries that would make it an OBJ
ect for the best class of men. who
'uOulu HdNt dDsOiuit itkdi pO"ti
over anything presented either by
he railroads, or by the Commission,
md to whom decisions of the Com
mission could be appealed either by
hipper, or by railroad. A body like
hat ought to be appointed for at
east ten years-l5 years would be
,etter in my opinion-and ought to
,e independent of politics and ought
o be the final body to protect the
American people from any injury
hat might be done by the railroads,
md the railroads from the injury
hat has been done them hereto
ore and which may be done them
lgain by ill-considered partisan le-
yislation. have made no effort to
introduce a plan Of that kind ex-
.ept by correspondence with friends
md people in Washington, but hope
hat something of that sort can be
lone. I am sick and tired of perpe-
ual lawsuits. We have been at law
With the people of the United States
or the last thirty years. II has not
esulted in anything but bad feel
ng and there is no occasion for Vt
81 - "a