The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-02-28
UNWISE RAILROAD DIRECTORS.
Anti-Social Measures Of Some Compa'
mics Condemned by the Judicious.

| AlCo SSiANAAAitSN W NiAG J AaASASAS'
The ablest and most efficient prac-
ticable operation of the individual lines
will require the building up by the va
rious companies Of the strongest pos
sible organizations. This, in turn, will
require that all appointments to and
promotions in the organizations shall
be based upon the experience and abil-
ity of the men appointed or promoted.
This has been the usual, but not the
universal, practice upon American rail-
ways. There always have, been some
cases where favoritism in different
forms has played part, and OF course
wherever it has played part the re-
suits have been harmful
When government operation was
adopted the government took into its
service most of the able railway man
ayers, although il made the mistake
Of excluding from It's organization nu-
merous men whose experience, training
and ability were such that it should
have spared no effort to secure their
services With the return to private
operation approaching. most of the able
men who have served the government
are being invited to return to the serv-
ice of the companies. The net result
Of the developments probably will be
that after the railways are returned
the official personnel of most roads will
be as strong a., or stronger than. it
ever was.
There are some cases however for
tunately, not many of them-where in
the building of the new organizat lions
other considerations than experience
proved ability seem to be important
factors. These cases are attracting
much attention in the railroad world
and are being made the objects of criti-
cism by railway officers, high and low.
The motives and acts of railway direc.
tors and executives should under pres
ent conditions be as much above sus-
picion as Cooper insisted that the vir-
tues of his wife must be- ANY failure
on the part OF directors and executives
in rebuilding their organizations to act
exclusively on the principle OF endeav-
oring 10 secure for their stockholders
and the public the most efficient opera
tion and the best service will react in
juriously, not only upon the manage
ments of individual railways, but on
the railways as whole
The management Of most companies
seem to realize that the highest degree
of cooperation between the various
railways as well as the highest measure
OF ability in the management Of the in
dividual properties will be requisite 20
the success of private operation But
unfortunately there are some manage
ments which apparently have been so
filled with resentment By certain meth
DDS which have been adopted under
government operation that they are
disposed to disregard or deny the need
for a greater degree OF corporation
than. that which formerly existed under
private operation. and to return 10
many of the extreme competitive and
practices which formerly |
prevailed. Some of them apparently
would be in favor of abolishing all |
contrsl OF the distribution |
Of freight cars. all joint operation of |
terminals. all consolidated city ticke; /
offices. aud Of re-establishing all the |
outside traffic agencies which former
" existed 4 large majority Of rail
way officers seem to have learned some \
important lessons from the experience
Of the last three years. but some APP
narently have not. From the Railway
Age.