Page:Hine (1904) Letters from an old railway official.djvu/167

 wise investments in influence, we are grading the way to disaster. We are preparing to pay out later in wrecking, personal injuries, maintenance and renewal of equipment, much more than the expense of anticipating future needs by keeping our men employed and contented. No amount of engine and car inspection can overcome inherent defects due to careless workmanship. Will the track walker who knows not when he will be laid off prevent as many disasters as he whom we find time to tell in advance what tenure to expect? We can overdo this matter of running our railroad too strictly in accordance with the auditor’s statistical blue print. As surgery the operation is a great success, but unfortunately the patient dies.

We have divided responsibility sufficiently when we furnish both the conductor and the engineman a copy of the train order. If it is desirable for the brakemen and the fireman to be informed, we should furnish a copy to each man in the crew. What is everybody’s business becomes nobody’s business. Even if it were practicable it is undesirable, this idea of showing the orders to every member of the crew. It would seem better to have three