When I worked in Disbursement Accounting during the late 60s, it was
literally something out of Dickens. The dreariest office you ever saw. It
would have been modern about 1920. And their procedures were antiquated.
Processing an invoice took weeks. It went from one level to another, even
piddly three and four dollar items had to be signed off by the General
Manager. I felt sorry for the guy having to look and all those immaterial
items. I don't think the Q ever got that accounting function computerized.
BRAD
----- Original Message -----
From: "Marshall Thayer" <zephyr9903@e...>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, September 04, 2002 8:42 AM
Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] Burlington respect
>
> > I think that you are right re Menk. I remember seeing an article in the
> > Chicago Tribune after Menk had been president for a while. One of his
> > comments in an interview was "we're getting rid of that creaky old
> railroad
> > look"....
>
> I'm not arguing against Menk as an individual, and I admit that the
apprenticeship system tended to preserve older and useless practices in some
areas. I recall in the late '50s, visiting the headquarters of my father's
insurance company . . . all chrome and glass and a spanking new Univac
computer. About a year later, we visited Superintendent Horst at the West
Burlington Shops - manual typewriters, the wooden "fence" remarked earlier,
and I even recall a couple of roll-top desks!
>
> On the other hand, railroading is an exceptionally complex industry. It
owns every piece of its equipment and real estate and must maintain and
improve it. Contrast this to American Airlines, who never has to think
about runway maintenance or traffic control systems.
>
> Menk was one of the first "Whiz Kid" presidents, coming into the industry
with no field experience and qualified only by his college degree. I recall
another article where Menk displayed a letter from a woman saying she had
always admired the Burlington Company, and could they send her a sample of
their pantyhose (confusing the railroad with Burlington Mills) - Menk and
his confreres never really understood the link between the public's
perception of the railroad and its business success. Take his crusade
against passenger service. Nowadays, if you ask a person what railroad runs
through their home town (and they have no passenger service), they'll almost
always get it right, and accompany the answer with a comment about having to
wait for the damn' things at crossings. If they *do* have passenger
service, the asnwer will probably be "Amtrak", and like as not, they won't
know the name of the railroad that owns the tracks!
>
> I think we've seen the last of the railroad presidents who have a true
grasp for the complexity of the industry and a feel for how all its facets
interact.
>
> Marshall
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