Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 May 1912 — NEW TYPE OF STATION AGENT [ARTICLE]

NEW TYPE OF STATION AGENT

Big Eastern Railroad Una Is Trying Plan of According to Him Enlarged Powers. The St. Louis and San Francisco la working out an interesting plan for enlarging the authority and responsibility of its station agents. The plan is based on the idea that this class of employees can be trained to do more useful work for the railway, while at the same time improving their own condition and opportunities for advancement, by making them the representatives of the company in all matters regarding which they may show themselves capable of acting for 1L At most railway stations the agent is the only resident representative of the company, and for that reason he frequently becomes charged with responsibilities beyond his power to act. It is the belief of the management of the Frisco, says the Railway Age Gazette, that by making him In a larger sense a business man, with broad authority, In accordance with the practice of large business institutions in other lines, a good agent will be found capable of handling' many matters that now require the attention of a superior office or a special representative.

The first part of the plan was put into effect last year, after the Frisco adopted the plan of transferring to the operating department the function of making settlements of claims. On August 1 the agents at all stations were authorized to from station funds claims for visible loss and damage In the case of both carload and less than carload freight, with certain exceptions, and within the limit of SSO for any one claim. This feature of the plan is no longer an experiment, but has so demonstrated its practicability and advantages that It is now regarded as a permanent arrangement, and at a recent conference of the beads of departments it was decided to extend its scope.