National Forest Organization 591 



usually a one-man power. The staff type is just the reverse of 

 this. Here the manager is supreme in command, but he is advised 

 by experts at every step." 



The action in the military type is like throwing a stone in 

 a pool of water. The initial disturbance radiates out in suc- 

 ceeding waves, the last one gently lapping the shore. It is the 

 military type that has been advocated in some parts of the Govern- 

 ment work. The system has sometimes been called "pass-the- 

 buck." 



One serious drawback to the staff system is the chance for 

 conflict of authority, which is not possible in the military scheme. 

 However, the military type has so many obvious faults that more 

 than balance the definite authority that it is becoming less used 

 all the time. 



In many respects, railroad problems resemble those of the 

 Forest Service, in the great distances involved especially. There 

 have been two radically different systems developed by different 

 roads, the divisional type and the departmental type. The Divi- 

 sion Superintendent, in the words of Mr. Ray Morris in "Railroad 

 Administration," is: "a little king over his domain. He does not 

 solicit traffic nor does he collect or disburse funds, nor is he a 

 lawyer, nor primarily an engineer, but everybody actually em- 

 ployed on the division reports to him on questions of current 

 operation." 



Under the department scheme, there is also a separation into 

 divisions, but the division superintendent is not in absolute con- 

 trol over all activities. He must take up various questions first 

 with the chief engineer, the superintendent of motive power, the 

 master mechanic, and various other experts. Department, in rail- 

 road parlance, refers to a certain group of functional operations 

 gathered together under one office. The division superintendent 

 simply operates the trains, and the departments look after track 

 maintenance, bridges, engine repairs, etc. Responsibility is 

 divided and not always clearly defined. 



Concerning responsibility, the following is quoted from Mr. 

 Arthur Hale: "They (the men not directly under the division 

 superintendent, as mechanics, division engineers, etc.) should re- 

 port to the division superintendent everything excepting matters 

 relating to standard designs and methods. It has always been re- 

 cognized that standard designs must come under the members 



