PLENTY OF RAILWAY TALENT IN ENGLAND

Evening Star, Issue 15478, 28 April 1914, Page 9

PLENTY OF RAILWAY TALENT IN ENGLAND

Lord Claud Hamilton’s unfortunate assertion that he had to go to the United States for a general manager for the Great Eastern Railway, because it was impossible to find a suitable man in England, continues to meet with strong condemnation from those who are in a position to speak with authority. Presiding at tno annual meeting of the Great Western Company on February 27, Sir Gilbert Claughton said he was afraid that Lord Claud s remarks referred more immediately to his own road. They certainly did not apply to th© North Western, _ for not only did the directors appreciate the talent of their staff, but they took care to know where it existed in a special degree. Not only were they proud that so many such men flocked to their service, but, for the reason that it was wise to have only one general manager at a time, they had cheerfully spared of the talent and given of their best to the other great railway _ systems. Who knew this better than Sir Robert Turnbull, who had been tutor, friend, and godfather to more first-rate general managers than any man living in England or in any other country. The difficulty of their board was not to find excellence, but to choose the best out of so many. And at the South Western’s annual meeting Mr W. H. Drummond said: [‘We have as fine a lot of young men in training, both on this and other lines in this country, As it is possible to find anywhere. Every chief officer should have on© or more young men in training to take up any responsible position. My first instruction to Mr Walker (the general manager) the first day he took up his position was: ‘ Look out for a man to succeed you; perhaps not very complimentary, perhaps not very cheery, butI know that ho agrees with me that it was sound.’ ”