And in that moment the president felt that his work had gained one little ounce of appreciation.
CHAPTER XI
THE LEGAL AND FINANCIAL DEPARTMENTS
Functions of General Counsel, and Those of General Attorney—A Shrewd Legal Mind’s Worth to a Railroad—The Function of the Claim-agent—Men and Women who Feign Injury—The Secret Service as an Aid to the Claim-agent—Wages of Employees the Greatest of a Railroad’s Expenditures—The Pay-car—The Comptroller or Auditor—Division of the Income from Through Tickets—Claims for Lost or Damaged Freight—Purchasing-agent and Store-keeper.
At the very elbow of the railroad president stands the general counsel. He is shrewd, resourceful, diplomatic. He has quick perception and action, the faith and the loyalty of a friend. In many cases he is a personal officer of the president—in the highest sense. If there is a change of administration of the railroad, there is apt to be a change in the office of the general counsel. If B——, who has been guiding the destinies of the T. & S., goes to Transcontinental, he is apt to take Y——, his general counsel along with him. For except in the case of some exquisitely organized roads like the Pennsylvania, for instance, the general counsel is in every sense personal to the president. He advises him privately, urges him to this step, cautions him from that.
On the other hand, the general attorney is more apt to be the legal officer of the railroad. Like the general counsel he has an old-fashioned pride in his profession that makes him hesitate at accepting a vice-presidency; he likes the ring of “general attorney” or “general counsel” in his own ears. Railroad history and tradition both go to prove that. He will hardly drop those titles for anything less than that of president.
The general attorney, unlike the general counsel, in most cases will make his offices in the railroad’s headquarters. He will handle its litigation, and if in half a dozen years he can bring down its verdict costs from $1,250,000 to $750,000 for an average twelve month, as one man did, he will be well worth the large salary that he demands and gets. And his salary will be only one of many of the heavy expenses of the legal department. When that functionary asks for money he gets it and without many questionings. The operating department, the traffic department, the engineers, may have to give sharp account for their appropriations; the legal end of the railroad is trusted to accomplish accurate results, without detailed accounting. In some cases it might prove embarrassing.