Repository: UIHistories Project: Dedication - Transportation Building Dedication Addresses [PAGE 101]

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The development of our country will demand, in order to meet its requirements, the addition of thousands of miles of track, together with the equipment and facilities necessary to operate them. Laws and regulations have

been and constantly are being imposed by state and nation upon railroads, which give rise to many new conditions. The increase in population, with the consequent increase in the value of property, as in our growing cities, add their share to the difficulties encountered. These

and many other conditions indicate that the engineer of the future should aim not only to be familiar with strictly engineering problems, but also to keep in touch with the desires of the public and endeavor to comply with them, and at the same time obtain the best results from a railroad standpoint. Special attention should be paid to the less important duties that one would naturally be called upon to perform when entering the service. For example, if enter-

ing the maintenance of way department, special attention should be given to rail, switches, track layouts, maintenance and alignment of track, and to all the various details that go to make up the maintenance of way department of a railroad. In other words, one should be prepared to do the

work that would naturally come to him, in such a way as to warrant the continuous assignment of more important duties. From this it might b e thought that the aim should f be merely to do the small things well and not aspire to the

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