agined. It required a vast deal of minutiae and
personal observation, which a board of directors
could never discharge. He went against a board
of directors, or any other board whatever be its
name, because it always created a divided res-
ponsibility. He heard a very intelligent gentle-
man of the city of Baltimore say, years ago, that
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company would
get along better, had they three directors instead
of thirty.
He (Mr. D.,) had met gentlemen in these
boards. They usually meet and discuss the poli-
tics of the day, and various other topics, or in-
troduce some amusement to while away the
time. Divide the responsibility and duty failed.
Would any gentleman carry this to practical
life, and say that he was not right? What was
the true course? In 1847, (he hoped it would not
bedeemed arrogance in him to speak of himself,)
representing the interests of the State for the
small salary of one hundred dollars, he asked
gentlemen to go to the recurds and tell him
whether there had been a neglect of duty. He
was then placed upon a committee to examine,
as the charter required, into the proceedings of
the company for the preceding year. In his re-
port he ventured to make this suggestion. He
would ask attention to it, because, in his judg-
ment, it laid down the true theory for the man-
agement of any and every enterprise of this
character.
The following was the report of the commit-
tee of which he was chairman :
" This proposition, in substance, is to place the
supervision of the entire finished portion of the
canal in the immediate superintendence and
charge of the chief engineer of the company, sub-
ject, however, to such restrictions as the board
might deem necessary to impose. This measure,
if carried into effect upon a liberal and enlight-
ened basis, the committee are persuaded will be
attended with important advantages to the com-
pany. A work of such magnitude as the Chesa-
peake and Ohio canal, demands almost as high
professional skill for its preservation as for its
original construction, and when it is recollected
the injury to which the eastern division of the
canal has of late been subjected by freshets in
the Potomac, the damage to dams and frequent
giving way of culverts, causing interruptions to
navigation, loss of revenue and large expendi-
tures for repairs, it is of the utmost importance
that there should be an officer of character, skill
and experience, detailed to supervise and watch
over the condition of the work and manage its
police. A timely application of labor and mo-
ney will, most generally, arrest, injuries, which,
if suffered to progress, will require thousands to
repair; for, it is well known to all persons at all
acquainted with canals, that breaks seldom oc-
cur without first giving warning of their ap-
proach. It is impossible to expect a board of
directors scattered all over the State, and en-
gaged in their own private business, even if they
possessed the professional skill, to devote that at-
tention necessary to supervise the detailed opera-
tions of a work like this, even were they con- |
stantly in session, and all professional engineers,
from their remoteness from the work, their va-
riety of sentiment and the division of responsibility,
neglect and loss would still, in too many
instances, be the result. Talent and intelligence
to be practically useful, must be concentrated;
when diffused, its influence is weakened and its
power lost. So well understood is this by the
Bostonians, that they never attempt an enter-
prise of this kind without first selecting an agent
qualified to manage it, and upon him they fix the
responsibility of its success; and hence, the great
productiveness of all of their worlds, both public
and private. Their example, too is being fol-
lowed in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
It would, however, be folly to create such an of-
fice unless power and authority were vested in
the officer lo carry out and enforce such a system
of management as would insure the execution of
his plans. If he abuses his trust, the board have
their remedy in the power of removal, but so
long as faithful to his duty and skilful in his
management, his arm should be strengthened and
his authority maintained. No better selection,
in the estimation of the committee, could be
made than that indicated in the proposition on
the records of the board. The talent and high
professional skill of Mr. Fisk are widely acknowl-
edged, and he has proved his devotion to the canal
by years of patient and untiring labor for its
final accomplishment. Besides the bettered condition
of the canal and the improved system of
police, there would be economy in the arrange-
ment, us it would relieve the President and Di-
rectors of a large portion of their duties and ren-
der their meetings less frequent and protracted."
This was his recommendation, submitted to the
stockholders of the Chesapeake and Ohio canal
company, in 1847. He was glad to learn that
the very first official act of his respected friend
from Prince George's, [Mr. Sprigg,] recently
elected president of the company, was to carry
out this very suggestion. In addition to the examples
he had already cited from Massachusetts,
New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, he had be-
fore him the report of the canal board of com-
missioners of the State of New York, for the last
year. He found that the board was composed of
three members, and that they divided the work
among themselves. One had charge of three
hundred and seventy miles, another had charge
of three hundred and twenty miles, and another
of three hundred and seventy-three miles. He
mentioned this to prove that New York had car-
ried out, long before the recommendation was
made the system of concentrating the executive
duties of these works upon single minds, for the
reason which he hoped he had satisfactorily
stated. The moment the present President of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company, was
elected, what was his first business? It was to
go to Massachusetts, and get a gentleman of
great intelligence and experience to come and
take charge of a certain part of the business of
the company. He would read a few headings of
the items of that gentleman's report, to show his
duties. First, he reported the expenses of the
road department; the next item was in relation |
