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Show RAILWAY EMPLOYEES URGED TO BE COURTEOUS 'TO THE PUBLIC Many Pecpls Are Trying To Discredit Government Operation Opera-tion Of The Railroads Ryj Giving Poor Service To 'All Employees In the Railroad Service of the United States Complaints have reached me from time to time that employees are not treating the public with as much consideration con-sideration and courtesy under Government Govern-ment control of the railroads aa under private control. I do not know how much courtesy was accorded the public pub-lic under private control, andI have no basis, therefore, for accurate conit parison. I hope, however, that the reports re-ports of discourtesy under government govern-ment administration of the railroads are incorrect, or that they are at least confined to a relatively . few cases.,. Whatever may be the merits of these complaints, they draw attention atten-tion to a question wiich is of the utmost ut-most Importance In the management of the railroads. For many years it was popularly believed that "the public be damned" policy was the policy of the railroads . under private control. Such a policy Is Indefensible either under private control or government control. It would be particularly Indefensible under un-der public control when railroad employees em-ployees are tho direct servants of the public. "The public be damned" policy will In no circumstances be tolerated on j the railroads under government con-i con-i trol. Every employee of the railroad should take pride in serving the public pub-lic courteously and efficiently. Courtesy Cour-tesy costs nothing and when. It is dispensed, dis-pensed, It makes friends of the public pub-lic and adc'.s to the self respect of the employee. aiy attention na3 also been called to the fact that employees have sometimes some-times offered as an excure for their own shortcomings, or as a justification justifica-tion for delayed train:; the Ktr.tomnnt that "Uncle-Sam. is running the rail-roads rail-roads now" or "These are 'McAdco's orders," etc Nothing could be more reprehensible than statements of this character, and nothing could be more hurtful to the success of the Railroad I Administration or to the welfare of I railroad employees themselves. No' doubt, those who have made them I ! have done so thoiipLtlesly 'n most ; Instances, but the harm is just as i great if a thing of this sort Is done ; thoughtlessly as if it is done di liher-1 liher-1 at'!v. j There are many people who for par- tl.nn or selfish purposes wish govern-I govern-I ment operation of tho railroads to be a failure. Every employee who is discourteous to the public or makes 'excuses or statements of the kind 1 jahave described, Is helping these partisan par-tisan or selfish Interests to discredit government control of railroads. Recently the wages of railroad employees em-ployees were largely increased, involving in-volving an addition to railroad operating oper-ating expenses of more than $47,-i $47,-i noo.ooo per annum. In order to meet j this Increase, the public has been called upon to pay largely increased passenger and freight rates. The people peo-ple have accepted this new burden cheerfully and patriotically. Tho least that every employee can do In return Is to serve the public courteously, faithfully and efficiently. A great responsibility and duty rest upon the railroad employees of the United States. Upon their loyalty, efficiency and patriotism depends in large part America's success and the overthrow of the kaiser and all that he represents. iLet us not fail to mea-! mea-! sure up to our duty, and to the just j demand of the public that rnilrcal service ser-vice shall not only be efficient, but that it shall always be courteously administered. ad-ministered. W. G. Mo.VDOO, Director General of Railroads. |