OCR Text |
Show I - GENERAL ORDER NO. 40 Washington D. C, Aug. 18, 1918. To all employes in the railroad service ser-vice of the United States: Complaints have reached me from time to time that employes are not treating ' the public with as much consideration and courtesy under Government control of the railroads as under, private control. I do not know how much courtesy was accorded ac-corded the publie under private control, con-trol, and. I have- no basis, therefore. for accurate comparison.' I hope, however, that the reports of discourtesy discour-tesy under Govsrnment administration administra-tion 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, com-plaints, they draw attention to a question which is of the utmost importance im-portance in the management df the railroads. For many years it was popularly believed that "the public be damned" damn-ed" policy was the policy of the railroads rail-roads under private control. Such a policy is indefensible either under private or Government control. It would be particularly indefensible under public control when railroad employes are the direct servants of the public. "The public be damned" policy will in no circumstances be tolerated on the railroads under public pub-lic control. Every employe of the railroad should take pride in serving the public courteously and efficiently. efficient-ly. Courtesy costs nothing and when it is dispensed, it makes friends . of the public and adds to the self-respect of the employe. My attention has also been called to the fact that employes have some, times offered as an excuse . for, their own shortcomings, or .as, a justification justifica-tion for delayed trains or other, diffi-. culties the statement,, that '.'.Uncle Sam is running the railroads now," or "These are McAdoo'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 administration admin-istration or to the welfare of railroad rail-road employes themselves. No doubt those who have made them have done so thoughtlessly in most instances, in-stances, but the harm is just as great if a thing of this sort is done thoughtlessly, thought-lessly, as if it is done deliberately. There are many people who for partisan or selfish purposes wish Government operation of the railroads rail-roads to be a failure. Every employe em-ploye who is discourteous to the public pub-lic or makes excuses or statements of the kind I have described, is helping help-ing these partisan or selfish interests to discredit Government control of railroads. Recently the wages of railroad employes em-ployes were largely increased, involving involv-ing an addition to railroad operating expenses of more than $475,000,000 per annum. In order to meet this increase, the public has been called upon to pay largely increased passenger pass-enger and freight rates. The people have accepted this new burden cheerfully and patriotically. The least that every employe can do in return is to serve the public courteously, courte-ously, faithfully and efficiently. A great responsibility and duty rest upon the railroad employes of the United States. Upon their loyalty, loy-alty, efficiency and patriotism depends de-pends in lnrge part America's success nnrl the overthrow of the kaiser and all tlmt be represents. Let us not jf.iil to measure up to our duty, and 1 1c the just demand of the public that railroad service shall not only be et- ficient, but that it shall always be courteously administered. i W. G. McADOO, |