The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-27
OPPOSED TO PRESENTS
Santa Fe and Rock Island Ofic-
iaIs Express Themselves
On the Subject Of Making Gifts
By the Railroad Employees
no officials Of the Road-The Prac-
tice Has Many Evils and is Not
Looked Upon With Favor

The practice common among railroad
voen Of rnakfng. presentations to their
superiors in the event of their promo
ton or resignation is one which meets
with absolutely no approval from
officials. From the fact that ia all
most every instance where an official
is promoted to a higher position or
where he leaves the service of the
road, a purse is raised by subscription
among his subordinates and a costly
s.rernena brance" presented him. it is
naturally to be concluded that railroad
men in general are not aware of the
sentiments of their superior officers on
this particular question
Especially i'm the event of a mans
promotion is this practice dlsapproYed
by officials. Their reasons are that
it places the man promoted In an eX-
tremely embarrassing position, that the
chief mover ia the presentation IS
sometimes one who desires if possible
to place his superior under an Ob1ga-
ton. and that it frequently calls Tor
financial aid from men who can rem
der it only at the expense OF some OF
the necessaries Of life. IN the event
of man leaving the service on q ROAD
the case is different in the respect
that st does not necessarily place the
official under obligation and that the
men can hope to receive no benefits
from their action Nevertheless the
practice is disapprOved-
General Manager j. r. Frey and
General Superintendent H. TT. Nudge
of the Santa F'e and Assistant General
Superintendent w. H. StilWeu OF the
Rock Island were interviewed on this
subject for the purpose ot giving the
railroad men OF Kansas a correct Auest
of what the sentiments of the officials
are General Manager Frey said-
The practice of making presenta-
tons to officials is one that 4 do not
approve of i'm the least. When man
leaves the service of the road we of
course have nothing to say. 1T the
employees wish to present him with
present of some kind. that is their priv
fege. The disagreed BILE feature is
that lit calls upon men for money who
really need that money to buy groceries
or some of the other neceSsarles OF
life. and they naturally feel under OBJ
legation to contribute
The practice of making presents TO
officials i'm the event of their promotion
or of making presents on some coca
sion is something that we viii not
tolerate if known Of suppose that
the conductors or engineers got to-
gether and presented me with a gold
headed cane. or diamond ring or
gold watch. Two months afterwards
some man who had contributed S5 was
discharged He might come to me and
say. Here, I've got IS in that gold
watch you have in your pocket and /
want to be reinstated.' BY accepting
the present 7 would place myself UNI
der obligations.
"AIl employees who are called upon
for money in raising a subscription
feel bound to contribute Suppose a
man has dozen or more names on his
subscription list and he goes to John
Smith. John Smith is not able to con-
tribute. but he sees that all the other
employees have given something and
he feels that if he is not equally as
generous he viii jeopardize his posi-
tion- He thinks that the Official viii
say, Well. an the other men gave some
thing but John Smith, we might as
we'll let him go
General Superintendent Nudge feels
as hIr Frey does on this matter Like
Dlr. Frey he does not approve of max
ing presents on the resignation of an
official, but says that it is the privilege
of the employees He said. IF the
practice or making presents to officials
ON their promotion became common we
should go so far as to make a rule
against it. In years past the practice
of making presents to roadmasters and
section foremen was common among
trackmen. and a rule was established
at that time forbidding this class of
officials TO receive presents from their
employees.
TIT is very hard to say that a man
must not receive a present when it is
rendered him. as he would naturally
wound the feelings of his men. How
ever ] do not approve Ofthe practice
Assistant General superintendent w.
H. Suuwen of the Rock Island is
strongly opposed to the practice wheth-
or in the event of promotion or resig-
nation. He said: ut places man in
an extremely embarrassing position.
~ hlch is apparently not realized by
employees. My chief objection to the
practice is that it calls upon men for
money who are not at all in a position
to give it. men who need their money
for shoes or clothes or for their family.
Usually the purse is gotten up by some
man who is looking for favor and who
wishes 70 have q pull with his super
for. While there may be hundred
men who YOU viii never hear from.
there is always q probability of some
man reminding you of the fact that he
helped to buy you q present MANY Of
the men called upon for money i'm these
cases have never met the official. and
probably wouldn't know him if they
saw him.
If the men wish to express their
good viii, q set of resolutions win be
appreciated far more by the official
than a costly present"