The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1907-02-27
A fine ADDRESS.
RELATIONS OF EMPLOYEES TWO
FOLD: TO THE ROAD, TO
THE PUBLIC.
How to PHASE, How the Roads
May Grow in the Hearts Of
the People.


and passenger department of the
Southern Railway Company were
brought together in Atlanta on
February 18th, at the request of
President Finley, who addressed
them in part as follows;
Your duties bring you into per
sonal and daily contact with the
lines of the Southern Railway, and
/, as one who has filed positions
which some of you are now filling,
proposal to speak to you briefly of
the relations of freight and passen-
ger agents to public. Your duties
are of two-fold nature. You owe
duties to the railway company by
which you are employed, and you
owe duties to the public. These
double duties do not in any way re
suit in conflict or divided allegiance,
The general officers of rail
way have, unfortunately, too few
opportunities for meeting and talk
ing with the people who are de-
pendent upon the road for trans
portation services. The man hav-
ing business relations with the road.
as IL rule, comes into personal con-
tact with the local representatives
of the traffic and operating depart
meats. The policies Of the railway
are formulated and mapped out by
the general officers. but the appli-
cation of these policies to specific
transactions must lie entrusted in
the main to men in the field. 1t fol
lows, then. that you have in a sub
stantial sense, the reputation of the
Southern Railway Company for fair
and just dealing in your hands.
Whether the company shall be
popular or unpopular depends in
very large measure upon your atti-
tude toward the public and upon
your treatment of those doing bust
ness with the road. 1t is of SUI
preme Importance, therefore, that
you, who daily come into intimate
personal contact with the public.
should bear in mind constantly that
it is the unvarying policy of the
company to be just and fair to all
aliZe--to the small shipper and the
occasional traveller: as well as to
the large shipper and the regular
traveller; that you should always
be considerate and patient, and that
YOU should do all in your power Ia
make the services of the road salts
factory to those for whom they are
performed.
"All classes of the public should
De treated with consideration and
DC gwen every possible and
reasonable accommodation. Even
The man who makes impossible, or
unreasonable demands, should not
DC dismissed with curt refusal.
He may not know that what he asks
> either impossible or unreasonable
md IA few words of frank explana-
ion pointing out to him why his
wishes cannot be complied with
nay send him away friend of the
'oad instead of fault-finder.
While everything possible should
,e done for the accommodation of |
hose doing business with the road, |
are should be exercised not To |
'rOmise the impossible in the way |
# facilities or services. When |
allure to fulfill such promise fol-
Dws, the man who made it may be
BILE to shift responsibility to the
perating, or some other depart
lent or officer, but the damage
one to the reputation of the road
annot be easily remedied. Cues
ons that seem to you TO be trivial
nay be considered of much impor-
NICE by the persons asking them,
nd they should be answered in
atience and courtesy.
The efficiency of the service ms