The Washington herald., 1907-09-15
Bettsr Treatment Of Travellers


We have an idea that T. II. lie Baume,
industrial agent Of the Norfolk and West
ern Railway. comes pretty near hitting
the nail on the head when he attributes
much Of the popular feeling against the
railroads % the petty injustIces and many
Oyercharges and eXactOus met with by
the ordinary traveller. Every comfort
and convenience has been provided for
the wealthy, who can afford To pay liber-
ally" Mr. lie Baume remarks, in an ar
ticlo in the Railway Age, "aud as little
as possible for the masses, who consti-
tute the bulk OF the travel and are en-
titled 20 fair accommodations and reason
able c0urtesles." He instances the high
charges for Pullman car service, for
meals at railway restaurants, for check
ing parcels, or the use Of a telephone, the
petty impositons extending from double
charge for periodicals, newspapers, fruit,
&c, on the trains and in depots, 10 the
overbearing and humiIiating treatment Of
travellers by the train. the station. and
the Pullman employees" Mr.. lie Baume
characterizes all this as ubiquitous and
unjust but says It can be remedied. and
has been tC some extent by some Of the
more progressive roads. He suggests
these improvements in railway service:
q. \ more general uss o. reclining chair cars.
especially on long rus east Of the Mississippi
gteways.
- The more general adoption q the train auditor
system, which has proved SO satisfactory 70 Western
roads and which irsrres proper attention 10 the
passenger and his comfort.
'3 4 maximum charge q cents per package IN
check rooms. Regular rates enforced on all CON-
modities handled by news agents on trains and in
stations and a reasonable and equitable rate for
dining car and restaurant service"
The Western roads are more liberal in
their treatment OF the public than the
Eastern, according TO Mr.. lie Baume
The Pennsylvania has adopted the scent
check-room rate in some Of its sta
tions. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas
serves a first-class meal for % cents:
most of the roads west Of Chicago run
tourist sleepers and reclining chair cars.
The Hooking Valley and Ohio Central
have up-to-date parlor cars, with a rate
of 25 cents for a 125-mile ride-being one
third of the Pullman rate for Ike serv-
ice" None Of these things strike Mr..
lie Baume as unreasonable, and they con-
tribute greatly to the comfort Of the
average traveller.
Mr.. lie Baume's recommendations are IN
line with a policy that is likely to com
mend itself more and more to thoughtful
railway managers, many OF whom realize
that public feeling against their roads
is often grounded on just such petty in
justices and inconvenience as those
above mentioned. AS in ordinary human
relations, so in the relations Of the peo-
pie and the railroads, It is the little
things that count, the smaller courtesies
that smooth over the rough places. This
is one Of the ideas that President Finley,
Of the Southern Railway, sought TO I'M
press on his employees when ne addressed
them last spring on the desirabnity of
treating the patrons Of the road fairly and
courteously. Any railroad that gains
a reputation for fairness and cour-
tesy, as well as for efficiency Of
service and the reasonableness Of its
charges, has an asset that cannot be
measured in money values. but one that
helps the dividend account appreciably.
One Of the most hopeful signs in the rail-
road situation is that there is an in
creasing body of railroad men fully ap-
preciatiye Of the value Of such an asset.
North Carolina negro says he saw a