The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-03-08
Associated Press.

g
ployes from the work of the Railroad
Young Mems Christian Association
the management of the Southern Rail
way Company proposes to continue the
policy which it has pursued in the
past of cooperating with the branches
Of this association along its lines
Speaking in particular for the COM
pany which he represents and in gen
eral for the railways of the entir'
country, President w. w. Finley, of
the Southern Railway declared today
IN an interview with a representative
of The Associated Press, that the work
done by the Railroad Y. NJ C. A. is
Just as important an economic problem
in railway management as that of the
maintenance of the roadbed, the pro-
vision of trackage, terminal facilities
and equipment.
We have aided in the gradual de.
yelopment of the Young Mems Christ
ian Association work, with special
reference to the needs of particular
localities" said Mr.. Finley. LAS time
goes on, we hope to aid in the expan-
sion of the work on our lines, and !
am sure that speak for practically all
or the railway managers of the coun-
try when 1 say that we heartily well
come the Young Mems Christian AS
sociation in the railway field and wish
It God-speed in it's good work"
President Finley himself has watch
ed the growth and work which has
been done by the Railroad Y. M. c. A.
along his line and along other lines,
and has come to realize the importance
of this work in improving the person
mel of the employees of the company.
He said that he has found that those
employees who spend their lay over
time at the Y. M. c. A. return to
their work in good physical condition
and with clear head and that both
the men and company by which they
are employed are benefited thereby.
He expressed the belief that no other |
work done by the Association exceeds |
in importance that done in the rail-
way field.
A railway is a business insti-
tuition" continued President Finley,
(which can achieve the highest meas
ure of success only when every
best service of which he is capable,
official and employee is giving to it the
and when all are cooperating intell1-
gently and Loyalty for the best gen
eral results. The Young Mems Christ
ian Association is an important fact
or in raising the standard of eff
cheney, and in bringing about that
realization of identity of interests
which is necessary for loyal coop
Grafton.
Speaking of the growth of the AS
ISOLATION work on railroad lines, Pres
ident Finley said:
THE Association is now carrying
on its work on railways comprising
over eighty per cent. of the total
mileage in the United States, Canada
and Mexico with membership, at
the end of 1908, of $4,000 railway
employees, divided among 242 associa-
tons, owning ia buildings valued
at $3,596,2OO.
THE attitude of the railway COM
panies and their officials toward
these organizations and their work
is shown by the fact that the COM
panies and individual officers and
stockholders have in many cases con-
tributed toward the expense of erect
ing buildings, while the companies
regularly contribute thirty five per
cent Of the current expenses.
THAT these contributions are re-
garded as money well spent was
strikingly illustrated in the past year.
Nineteen hundred and eight was a
year of diminishing railway gross
earnings, and insome cases of vanish
ing net income. 1t was year of
drastic economies, in which railway
managers, having saved every dollar
possible, looked about for opportun-
tiles to save pennies.
yet, in all this reduction, in which
appropriations for many urgently need
ed betterments were scaled down or
postponed, and in which, in many
cases, dividends were reduced or dis
continued, not a single railway cut of
its appropriation for its proportion Of
the current expenses of the Railroad
Young Mems Christian Association"
"Fhe continuation of these appropri-
sion," said Mr.. Finley in conclusion,