The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-11
Santa Fe Doing a Wonderful
Work for Its Employees.
Now Expects to Do as Much for
General Public.
PUBLICITY BUREAU.
President Ripley Would Make
This Grand Success.
To the Heart of the People
Through the Newspapers.

With two of the brightest newspa-
per men who ever filled space in Kan
sas on their pay rolls and the excep-
tionaI friendship of the western press.
the Santa Fe probably will make II
valuable and instructive department
out of their newly created publicity
bureau which has just been placed un-
der the supervision of ]. r. koontz'
general freight agent of the Santa
Fe, by President E. P. Ripley
Fred Vandegrift as editor OF the
Earth" a Santa Fe publication OF
1opularitv and worth, and Frank Jar
reiI as active head of the publicity de-
partment will make two associates OF
Mr.. Koontz who will by their person.
alitv alone pull for the public favor 3h
along the lines of the Santa Fe:
President Ripley realizes tnat tne
west is the home of the Santa F'e-
sbat this is the country of prosperity
of worth and of value to the road.
Tn obtaining the services OF FARRELL
Sppervisor Koontz has picked out
man who is known all over the west,
who knows how to approach west
ern man, who knows what TO write
that will appeal to him ana VINO WIN
carry out the policies of the road IN
presenting everything in falr and
impartial manner to the people
This isn't a political move" said
Mr.. Koontz. in speaking of the de-
partment this afternoon. Many pep
pIe will n1isconstrue the meaning OF
fhe organization. 1t is Mr.. Ripley's
idea to discuss with the people the
questions of the day, to give the rail-
road side of all public questions, TO
try and make right any mistake that
might happen to come out openly on
all matters of railroad interest to the
public. And if in any point we find
fe 1TIr n
tention to remedy it. We realize that
we must conduct much of this work
through the newspapers in order that
we might get to the heart of the
people"
In selecting ]. r. Koontz. general
freight agent CT the Santa Fe, as head
of the publicity department, Presi-
dent Ripley has obtained a man who
comes closer to the people than any
other man on the system. The pas
senger and the freight officials are the
railroad agents with the people-they
are the officials whom the people come
in contact with in a business way.
But the publicity bureau will not
handle the news of the freight depart
ment only. The heads of all the de-
partments in Topeka-the freight, the
passenger, the operating, the mechan-
zeal, the legal, the executive, the. ac-
counting. and all, will cooperate with
Mr.. koOntz IN the Work.
But this isn't a movement on the
Santa Fe for the officials only. The
employees are asked to join in the
work The Santa F'e always has been
able to combine it's working forces into
a vast working arny-in fact the OFF,
Gals who have grown up with the
great system love to call it the Santa
All of the employees will be asked to
get behind the publicity work. 1t has
been proven time and again that the
Individual interests of the employees
are at all times dependent upon the vast
interests of the company. When the
company is prosperous and the work
in all departments is running smoothly.
the employees feel it in their work, in
their pocketbooks and in their homes.
Probably in TO other road in the coun-
try have the employees studied the ex-
listing conditions of the road, the fin
ancial standing of the road and their
department heads, as they have on the
Santa Fe. With an employees maya
zine to keep them together, with d pres
ident who believes that the heads of his
departments should have personal in
terest in his men and with an organiza-
ton OF officials who have lived their
lives with the road, the Santa Fe is
enc of the most closely associated
roads in the world today.
Now that the officials have been sue
cesSful in carrying out their democrat
&c policies with the employees, they will
attempt to treat the people, their pat
IONS, in the same manner.
TIE Santa Fe is truly a great rail-
road system. The apprentice system
for young ambitious employees, the
bonus system for employees who have a
personal interest in their work and
want to do it well, the pension system
for men who have given their energies
and working lives for the road, the
hospital system for the sick and wound
t. r
in all branches, the religious organiza-
tions for the betterment of morals-aI
of these things the Santa Fe has done
for the good of the people.