The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-06-17

as to themselves to spread broadcast
the advantages of the country they
serve, to the end that immigration
may be induced, homes built. farms
titled. potential wealth transformed
into actual wealth.
! want to give you this thought.
The railroad, as has been said, stays
put I want you to remember that.
through cold and heat, through storm
and sunshine. carrying your products
to many lands, bringing you the pro-
ducts of many lands, the railroad is
always there. 1t takes you to loved
ones in far distant states, it brings
the loved ones to you from the four
corners of the nation. And from sec
ton hand to superintendent. from
hall to president, the railroad men
are interested in your happiness, are
anxious to make life for you getter
worth living.
In order that wider measure of
prosperity maybe enjoyed by the
state as we'll as by the railroad, we
are working with commercial clubs
and trade organizations throughout
Idaho, and on our own initiative are
undertaking to improve conditions.
For example, last January Farm
ers' Demonstratin train was sent
| through the state. Lectures were
given by experts on potato culture
and orchard heating. The result will
be more potatoes and better potatoes,
more fruit and better fruit.
This train was sent out by Mr.. D.
| E. Burley, our general passenger
agent. At the same time our general
freight department was negotiating
with connections for lower rates on
potatoes to Chicago and Missouri riv-
err points, and successfully SO. For it
was realized that large crops would
| be of little benefit to the farmer or
to anyone else if they could not be
moved.
! It is the duty of the railroad to
get in touch and to keep in touch
with the needs of it's public. That is
what the railroads are endeavoring
to do at this time and they are. gen.
orally speaking, successful They are
not able to please everybody, and that
is just another indication of their
human quality
Bill Jackson thinks the railroads
are depressing the great public and
says so. We run Bills trouble down
/ and we find that he hasn't been able
to get side track as quickly as he
thought he should have had it. Tom
Brown complains that the transpOrta-
ton companies are sapping the life
blood of the nation and we find that
hic oh ont Of on1iuro re- h1pc
was on the road two days longer than
than he thought it should have been
John Thompson lays down his solo
| hand long enough to declaim against
! the devouring monster, and it de-
velopS that John received a shipment
from a mail order house two years
and part of pound package of cheap
| coffee was spilled
Extreme illustrations? Certainly
| they may be. but they are not as
highly colOred as some of you NAV
think. No sane railroad man will
deny that mistakes are made by the
Transportation companies: none will
say that apparent INEQUALITIES do not
creep into freight traits. that the pas
senger service to this point or that
point could not be improved upon.
But I happen to know that when
ever a wrong is pointed out to the
proper officials of railroad company
efforts to remedy it are at once insti-
tuted; whenever a recognized evil eX-
lists steps are taken to eradicate it.
The officers of the company I have
the honor to serve welcome any con-
structive criticism of their work:
they are glad to know when they
have made a mistake, and all they
ask is that they be approached in the
would use towards business man of
your own city.
And, by the same token, they are
glad to know when their actions are
approved. though expressions of APP
proval come so rarely that they eX-
cite comment from one end of the
line to the other. The public gets its
warrant for this, suppose, from the
popular theory that there is more re-
joicing in the place we all want to go
over one returned sinner than over
80 upright men. Certainly there is
more commotion among shepherds
over the lamb that has strayed than
over the 5000 or 10000 in the fold.
Railroad men know that the 80
shipments that go through in fast
time and in perfect condition are new
err heard of. The hundreth, that goes
wrong, brings on typewriting con-
test that eventuates in a file foot
thick. I do not mean to say that it
is not the duty of the railroads to eX-
pedite freight shipments and to pro-
vide adequate passenger service.
merely wish to emphasize the point
that they are trying, and in the main
successfully, to do their work we'll.
And they get very little credit for
the good things they do.
But you gentlemen of the press
have the same experience. You praise
Tom Johnson once or twice a week
for whole year, assuring the public
that he is a gentleman of the highest
attachments, citizen of sterling
worth. Do you ever hear from Tom?
Not much. Tom takes all that sort
of thing for granted; he doesn't
n h. ali t. t..