Yerington times. [volume] (Yerington, Nev.) 1907-1932, 1911-11-04
RAILWAY employees
HIGHLY PRAISED

Edward A. Simmons, President of the
Railway Age Gazette, pronounced the
most reliable railway publication in this
country, paid handsome tribute to IL e
American railway employe recently,
when he pronounced our trainmen the
most courteous he had ever met with.
This statement comes Immediately after
trip over the railroads of Europe and
the United. States.
"We are inclined to criticize our own
railway employees because of lack of
courtesy,' said Simmons, but the
grossest breaches of courtesy on our
railroads hardly compare with the in
civlity met with daily on the govern
ment owned roads of Germany. II
would not be tolerated in the United
States one minute. The conductors and
other trainmen are insolent and the sta
ton agents are indtentive. The rail
way employees consider themselves off
GERS Of the law and treat the people ac
cortlingly. The traveller shows far more
Difference to the traiumen than do the
trainmen TO the traveller; just the oppo.
site to the conditions which prevail in
this country.
All this is, undoubtedly one of the
indirect, if not direct, results Of govern
ment ownership. They have the Euro
pean habit Of looking for a tip and If
person allows the matter to slip his mind
or does not know the custom lie is al
ways reminded by the guard if he
should happen to want a window opened
or some other favor.
Simmons spent seven weeks on the
government owned railways of Germany.
aud during his stay in Europe inspected
the other European roads lie said that
he expected to find the rolling stock and
other equipment of high standard and
clean but was very much disappointed
In spite of the fact that the fares and
freight rates are practically twice those
in the United States, the service rem
dered does not compare with that given
by American roads Tile rolling stock
is much lighter than ours, and the pas
senger equipment is poorly taken care
Of The cars and the porters were posi-.
lively dirty"
Simmons said that he had come west
for the purpose OF familiarzng himself
with the western roads The physical
condition Of the western roads taken as
a whole, he said, were in very far shape,
but he sees evidence of deterioration and
lie SAYS that considerable improvement
could be effected.
The western roads have as good
track in some places as ] have ever
seen. There are other places that are
not in prime condition Lack of sui
fcieut funds, think, is the cause OF de
tefioation. All the railways have been
retrcnchiug heavily wherever they could,
and nearly all extensions and improve
meuts have been reduced to a minimum.
There is a lack of funds to do even the
necessary work that should be done to
keep the roadway up TO standard. The
railways cannot get the money for these
improvements because they cannot sell
their securities The investing public
has become apprehensiye of the earning
power Of the railways and hence will not
buy this class of stocks and bonds
Progress is being retarded and will
continue to be retarded as long as the
people have not confidence in the rail
WAYS. We are just at this time threat
eued with serious car-shortage, due to
the fact that the railways have lacked
the funds necessary to buy new cars as
fast as it was found necessary to scrap the
cars that were worn out The manuiac-
turers Of railway equipment instead OF
running full force, as they should be,
are today only working 80 per cent to
% per cent of their normal capacity.
Think OF what this means to the coun-
try. The peoples confidence IN the
RAILWAYS must be restored. Conditions