The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1911-03-22
RAILWAY RATES
liz Might he Done IL the Traveller and
shipper Didn't Have tn support
Many Grafters

The following letter is published in
the April American Magazine in the
department OF that periodical devoted
TO subscribers communications:
In an article in your February num-
Der | see that Mr.. Brandeis states his
reasons for opposing the effort on the
part of the railroads TO persuade the
Interstate Commerce Commission TO
permit them TO increase their freight
rates. / was also much interested in
the theory of scientific mana cement.
which he urged them to adopt and in
the statement Of one Of the witnesses
that the railroads could save $1,000
900 day BY putting these theories into
practice.
"A few years ago / was employed in
the passenger department of a large
railroad. and certain things came under
my notice that. in view OF the above.
are interesting.
The passenger department in which
worked was divided into three divis-
ions, the largest and the most impor-
tant of which included. among MANY
sub departments. one which directed
and controlled the advertising OF the
entire railroad. The head of this large
division, together with other railroad
officials. owned a million-dollar hotel
at place we will call Sulphur Springs.
II was located halfway on the main
line. Now. il struck me as curious that
all of the railroads advertising. in
Guiding newspaper. street car. bill
board. and even magazine advertising.
invariably urged people TO go TO Sui
phur Springs'-not. you understand. TO
visit any other points OF interest, such
aS the Grand Canyon OF the Colorado.
pr NnSamira -l,,-
sulphur Springs
This same official had a young man
in his office whose name Wen say was
Black. one day the railroad official
bought Black a very fine camera and
sent him out TO take scenic views along
the railroads route Of travel. Then
as an official OF the railroad. he bought
these photographs from Black. That
was the beginning. Black started out
presumably an independent photog-
rapher and the railroad official began
/ to give him enormous orders. These
orders were for photosraphs-enlar rge-
Notwithstanding 4xl0 feet CSome ot
! them larger). These, in beautiful nat
ural-wood frames. the railroad official
gave away TO anyone in any city who
promised TO hang them up in his office
/ or home. \ neat. brass plate on the
/ frame bore the legend Along the route
! of the -- Il. r.. ! suppose hundreds
OF thousands of these beautiful framed
I Photographs, which everyone wanted
were given away. ] personally sent a
set of ten (the box containing them
weighed. when packed. over 300
pounds) to a number OF the chapters
OF my college fraternity.
| Now, think of what that must have
q nos hot
Sibiy have beeen manufactured at a
cost of less than $40 apiece
/ About two years later the concern
Black represented was incorporated
under the title of Black * Co. II was
generally understood by all of US that
the higher railroad officials had got
wise TO the graft and had been let in
! on il.
| BLACK X Co. soon started in to in
stall a printing plant. and directly they
! began TO get the orders for advertising
booklets and circulars from the passen-
ger department. In about a year they
began to print a monthly magazine fol
/ the railroad. This magazine ran fol
about seven years, and il cost so much
money that the general auditor of the
/ system To which that particular rail.
road belonged ordered an accounting
of its expenses to find out just whar
the magazine was costing
He found for one year the ma gaZine
had lost nearly 100000,
The above is just a sample OF the
way every officer and employee in tha
department grated. The head of on.
of the sub-departments. who had helC
the job eleven years. owned a row o
houses that he assured me with a winl
he had bought with what he saved ou
OF his salary. His salary was Sl25
month and ne had a wife and fouI
children. Another clerk in the depart
ment. whose salary was sl35 a month
lived at fine hotel and owned an au
\. tomobile.
1.-THE petty gratis that everyon
practiced in that department wer
sAamazing. The sale of advertiser:
passes over the road almost all of tn
clerks profted by. Even the stamp
of the company were stolen.
In this one department one Nigh
conservatively put down the amour
that was wasted or stolen from tn
company at $500 a day. That represent
$ls2.0OO a year
Does the railroad company itsel
lose this? Not on your life, Its tn
public every time: the passenger an
the freighter
Il don't know about scientific man