Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-11-06
EN-
PLOYES ARE VERY
HIGHLY PRSISED

Edward A. Simmons. president of
the Railway Age Gazette. pro
nounced the most reliable railway
publication in this country, paid a
handsome tribute to the Amerieal
railway employee recently. when he
pronounced our trainmen the most
courteous he had ever met with
This statement comes Immediately
5IrI trip over the railroads Of
Europe and the United States.
We are inclined to criticise oar
own railway employees because 81
lack of courtesy said Simmons.
but the grossest breaches of corr
tesy en- our railroads hardly con-
pare with inciyility met with daily
on the government owned roads OF
Germany 1t would not be tolerated
in the United States one minute.
Tie conductors and other trainman
are insolent and the station agents
ere inattentive The railway on
p'oyes consider themselves officers
II the law and treat the people Az
oo,dingy, The traveller shows far
more Difference to the trainmen than
dc u g trainmen to the traveller
Just tie opposite to the conditions
Win" prevail in this country.
An this is, undoubtedly one Of
In. Indirect, if not direct, results
Lee government ownership. They
ave the European habit of looking
fer tip and if person allows
the matter to slip his mind or does
not know the custom he is always
rem ded by the guard if he sh 'uld
hal pen to want window opened
rr some other favor"
Simmons spent seven week in
the soyerrment owned railways Of
Germany and during his stay in
Europe inspected the ether Euro
pean roads. He said that he OK
pecttd 70 find the rolling stock
and other equipment of nigh
standard and clean, but was very
much disappointed
In spite of the fact that the
fares and freight rates are prac-
tically twice those in the United
States. the service rendered does
not compare with that given by
American roads The rolling stock
is much lighter than ours, and the
passenger equipment is poorly taken
care Of The cars and the porters
were positively dirty
Simmons said that he had come
west for the purpose of familiar
izing himself with the western rail
roads The physical condition of
the western roads taken as whole,
he said. were in very fair shape,
but he sees evidence of deteriora-
ton and he says that considerable
Improvement could he 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 sufficient funds, | think, is the
cause of deterioration. All the rail-
ways have been retrenching heavily
wherever they could and nearly all
extensions and improvements 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 the
standard. The railways cannot get
the money for these improvements
because they cannot sell their Sc
curities. The investing public has
become apprehensiye of the earning
power of the railways and Fence
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 railways. We are just at this
time threatened with a serious car
shortage, due to the fact that the
railways have lacked the funds lec-
essary to buy new cars as Fast as
lit was found necessary to scrap
the care that were worn out. The
manufacturers of railway equipment
Instead of running full force, as
they should be, are today only
working 80 per cent to 60 per cent
OF their normal capacity. Think
Of what this means to the country.
The peoples confidence in the rSil-
ways must be restored Conditions
i'll this respect, | think are imrr W
ms