The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-06-28
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE ON
THE SANTA FE RAILROAD

Emporia Gazette: newspaper is
like a woman in so many ways that it
should be called she. One of the ways
a newspaper is like woman is that
its character may be guessed by the
number of times it is insulted.
So far as the Gazette is concerned.
no big interests ever tried to inveigle
it into any improper procedure. But
doubtless so much smoke has been in
the air and probably Mr. Oxnard and
Mr. Havermeyer and Mr.. Lovett and
the rest of the big ones who are braS-
eing bout '.greasing' the wheels of
publicity, have some basis for their
brags.
But here in the West. the greatest
corporation between the Lakes and the
coast is the A. T. & S. F. Railroad
and its publicity is a model department
for all corporations Publicity with the
Santa Fe does not mean backsta1rs
intrigues with the editors and politi-
clans. 1t means an intelligent dissem-
ination of the facts about the Santa Fe
and it's relations with its customers
along the line of the road.
The average railroad is Dramatically
sealed When an editor or a reporter
desires absolutely necessary informa-
ton about a railroad he has to go to
the switch shanty-or some other
equally authoritative source for the IN
formation-which often is inaccurate
and hurts the newspaper that prints IL
and the railroad concerned
Changed the Old Fashion.
But the Santa Fe has changed the /
old fashion. If there is d wreck along /
the Santa Fe, the press gets all the /
facts; nothing is concealed. If the
Fe is going to put in a new feed yard /
or a ''Y'' or a new baggage room or a |
new station at any station from chi
cago to the coast, the local editors get
the truth and get it freely, and as |
matter of course A change in train,
a proposed change in a rate, or any
other news affecting a community, is
given out by the Santa F'e through the
hands of a competent newspaper man,
and a result. the people and the
Santa Fe feel that they are working
in a common cause. The people feel
that the Santa FEES policy to cooperate
with the people along the road in the
development of the country, is sincere
and genuine.
President E. P. Ripley three years
q go esta blished a news bureau in re-
Spouse to the demands made by news
paper men for railroad information.
President Ripley said the demand was
just. and proceeded to take the news
papers and the public into his con-
fidence as it were announcing that an
effort would be made to bring about
better relationship between the
company and it's patrons, through the
open and above board policy. His plan
was to have the officers of the road get
better acquainted with the people ana
study their needs: also to afford the
people opportunity to learn about the
affairs of the railroad In this move
ment the Santa Fe has been frank with |
the people about its rates, capital, SER
vice equipment and the like. True.
there have been differences of opinion,
but the feeling between the company
nd the people with whom it does bust
ness generally is friendly, due largely
to the education publicity policy
inaugurated by President Ripley.
Takes an Interest in Towns.
The Santa Fe takes an interest in
the towns in the farms, in the ranches
and in the mines on its lines, and gives
every community valuable advertising
in folders. booklets and other PUBL
cations of Santa Fe character Ihese
publica tions are widely circulated, anu
the contents thereof are copied and
commented upon in newspapers ana
magazines throughout the world.
With its IL 100000 miles of lines,
more than $500, 900 900 worth of prop
erty and 10000 employees, the santa
Fe is a factor in the business life of
every community in which 1t operates
and editors regard Santa Fe news as
worth printing.
But there is no backdoOr business
about it all. Everything is in the clear
and other great corporations dolng
business with the American pubic
might we'll take the Santa Fe publicity
department as a model. If all the cor
poration publicity were conducted as
the Santa Fe conducts its publicity,
newspapers would not be so shy of
publicity matter sent out from corpora
tions. and there would be less gossip
A bout fixing the press
But for that matter it comes back
70 the original proposition: news
paper is like a woman. You can judge
something of its character by hearing
how often it claims to have been in
suited