The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-07-15
Wants POLI1ENESS.
PRESIDENT OF SOUTHERN RAIL
WAY WRITES TO HIS MEN.
public MUST Be SERVED
Fairfax Harrison Makes Effort to Inn
press Upon All Employees the I'M
portance of Politeness and Cour-
tesy in Dealing With Persons Hay-
ing Business Relations With Road.

tesy in Dealing With Persons Hav-
ing Business Relations With Road.
In an effort to impress upon every
Individual connected with the South
ern Railway company the Importance
of politeness and courtesy in dealing
with the public President Fairfax
Harrison of the Southern railway has
caused to be sent to every officer and
employee of the great system a cir
cular letter stating that this is pri-
mary rule of the management and
requesting it's careful observance.
Mr.. Harrison calls attention to the
fact that a railroad is first Of all a
public servant and that the success
of railroad as business enterprise
depends in very large measure, upon
the personal treatment which those
doing business with the railroad re-
ceive at the hands Of its officers and
employees. He says, however, that
81 am proud to believe that the gen
eral average Of courtesy and polite
ness in the Southern railway organi-
zation will compare most favorably
with that of any railroad in the Unit
ed States. The letter follows:
"To all officers and employees of
Southern railway company: A rail-
road is first of all public servant.
It follows that the success Of a rail-
road as a business enterprise depends
in very large measure, not only upon
the efficiency of the transportation it
affords, but upon the personal treat
ment which those doing business with
the railroad receive at the hands of
Its officers and employees. Therefore,
in addition to doing everything in
his power to promote the physical eff
ficiency of our service, each officer
and employee, whatever may be his
rank or duty, must at all times con-
slider the moral efficiency, and this
means first of all that he should treat
all patrons of the company and others
with whom he may come into contact
with politeness and courtesy. This
is primary rule of management of
Southern railway company, but it is
no more than each officer or employee
himself expects of every one from
whom he buys. This rule should be
observed regardless of the amount Of
business that the individual may give
to the company, not only because that
is the part of a gentleman, but from
self-interest, for the occasional trav-
eler or the small shipper of to-day
may be the constant traveller or the
large shipper of tomorrow. A nurs-
ed grudge growing out of a surly
answer has been responsible for many
of the troubles of the railroads. Let
US then all try to please the public.
"The station agent should remem-
Der that at his station he is the
southern Railway company and that
public opinion regarding the COM
pany in his community is very large
his responsibility. In addition to
maintaining the highest efficiency at
his station, he should see to it that
he and his subordinates maintain
pleasant and agreeable manners in
meeting the public and that all ques-
tions, even unreasonable questions,
are answered with politeness and
courtesy.
cit is equally important that train
men shall observe the rule Of cour-
tesy and politeness, giving full, re-
sponsive and intelligent information
to those passengers who solicit it
about anything that may happen on
the road. The operation of railroad
is interesting to every intelligent man
and the more information such a
man has about actual conditions the
more he will understand the difficult
ties encountered in operation and so
contribute to sound public opinion.
81 am proud to believe that tne
general average Of courtesy and
politeness in the Southern railway Or
garization will compare most favor
ably with that of any railroad in the
United States. Good manners are
traditional in the south and our men
are southern men. This is attested
by many letters which are received
by the management commencing in
vidual employees for conspicuous acts
of courtesy and painstaking efforts
to serve our patrons.
occasionally, however, letters are
received complaining O. instances OF
discourtesy. These may be entirely
eliminated if each officer and en-
ploye will adopt as his rule Of conduct
the declaration by the late President
Finley that He serves the railroad
best who serves the public best
HAD BLOODY FOURTH.