Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-04-07
WORD TO CONDUCTORS
CAUTION ISSUED BY PROMINENT
WESTERN RAILROAD.
Employees May Safeguard the Inter.
ests of the Company in Many Ways,
Chiefly Through the Exercise
of Tact and Courtesy.

In campaign to reduce damage
suits the management of one of the
great western railroads has addressed
an interesting communication to the
conductors of that system. The letter
to the conductors follows:
The attention Of conductors is di-
rected to the frequency of lawsuits
brought against the company for al
legged delinquencies for which the com.
pany is held responsible through the
act of it's agent, the conductor. A
large number of such cases are either
fictitious or do not possess sufficient
merit upon which to justify jury in
returning a verdict against the com
pany, although the burden is upon the
company to defend itself Juries gen
orally sympathize with the individual
bringing the suit and naturally lean in
that direction. The situation is quite
a serious one, as the cost to the com
pany of defending these suits is enor-
nous, outside of the question of the
verdicts that may be rendered against
the company.
AN analysis of the suits brought
will, to certain extent, offer guide
as to how many of these cases may
be avoided. 1t will be observed that
a very large per cent of them are
based on alleged assaults, discourtesy
and wrongful ejectment. 1t is well I'm.
derstood that conductors are frequent
ly confronted with situations calculat-
ed to overtaX the patience of the or
binary man. They should, however,
remember that to very large extent
the reputation of the railroad is in
their keeping. The conductor is one
of the few employees who comes in
daily contact with the public and in
a very responsible way. 1t is abso-
lutely necessary that he lay aside all
personal feeling and understand that
he is called upon to exercise patience
and discretion much beyond the ordi.
nary. In his position it is incumbent
upon him to cultivate the arts of cour,
tesy, tactfulness and diplomacy, re.
membering that a soft answer turn
eth away wrath and that the exercise
of good judgment will controvert fraud
ulent designs and that diplomacy will
outgeneral those who may be seeking
to lay the foundation to mulct the com.
pany. The general public, and partic-
ularly fellow passengers, are not dis.
posed to be unfair. If diplomatic pub,
licity is given to complicated situa,
tons when they arise, the sympathy
Of the prospective witnesses can be en-.
listed in the company's behalf. If a
! conductor takes broad view of the
conditions, permitting nothing to an,
ger him, or to induce him to enter into
controversies or personal alterations
he is thrice armed. He should take
the precaution of enlisting the sym,
pathy of number of witnesses, ex
| planning carefully to them his position
and reQSest the latter to explain his
side of the controversy, if he will; in
other words, the case can be frequent
fore those who are conversant with all
of the details and surrounding condi
tons and in this manner disposed Of
1T is, of course, understood that all
| of the conductors were not guilty as
charged in the lawsuits; the fact is
that but few of them were. A number
have, however, unquestionably laid the
company liable in damages by failure
to follow the line of conduct which is
deemed proper under such circum
stances. Through tactfulness on the
part Of the conductors, however many
of the cases could possibly have beer
avoided. The company does not OBJ
ject to defending conductor when ht
is in the right; it cannot defend hin
when he is in the wrong, but itmay bt
compelled to respond in damages b!
reason of his act"