The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-08-02
A LITTLE RED TAPE
OFTEN NECESSARY

INeHlutHtS VI 4NtNdud WHO RO 10 ostH
Francisco and have business with the
different heads of departments of the
Southern Pacific or Western Pacific
railroads often complain of the "red
tape" encountered in securing the de-
sired interviews. Col Place explains
in this interview some of the things
people should take into consideration
before imagining they are turned
down." or did not get to see the Off
Ger they sought at the very minute
they called.
Many people labor under the mis-
taken idea that heads of great cor
porations are well-night unapproach-
able. in a business way, wherein the
ordinary citizen is concerned. One
gets the impression that if a presi-
dent of a railroad, or a bank, or a
trust company, has what people term
an outside guard" in his office, it
means approaching the king through
emissaries, and that the guard, or,
more properly speaking, the secre-
tary, decides whether or no you may
see the great man." It's true that
heads of great corporations do have a
secretary whose business it is to as
certain from the caller what his busi-
ness may be with the head. A great
many times ii is a matter that can
be easily adjusted by the secretary
right there and then. without any ap-
peal TO the 'higher-up.' Then, again,
the matter in question oftimes comes
comes under some other department
Tor decision. and the citizen is di-
fected properly. thereby saving time
and avoiding unnecessary interviews.
IF every one was allowed to bolt
into an office unannounced, the time
If an executive would be frittered
away, with nothing accomplished IN
ny direction. One must remember
hat they are not the only ones seek
ing an interview with the president
or general manager. Others have been
here ahead of you and made arrange
.Aents for holding a meeting, whicn
lay be going on at the very minute
Tou make your call A board meet
ing may be in progress, slated for
that day and hour a month before.
IL eads of the different departments
may be in executive session with the
man you want TO see. He may be
busy with his correspondence-some-
thing of the utmost Importance, which
you could hardly ask him to leave
instanter to talk with you.
MANY people only make half
hearted effort to obtain the desired
meeting, and go away believing they
have been slighted, when the fact was
they just walked in and walked right
out again" No one knew who they
were or what they wanted.
what a stockman said to me yes
terday here in Winnemucca will best
illustrate that point. He had some
little complaint in reference TO the
exact time cars should have been
placed at his disposal for the loading
of his stock.
He explained the ifs and ands' OF
the case and wound up by saying that
he was down to San Francisco, but
nobody at the Office paid any atten-
ton to him. l asked him who he went
to see in reference to the matter.
Well he said, i didn't see anybody;
everybody was busy. and fellow
there told me the general manager
was out, so / didn't bother them.
"Now, this man didn't do justice to
himself or the company. He went
away nursing a complaint that could
have been Strengthened up in five min
Utes 1Ie didn't even give anybody q
chance to look into the matter. He
didn't want to bother anyone
THE men employed by our com
pany are paid to be bothered from
President Levey down. They want the
business of this country. They know
that they can only get it by courtesy,
fair treatment and honest endeavor;
the last thing in the world that they
look for is trouble with a patron, or
to do a single thing that will cause
dissatisfaction among its shippers.
Every railroad has complaints;
no road wants them; ninety per cent
of them can be avoided if the public
will work in halfway harmony with
the road it patronizes and get away
from the thought that the officers are
unapproachable and that the shipper
don't want to bother anybody.
There is no officer of the Western
Pacific railroad that cannot be seen
and talked with like any other human
being. and it extends cordial invita-
ton to every person in Nevada who
has business with it, or expects to
have, to call upon the head Of any
department, at any time. who will ne
glad to talk with and advise upon any
subject matter they may have in ref
erence to their dealings with the com
pany.
"I'm not giving this for an adver-
tisement; it's answering your qu>