The Farmington times., 1918-07-19
GOVERNMENT RAILROADS

In a very fine and loyal spirit the
public and the railway officials have
tried to adjust themselves to the ac-
tion of the government in taking over
the railroads.
It's anything to win the war. "The
government" said Ogden Armsur,
when war was declared, "can have
Armour & Co. The government can
have j. Ogden Armour. The govern
ment can have any man or group of
men in our organization. No exemp-
ton will be claimed"
And that has been the commenda-
BILE attitude of big business through
out the country. And of the people
generally.
We are willing to do without sleep
ing cars, dining cars and chair cars
if it means licking the Germans, just
as we gladly dispense with wheat,
meat and diamond necklaces.
l had to travel the other day, on
the crack railway of the United
States. l went to the ticket Office
and had to stand in line for half an
hour before / could get to clerk to
ask question. The clerical force
was entirely inadequate for decent
service.
When reached the clerk found
l was at the wrong place. He snap
ped at me, too. Although my only of
fense was desire to spend some mon
ey for ticket, felt as if / were up
before police magistrate for steal
ing chickens.
l went to another waiting line and
stood thirty minutes more. l bought
ticket. Then l paid tax on it.
Then another tax for riding in a
Pullman. Then a Pullman ticket.
Then tax on that. Five wallops they
gave me.
They had refused to reserve a berth
for me by telephone. They refused
to reserve berth from distant city
to another point by telegraph.
l don't object. They didn't take all
my money. had enough left to buy
30-cent meal in the diner for dol
lar-eighty and quarter to help pay
the porter's wages.
But if Gear McAdoo woud kindly
issue ukase to all railroad clerks
and herders of the public, asking them
to deal gently with the common peo-
pie, who are imbued with the desire
to contribute money to the roads, and
remind them that dead hens lay no
eggs, and instruct them to admins
ter little laughing gas of courtesy
when they extract our dollars, it
would help some.
Honest, I'm not pro-Gcrman. l am
not Bolshevik. I'm just bruised. I'll
take my punishment, if it's necessary.
But why keep on pounding man
when he's down?
Says B. C. Forbes, in his magazine:
"The abolition of ticket offices at
convenient points, the cancellation of
old-time privileges such as the return
and refund of unused Pullman tickets,
the looping off of passenger trains,
the curtailment of sleeping accommo-
dations, the over-crowding of trains
all this will save money for the new
railroad overlords, but the public will
have to foot the bill, not only finan-
cially, but at the cost of time, tenn
per, convenience and efficiency. So
far government controlled railroading
has not tended to whet the public's at
titude for the government ownership
of railroads. The attitude of many
railway employees toward the trav-
cling public has undergone distinct
and regrettable, but perhaps not un-
natural, change. Already there is no
ticeablc the proverbial hautiness Of
government officials. The men now
feel that their former bosses are no
longer bosses and that they need not
be overcareful how they act."-Dr.
Frank Crane.