The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-11-14
Editoia 60
on Cunent subisets
PREss ACCENT STUFF.
TIA Tra3Eic World

PdES6 SSE4NA Sl9ECS
From the TEafdc World
Theodore Il Prince, actuary TO the
q. s. Railroad administration, seems
TO have evolved into something OF q
press agent Tor his employers. Bis
latest EFFORT, which makes about dye
columns Of ordinary newspaper
copy" d45rfbuted widely for pubh-
cation, Is entitled, by the author The
Public Be Blessed and q devoted to
discussing the Bureau for Suggestions
and Complaints, facctfouSly dubbed,
''The Railroad Bureau for BrtckbetS
and Bouquets" recently Instituted by
the Railroad administration. II the
article were confined to mere explanR-
ton OF the working Of this bureau and
its value we should have no parGcu-
lar criticism, though perhaps the ne
nesstty and propriety OF press agent
ing by the administration are open
to question. but this particular outgt =
ing IS almost maUdlin in spots In Its
attempt to show the great benefit re.
sulttng from government operation OF
the railroads, and, like most other
press agents, its author attempts 70
prove too much
A large part of the article Is taken
ND with the reproduction Of STORY"
in a Des Moiues newspaper by re-
porter who Is supposed to have been
assigned, or who assigned himself, to
the task OF writing up" the diScour-
tesy Of railroad employees, now that
they work for the government, but
who found the facts so different from
the expectation that he wound up by
praising everybody and everything In
most unctous fashion. Most persons
who read the STORY" would conclude
either that the reporter had ideal1zed
the conditions somewhat in order to
be interesting. or that his experience
had been most unusual.
The first thing he did was TO go
to a ticket Office and ask for the
manager" That official most cour-
teousIy searched through big VOLUMES
and many maps In order to INFORM the
reporter the best way to set from Des
Motnes to Skeedunk Hollow, Mo. He
did not turn him over to a~clerk nor,
strange to say, did he attemptto force
him to buy ticket. AT other offices
he used the same tactics only to be
met with the same unfa1ling courtesy
and attention. At one place he even
called on the manager OF the .divt-
SION but that worthy was out so his
chief clerk called on the freight traf-
fic manager for help and these two
struggled to give the reporter the in
formation he Wanted-what 1t was he
does not say. But the climax was
capped when he sought out brake
man at the station and gave him q let
ter to mail on the fast train at the
junction with another line. The tired
brakeman, moppipg his perspiTtng
brow with one hand and taking the
letter with the other, oblfgingly agreed
to do what was asked
This story is reprinted by Mr.. Price
to show that the tales OF discou-tesy
by railroad employees under govern
ment operation are unwarranted. It
seems to US itproves lot more than
that-among other things that rail
road employees are no longer human.
bat that the divine touch OF govern
ment operation has transformed them
into nothing less than angels-augeIs
who, In their desire to be sweet and
courteous, do even more than the !
most exacting patron would have any
right to ask or expect Either that or
this reporter must be Superlatively |
captivating person. Probably no one |
hut the writer OF that newspaper story !
ever had such an experience either !
under or before government opera
ito 11of the railroads.
we are not OF those, either, II there |
be any. who think that government |
has changed railroad employees into a
gang of thugs. We thing they are ]
much as they were before-some Of |
them gentlemen and some Of them not
but we believe that the tendency OF |
taking the roads out OF private hands
and out OF competition is to alter to !
an appreciate extent, perhaps not the |
courtesy Of railroad employees, but the
attention such Of them as come in |
contact with the public give to pa
irons. This is for the simple and eco /
norically sound reason that the de-
sire to get new business and retain old |
customers is the controlling motive