New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-08-30
McADOO SCOLDS HIS OBTRE-
Porous RAILROAD EMPLOY
.EES FOR DISCOURTESY
GENERAL ORDER NO. 40.

To all employees in the railroad ser
vice Of the United States
Complaints have reached ne from
time to tima that EMPLOYEES are not
treating the public with as much
consideration and courtesy under
Government control Of the railroads
as under private control ! do not
know how much courtesy was al
forded the public under private con
troll. and | have no basis, therefore
for acurate comparison ! hope,
however, that the reports Of discour-
trsv under Government administra-
ton of the railroads are incorrect
or that they are at least confined to
a relatively few cases Whatever may
be the merits Of these complaints
they draw attention to a question
which is one Of the utmost impor-
tance in the management of the rail
roads.
For many years it was popularity
believed that "the public be damned"
policy was the policy of the railroads
under private control. Such a policy
is indefensible either under private
control or Government control. 1t
would be particularly indefensible
under public control when railroad
employees are the direct servants
of the public. "The public be damn
ed" policy will in no circumstances
be tolerated on the railroads under
Government control. Every eNploy-
ee of the railroad should take pride
in serving the public courtesly and
efficiently. Courtesy costs nothing
and when it is dispensed. it makes
friends of the public and adds to the
selfrespect Of the employee
Ny attention has also been called
to the fact that employees have
sometimes offered as an excuse for
their own shortcomings, or as JUS
tification for delayed trains or other
difficulties the statement that "Unclc
Sam is running the railroads now
or "Thesc are McAdoo's orders" etc
Nothing could be more. reprehensible
than statements of this character,
and nothing could be more hurtful
to the success of the Railroad Ad-
mnistration or to the welfare Of
railroad employees themselves No
doubt, those who have made them
have done so thoughtlessly in most
instances, but the harm is just as
great if a thing of this sort is done
thoughtlesly as if it is done deliber-
ately.
|. There are many people who for
partisan or selfish purposes wish
Government operation of the rail
roads to be failure. Every employ
ee who is discourteous to the public
or makes excuses or statements of
the kind I have described, is helping
these partisan or selfish interests
to descredit Government control Of
railroads.
Recently the wages of railroad en-
ployees were largely increased. in
volving an addition to railroad op-
Grating expences of more than $475,
100000 per annum. In order to meet
this increase, the public has beer
called upon to pay largely increased
passenger and freight rates. The
people have accepted this new burden
cheerfully and periodically The
least that every employee can do in
return is to serve the public cour-
teouslv, faithfully and efficiently.
A great responsibility and duty rest
upon the railroad employees of the
United States. Upon their loyalty
efficiency and patriotism depends in
large part Americas success and the
overthrow of the Kaiser and all
that he represents. Let us not fail
to measure up to our duty, and to
the just demand of the public that
railroad service shall not only be
efficient, but that it shall always be
courteously administered
w. G. McAdoo
Director General of Railroads