The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-08-19
McADOO ISSUES
ORDERS TO ALL
ROAD employees
Director General Issues Orders TO
Railroad Men Demanding COur-
teOus Treatment of Pas
sengers.

Director General McAdoo issued the
following order known as general or
der No. 40:
To all employees in the railroad SER
vice of the United States.
Complaints have reached me from
time to time that employees are not
treating the public with as much con-
sideration and courtesy under Gov
eminent control of the railroads as
under private control. ! do not know
how much courtesy was accorded the
public under private control, and /
have no basis therefore, for accurate
comparison. I hope, however, that
the reports of dicourtesy under Gov
ment administration 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
question which is of the utmost i'm
portance in the management of the
railroads.
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 damned"
policy will in no circumstances be
tolerated on the railroads under Gov
eminent control. Every employee of
the railroad should take pride in serv-
ing the public courteusly and eff
GENTLY Courtesy costs nothing and
when it is dispensed, it makes friends
of the public and adds to the self-re-
spect of the employee.
My attention has also been called to
the fact that employees have some
times offered as an excuse for their
own shortcomings or as justifica-
ton for delayed trains or other diff
culties the statement that Uncle Sam
is running the railroads now" or
"These are McAdoo's ORDERS" etc
! Nothing could be more reprehensiblC
than statements of this character, am
nothing could be more hurtful to tn,
success of the Railroad Administra-
ton or to the welfare of railroad EN-
ployees themselves, No doubt, those
who have made them have done SC
thoughtlessly in most instances, bu'
the harm is just as great if thing of
this sort is done thoughtlessly as II
it is done deliberately.
There are many people who for
partisan or selfish purposes wish
Government operation of the railroads
to be failure. very employee who is
discourteous to the public or makes
excuses or statements of the kind ]
have described, is helping these parti-
san or selfish interests to discredit
Government control of railroads.
Recently the wages of railroad en-
ployees largely increased, involving
an addition to railroad operating ex-
penses of more than $475,0OO,OOO per
! annum. In order to meet this in
crease, the public has been called up
on to pay largely increased passen-
ger and freight rates. The people have
accepted this new burden cheerfully
and periodically. The least that ev-
cry employee can do in return is to
serve the public courteously, faith
fully 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 mea.
sure up to our duty and to the Just
demand of the public that railroad
service shall not only be efficient but
that 1t shall always be COURTHOUSE,
administered.
w. ], McADOO,
Director General of Railroads