The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-07-19

''can have Armour & Co. The
government can have j. Ogden
Armour. The government can
have any man or group OF men in
our organization. No exemption
will be claimed"
And that has been the COM
mendable attitude of big bust
ness throughout the country, and
of the people generally.
We are willing to do without
sleeping cars. dining cars, and
chair cars if it means licking the
Germans, just as we gladly dis
pense with wheat, meat, and dia-
mond necklaces. But
l had to travel the other day
on the crack railway of the Unit
ed States l went to the ticket
office and had to stand in line for
half an hour before l could get
a clerk to ask question. The
clerical force was entirely made
Quate.
When 1 reached the clerk
found / was at the wrong place.
He snapped at me, too. Although
my only offense was a desire to
I felt as if l were up before a
spend some money for a ticket,
police magistrate for stealing
chickens.
l went to another waiting line
and stood thirty minutes more l
bought a ticket Then 1 paid
tax on it Then another tax for
riding in a Pullman. Then
tax on that. Five wallops they
gave me.
They had refused to reserve
berth for me by telephone. They
refused to reserve a berth from
distant city to another point by
telegraph.
don't object. They didn't take
all my money. / had enough left
to buy a 30-cent meal in the diner
for $3.50 and quarter to help
pay the porter's wages.
But if Gar McAdoo would
kindly issue ukase to all rail-
road clerks and herders Of the
public asking them to deal gent
ly with the common people, 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 administer a little laughing
gas of courtesy when they ex-
tract our dollars it would help
some.
Honest, I'm no pro-German.
am not a bolshevik. I'm just
A-l- te,1
ment, if it's necessary. But why
keep on pounding man when
he's down?
Says B. C. Forbes in his maya
zine:
"The abolition of ticket offices
at convenient points, the cancel
laton of old-time privileges such
as the return and refund of I'M
used Pullman tickets, the looping
off of passenger trains, the cur
tai1ment of sleeping accommoda-
tions, the overcrowding Of
trains-all this will save money
for the new railroad overlords, but
the public will have to foot the
bill, not only financially. but at
the cost of time. temper, con-
venience, and efficiency. So far
the government-controlled rail-
reading has not tended to whet
the public's attitude for the gov
eminent ownership of railroads.
The attitude of many railway
employees toward the travelling
public has undergone distinct
and regrettable, but perhaps not
unnatural, change. Already there
is noticeable the proverbial
haughtiness of government OFF,
Gals. The men now feel that
their former bosses are no longer
bosses and that they need not
be overcareful how they act.
1 had occasion a month or so age
/ a union station to inquire at the
lforma ton bureau for some needed
of train service. / made
lie inquiry from gentleman who
ID not appear to be overworked. He
ad a healthy look upon his face, the
roper relation Of avoirdupois to his
eight, and / saw no evidences oil
srvous prostration. | asked him il
=
ld-so, named on my Pullman ticket
#. He said, 1.-The same time, sir
always does" | was a stranger
that region. l informed him | was
1t regular habitue of the depot
Id was asking for information to
Tide myself accordingly, as l should
re, if possible, to have time for a
cal. He said, you oughtto know
hen the train leaves. That is post
up" / said it might have changed.
e said, 1.-The change would be not
:" He said. go over there on the
LII and read it," pointing me to the
her side of the depot. In the wait
9 room where | found at last, after
e search, train sheet in small
k-board frame, and | read it there.
d found the time of my train. |
mt back. / said, Il thank you for
ur courtesy" / said, IL wish YOU
understand, though, that 1 think
u are "a" blankety-blank. Here
e quotation will cease. He said.
am government officer, and such
T.