New Britain herald., 1927-04-09
THE S.F.T.P.O.C.S.C.P.C.
BY JOHN ]. DAILY

Js JAIL
/ vention OF calling sleeping car por-
tiers George" and conducive to
membership growth. In fact, the
easiest thing on earth, provided. Of
course, a mans name Is George. is
to become a member In this society.
There is no initiation fee. There are
no annual dues; no expenses Of any
sort Everybody In the society works
for the Joy of working-the object
being near and dear to the hearts OF
Georgeana.
| While national headquarters are
maintained IN Washington. office
rent costs nothing. 1t Is donated by
one of the Georges. Secretarial work
is done as labor OF love; by an
other one OF the Georges. Stamps
for letters are furnished by the
combined Georges. Everything.
everything In the way OF service Is
free. There is only one thing that
worries the Georges and that Is the
length Of their societys name. In
a land where the slogan, II any, Is
Make 1t Snappy." sponsors Of the
S. +. I. Z. o. c. 8. C. P. G. have
decided to abbreviate the abbrevi-
alton; to cut 1t down to a simple
six-some: down to S. =. C. S. p. G.
Even that Is too long-say some
of the members; soon to be in the
| market for set OF buttons, some
what like the Pickwick Club used
years and years ago-big brass but
tons. with the initials S. p. C.. s. P.
G. George McManus. the cartoonist.
viii be asked to submit the design
for the button and it has been sug-
eested that it bear no resemblance
whatsoever to a Pullman car.
Given to abbreviation. and easily
recognizing the significance Of
initials, fellow Americans will soon
learn to know what s. P. C. S. P. G.
cast; when they adorn the lapels of
all men named George: men who
would give their good right arms
rather than have sleeping car
porters called out OF turn.
The Society for the Prevention OF
Calling Sleeping Car Porters
George" took lessons from others
that had gone before 1t. To begin
with. it placed its national headquar-
ters In the natural and logical place
for national headquarters-the ma
tons capital. In Washington. there
is said to be society. or lobby, or
organization Of some kind. for
every three persons In the city. All
have some fixed purpose: as. for in
stance. the increase OF human happi-
ness. the reduction Of taxes. cancel
lation of war debts. promotion of
peace on earth and good will toward
men, and women. the Illustration of
fratricide. the eradication Of the
boil weevil and the corn borer. and
other purposes that range all the
way from the sublime to the ridicu-
lous.
A few Of the societies that MAN.
tain national headquarters In Wash
ington accomplish their ends. forth
with. and go out OF business, auto
matically. Others. never quite real
izing the dreams OF their founders
and fathers. carry on, and on. and
on, and on and so will be doing bust
ness at the old stand when the
Union Jack is furled for the last
time and set down In the dust Of
ages.
While office space is to be rented.
secretaries paid, presidents and 9TH
or officers Of the societies housed.
fed. and clothed. Washington. as a
city. Is reluctant to see any OF these,
its guests. accomplish too soon what
they propose to do. They seldom dis
appoint AS sung In the old song:
1T may be for days. and 1t may be
forever" before the vast majority Of
these societies get through with
their selfappointed tasks: whatever
those tasks may be.
In all the history of Washington,
only one society lost no time in get
ting down to business. and doing
this without the usual huhbub -
further without issuing statements
to the press. Despite silent cam
paign for members. the S. p. c. S.
P. G. now boasts Of a ros,er p
preaching Notwithstanding to the
records OF its national secretary.
George II. O'Connor. Aside from his
official capacity as secretary Of the
S. p. G. s. P. G.. Mr.. O'Connor is
one OF the best known amateur sing
ers in all the land. certainly he
most popular In the city OF Wash
ington. where he Is known as the
entertainer OF Presidents, having
appeared before every President Of
the United States since the day OF
Mckinley.
IF there is one thing I would
rather do than anything else in
life" says Mr.. O'Connor, "it is get
rid OF this practice Of calling sleep
ing car rorters George"
1t begins to look now as II the
patient labor Of these men who be-
long to the s. P. c. s. P. G. Is about
to bear fruit. Though there was q
time when members thought seri-
ously Of having enacted a general
law which would forbid any person.
under penalty OF $500 fine and q
year in Jail. calling a Pullman car
porter by the name other than his
own. they finally rcconsidered the
matter and went about it in anoth-
er way. What they did amounts to
Stroke Of genius. Instead Of an.
tagonizing their fellow citizens, they
enlisted the support OF the Pullman
Car company itself. And today. as
result Of this bit OF diplomacy. there
are displayed in all sleeping cars
certain signs inscribed with prop
er names Of the porterA Once, but
only once in a while. is the name
OF porter seen to be George.
| With George Washington as It's
/