Page:Hine (1912) Letters from an old railway official.djvu/47

 A. No, sir.

Q. Who sign for the train orders on your road?

A. Our conductors.

Q. Have not conductors and operators been discharged for signing each other’s names?

A. Yes, sir. We must maintain discipline. If the train orders are not respected, accidents will result.

Q. Then you have one policy for one class of employes, and allow your officials and clerks to be a law unto themselves?

A. Not exactly. As I said before we cannot afford so many officials.

Q. Whose initials are signed to your train orders?

A. The superintendent’s.

Q. Why?

A. Because it has always been that way on our road. It makes the order stronger.

Q. If initials make an order stronger, why not sign yours, or the president’s, or God Almighty’s?

A. That would be ridiculous.

Q. Then it is not ridiculous to sign the superintendent’s initials when he is at home in bed?