Page:The truth about the railroads (IA truthaboutrailro00elli).pdf/19

Rh men and their representatives during 1913 came into touch with each one of nearly nine hundred million users of railroads. In each of nine hundred million instances some man had a chance to make or mar the reputation of his line and to affect just a little the attitude of the people toward the transportation business. Nine hundred million instances of courtesy and attention, or nine hundred million passengers completing a journey with a feeling that the railroad was interested in their comfort or pleasure, would constitute a great leverage, moving public sentiment into better channels.

Not only the passenger man but railroad men in general can build up cordial relations in this way, and have an opportunity to place before the people the real facts about the railroad business of this country, which will show a majority of the American people—who are unfair only because they do not fully understand this question—that the railroads cannot indefinitely provide at rising costs the increasingly good service which the public demands and should have, and survive, unless Rh