THE VOICE OF THE BOOK

[Music] [Applause] [Music] a lot of us refer to our city as a town a railroad town oh there are many different businesses of course but we fellows who live here and work for the road we kind of think of it as our [Music] town a good town a busy town now in these modern times with so much activity keeping wheels turning and goods moving there are hazards in all Industries and Enterprises but in our town on all our jobs we've done a big thing in the last year oh we're not bragging or taking anything for granted but we've learned to work and to live more safely you see we've learned to pay attention to the voice of the book what is this voice of the book anything Supernatural about it oh no but there's magic in it the magic of Common Sense and to show you how it came about let's go back a year back to a day in June and a scene of Youth June a year ago and a boy named Charlie Todd who works for the railroad a girl named Sally Kendrick and Sally's mother mapel [Music] Kendrick June a year ago and a scene of Duty meet Charlie's Uncle George Todd he's come a long way up the railroad ladder a Stern boss but a fair one what's that sign say Tommy be where you are with all your mind what's it mean to you well it means that wherever I am and whatever I do I should concentrate you know use my head call that using your head what's that one say the law of accidents is the law of cause and effect standing on the swivel chair would have been the cause and a bad fall would be the effect believe I'll donate them to my successor well dick how do you feel ready for work but I'm holding here in the carpet why is that Mr Todd sit down dick you're through at the hospital and you're here for my final treatment when I visited you I tried out a theory of mine on you and the other men in the accident Ward remember I put this question can you fellows honestly say that you were surprised when you had your accidents didn't a little inside voice warn you and didn't you refuse to listen and so you had your Falls or whatever it was all except you said yes dick you were the only Railroad Man in that hospital you an old timer taking a fall like that look out there I'll bet his inner voice is warning him get a good grip before you start didn't you hear a voice speaking up before you took your fall at that time I was thinking of something else a row with my wife you had no right to be thinking of anything anything else fellow follows that rule his inner voice will have a chance to be heard well glad to have you back and you've had your last lecture from me so you're through on the road retiring the saddest day in the life of any Railroader won't seem n you without a to around here well there have been Todds on the road for a good many years and there'll be one to keep up the tradition my nephew Charlie to yeah heard he qualified as a fireman if he ever Fires for me I'll look out for that boy thanks dick that boil means a lot to me yes and Charlie Todd means a lot to miss Sally Kendrick too oh Jo oh I'm so happy yeah me too I have another surprise for you I have a wonderful new job mother we're engaged and Charlie's quit the railroad oh oh that's Splendid with the railroad I should say not I am a fireman now a a fire yeah right in line for an engineer's job in a few years that's absurd Charles for Sally's sake and your own good we must get you out of that messy old railroad and into something more suitable there's a whistle bye Mrs Kendrick bye Sally see you later oh so now he's a fireman and you could have had your pick of the finest young men in this town but I love Charlie he loves me and the railroads his career then my dear we'll just have to change careers for [Music] him Charlie I want to see you [Music] Uncle George I've got news for you Sally and I and I've got news for you got to lay you off till the lesson sinks in what is all this if you want to run the 100 yard dash go on out to the athletic field so I ran across the tracks so what so you could have been maimed or killed you know the rules but your mind is on Sally you forgot everything you ever learned about safety now just a minute Uncle George excited boy the road holds me responsible for your conduct and compliance with our rules yeah and you're always laying down the law to grown men as though we were children now just a minute Charlie don't say things you'll regret well I've had enough of it I'm through so you're a quitter eh no I'm no quitter but I'm sick and tired of these lectures I'm through at this daed road for good and all goodbye [Music] charie the mayor and somebody from the school board Tommy We you bring that chair up there surely now you can show them in okay won't you come in please oh Mrs Wallace this is an honor won't you be seated and Sam I mean I mean Mr Mayor the mayor is here to get a few pointers from the railroad so he can make our city a lot safer if your railroad was half as safe as the rest of our Fair City now listen Sam I just visited a friend in the hospital know something he was the only Railroad Man there just one railroad accident case in the whole War the rest were hurt around home or in some fool automobile accident what's that prove it proves that industry the railroads and all our big plants we have safety training and it works as for the rest of the city no safety program at all have to excuse our friend George he's a nut on safety never lets up but now let's give him our message we want you to speak at the high school graduation exercises next week me I'm no public speaker you've got to oh no can't let you off George you graduated here just 50 years ago 50 years ago was my class that far back that's right and since is an anniversary occasion we have a special program Wednesday you know apart from the regular exercises sorry you'll have to get some other member of my class to make the speech now see here George General manager's cars in the station he's on his way to your office but you'll want to stay in no no you're busy and uh I'll be seeing you don't disappoint us Mr Todd he won't I don't know George nice to see you certainly good to see you my friends just gave me a shock said I have to make a speech at the graduation exercises oh that I have to hear when is the great occasion next week Wednesday but oh uh I'll be heading back this way that day chair Mr McDaniels no I have to go George I I just dropped in to wish you good luck good fishing and all that I hate to leave the road I know how it is George if there's anything I can do for the road well I've given a lot of thought to safety work I know you have George you've done a good job a real credit to the [Music] role well I'll will see you next week I certainly want to hear your big speech there'll be no speech from me [Music] the last of the Todds why did I have to get him sore maybe I am always lecturing laying down the law [Music] now they want me to speak to the young folks not [Music] me my speeches have made trouble [Music] enough well Mr Todd if you're tired of me already oh no Sally I I lost my job I'm all through on the railroad talked myself right out of a swell job maybe if I went back and explained to them that mother This Time Charlie's really through on the road oh how nice I knew Charles would consider our feelings and now your Uncle Fred will have something for Charles at the store and I'm going to telephone him right now but but I don't want anything at the store I don't want to retirement a life of leisure but there's no Todd on the railroad to carry [Music] on a smart new job for a well-groomed young man [Music] can I help you sir yes sir I like look please which one would you like sir you see that [Music] number six is on time you like to go back on the road Charlie would I yes sir I think I would can you get me the phone sure hello ma yeah my nephew Charlie I'd like to go back on the road all right thanks m report to Mac in the morning thanks Uncle George are you leaving us oh yes sir good good look dear it's Mabel Kendricks and Charlie and Sally I want to talk to George evening Mabel George Todd I've got a bone to pick with you oh hello kids come on in sit down make yourselves comfortable oh now why must you interfere with Sally and Charles spoil their happiness you talked to them Uncle George Sally and I have been battling ever since I told her I could have my fireman's job back you did it George Todd you egged him on you and your precious old railroad naturally Sally and I opposed I just don't think railroad work is safe well now you've all had your say maybe I can Charlie will just have to choose between me and the railroad oh Sally never make a man choose between you and his career right then too I'm ambitious for Charlie yeah and she just doesn't think the work is good enough for him a fireman well nothing to stop him from going right to the top of the ladder and if he's careful of course of course you be careful oh Sam how nice hello Grace George in yes indeed oh am I intruding why it's mayor puer how do you do Mr Mayor how do you do getting out the vote Sam no no Schoolboard business will you uh excuse us I've definitely made up my mind George that you've got to make that speech get some other member of my class no one left but you it's not right of all those fine kids 50 years ago so few who live their lives out and so many taken before their time by accidents come on George we're depending on you why not speak on Railroad work as a career my subject will be the voice of the book another day in our town a special day in June [Music] a great day and a nervous [Music] [Music] orator Mabel didn't want to come but I made her what about Sally and Charlie new shoes hurt right one pinches a little left one never bothers me oh now don't you be worried George you'll be wonderful I may not be as wonderful as you think as soon as I seem to be boring the folks use your handkerchief I'll be darned there's McDaniels oh isn't that nice I'll go out and take care of [Music] him and now our City's own Mr railroad a man we hold in Pride and esteem a man who was graduated from this school just 50 years ago Mr George Todd ladies and gentlemen of the graduating class I know what this occasion means to you 50 years ago I never thought I'd make it but longsuffering teachers stuck by me and got me through with a diploma in my hand today you young people are at the front end of a life that can be one wonderful and as safe as you'll let it be of course I've been in the transportation business most of my life so don't hold it against me for thinking the railroads have had a lot to do with the comfort and safety of our modern travel now I have no prepared speech but for a few moments I'd like to talk to you about the voice of the book I'm going to remind you of the little inner voices that speak to every one of us what do I mean by such voices right now an inner voice is speaking to everyone in this room right now a little voice is asking each one of you is that dull old man going to bore us for hours now here's a Shabby old scrapbook I've been pasting it up for years I want everyone to start a book of your own not a book like this because frankly all this printed matter is worthless until it's in the head what I mean is a mental scrapbook which includes everything in a company book of saf rules everything you've been told about safety every sign motto and slogan of safety every label on a can container or piece of equipment pertaining to safety and Safe Handling that's what this book is made up of you couldn't tote any such load as this on your rounds but the information won't take up much room in your heads and if it'll be a grim reminder that life is Relentless in enforcing the law of accidents the law of cause and effect that law applies from the Cradle to the Grave it's the law that shows us in early youth that a loose shoelace is a cause and a bad fall the effect now then no matter what job you go into office store railroad or factory you'll find safety rules basic Common Sense rules that you can apply not merely on the job but in the home and on our streets and highways absorb the rules get them in your mental book then they'll help you to develop a constant alertness to the possibilities of harm to yourself at work and in your leisure hours start your book so it'll have a voice in your life a voice that'll speak up just when you need it most whether you're on the job driving a car hanging a picture or doing anything else that calls for concentration well then a Daydream can put a person in the hospital or the morg so here's something for everybody's book no matter what you're doing be where you are with all your mind in this fine graduating class there are I hope many young men who will take up railroading as a career and there are many young ladies who will marry young railroad men I want to speak particularly to you and to all who have relatives working for the rail road and when you go home and spread the word I'm giving you here somebody sure to say well darn that old George Todd and that's all right because maybe they'll listen to you where with me they often get sore now railroads don't exist in a vacuum and railroad men have a home life and I'd like to bring a better understanding into all your homes so I'll tell you some of the situations we try to prepare our men for what a railroad man's inner voice should tell him as it speaks to him from his book now picture this as I go along the book and the voice tell a man stop look both ways before you cross the tracks and watch your step that rule is just as good off the job on foot careful people listen to The Voice and obey when crossing a street stop look both ways before you cross take a man who's careful on the job he shouldn't let himself be careless or too smart and important to listen to his inner warning voice when he's off duty in a car off the job and on your own your safety and that of others is strictly up to you and the familiar highway signs of Life have a voice that every good driver can hear and should [Music] obey every sign has a lot of thought and meaning behind it every sign is put there for your protection and when one of those signs reads stop it really speaks with a voice every every driver should hear careful drivers smart drivers always heed all the signs of life again take a railroad man who works on and around cars his voice tells him getting on and off make sure of your grip make sure of your footing same rule applies to you getting in or out of bathtubs or automobiles have a good grip and make sure you're going to step where you should take the rules for the use of equipment every rule makes sense and Rule and voice tell a man make sure before you go ahead by the way you don't need big expensive equipment to have an accident oh no you can have a an accident right around home with very simple equipment take the case of placing an ordinary step ladder the voice tells you to get the legs firmly set and the hinged brace fully extended well with safety measures you can't leave out a single step or all may fail so right there you have a cause and the effect can be painful at home or at work accidents are not funny they cost time they cost money and the sad part is they can hurt others and sometimes ruin a whole family I first started to think about safety many years ago long before we had safety programs there was a certain young Railroad Man and the one rule he went by was go ahead take a chance if you don't you're a so one day this fellow came running through the freight yards he didn't bother to look both ways and in full stride he stepped on a rail and [Applause] [Music] fell well he wasn't killed but he was hurt badly I'm positive about these facts because I was that young man point I want to make is this in those days we fellows didn't know any better we had no safety rules and no encouragement to listen to Inner warning voices accidents were commonplace and seemed inevitable then gradually over the years a lot of men devoted a lot of thought to the subject of safety railroads and other Industries spent and continue to spend millions of dollars to drive home their messages so that all of us no matter where we work or what we do may be safer on the job and and off the job that's a great Advantage you have today over the Youth of my day remember that ladies and gentlemen of the graduating class because a successful and a safe career in your chosen field is possible for each and every one of you speaking of careers there's a man in this room who started as a call booy now he's general manager of the railroad why when it comes to railroading as a career I could go on for hours guess I've talked too long now when you go out I hope you'll remember about the voice of the book joke about it if you like because that'll show you not only remember but take it to heart start your own safety book today each and every one of you listen to its voice and Obey that voice and I hope you will all be back here 50 years from today to celebrate the anniversary of this occasion thank you for listening and God bless you all [Applause] M speech George oh thanks Sam oh you stopped as soon as I could after you used your handkerchief what what but I was so proud I was crying no congratulations George the finest safety talk I ever heard thanks Chief look here Mr Mayor many communities have reduced their accident ratio by being organized for safety not many cities have a George Todd available and ready suppose it did any good for Charlie and Sally or did I only make it worse for them oh good jge Charlie you're going back to work you bet I am Mr McDaniels won't you come over to our house Refreshments I'm asking the Todds and our mayor of course [Music] that was a year ago in our town there's been a lot of talk about the voice of the book why we even joke about it but you'd be surprised how many of us have started our own books and pay heed to our inner voice of warning [Music]