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please or irritate.  A tactless, disgruntled
clerk or trouble man can arouse more resent-
ment than the general manager can counter-
act.
  This is the only sure method of keeping out
of politics.  Politics thrives on dissension.
A politician inherently is attracted to
questions in which much interest is taken. If
you can establish friendly relations with your
consumers individually, the politician senses
that there is no political capital for him should
he attack the company, therefore he confines
his efforts to other subjects.
  The same underlying policy that gains the
goodwill of your employees, if adopted in the
treatment of your customers, will gain their
friendship. That friendship once attained,
you will find that the most difficult problem
of public utility operation ceases to exist.
  The American public is fair and will meet
you more than half way if it is convinced
that you are playing a square game. Michael
Pupin, in his autobiography, "From Immigrant
to Inventor", cites an instance of this feeling
of fair play in his very interesting experiences
when, as a young immigrant Serb, he landed
in this country attired in the clothes of a
peasant and wearing a red fez. As he walked
up Broadway, he attracted considerable atten-
tion among newsboys. One boy knocked his
fez from his head and Pupin immediately
attacked him and, after a short scuffle, knocked
him down. He expected others to come to the
rescue of their fallen comrade, but he was sur-
prised to find that they admired his pluck and
did not interfere. When a policeman walked
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