Politeness Not Wanted

In view of the fact that the varions petty employees oí' .large corporarioiiá are usually uot overb-ordened with politeness ór consideration for the public, the coinplaint reeeutly made against a passenger elevator man seems remarkabl& It was allfged that the man was ' ' too polite for saf ety. ' ' The man wlio was the subject of the complaint did what hundreds of elevator men do. When the elevator gets to the ground floor, the conductor usually steps out of the car to get a whiff of fresh air, to say a word to the hallman or possibly make inquiry about the ball game. The hallman or starter shouts "Going up!" to the people coming into the hall, and the elevator man stands in front of the cage and politely asks his passengers to "step in, "while he remains on the outside until the starter shouts '"L right!" Then he cuts his sentence short, steps into the cage, starts the elevator and slams the door after the asceut has begon. Most persons "step in" when asked to do so, but" occasionally a man with an eye to self preservation refuses to do so, and one of that class made the complaint. The man who iusists on the elevator man being in the car before he will go in is usually looked upou by the man of many ups and downs as foolishly careful, but owncrs of buildings who are held responsible for the safety of their tenants while riding in the elevators are pleased to see them flrm on that point. It may look well for a uniformed man to step aside and ask the passengers to precede hiin into the elevator cage, but many persons will agree with the man who made the complaint that it is a case of politeness which should be discourasred in the interest of safety.