Railways Publicity Branch.

“It is not too much to say,” said Mr. Sterling, “that the Publicity Branch has as great a responsibility as any of my branches. Its difficulties are great—while the other branches, Mechanical Engineering, Transportation, etc., have the accumulated knowledge gained in years of development behind them, Publicity is a birth of yesterday. It has had to grow without the aid of precedents and under adverse conditions.”

“I believe,” he continued, “that it is doing its job, and that we have been fortunate in the staff chosen for the work. The public viewpoint is rapidly becoming focussed in the right place. According as it does, so is the Publicity Branch performing a duty that takes its operations far outside that class, which, in the dictum of the economists, is ‘non-productive’.

“Publicity has thus a definite place in Economics. It gives flesh and life to the skeleton of Commerce, and insofar as it does so, is related to humanity in that it helps us to realise those things that are best for humanity and sets them up as ideals towards which we may aspire.

“If I had to choose a text for Publicity it would be based on the responsibility that rests on you all—not only a commercial, but a moral, responsibility to make towards the betterment of the human race—to increase the sum total of human happiness. The dry bones of £ s. d. may rattle on,” exclaimed Mr. Sterling, “but give me, everytime, the living being of useful service which transcends all else and makes us men in the truest sense. By whatever we do that helps to increase human happiness we are discharging our duty and at the same time doing the best for our own true welfare.” (Applause.)

“I like to feel that the Publicity Branch of the Railways is bringing to our people something worth while, and I believe my staff are being guided by the same ideals. We should be lost without it. With it, I feel sure we can do a useful service for the community.” (Cheers.)

page break