The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 6, Issue 4 (September 1, 1931.)
Best Must be Good
Best Must be Good.
There is another mental attitude that essentially is inimical to safety training. It allows one to put the outcome of any project, any venture, on the knees of the gods, so to speak. It is the philosophy of “do your best and God will do the rest.” A relaxful philosophy, since it allows a broad loophole for escape from responsibility. The “do your best” is essential, and in these days of complicated living and frenzied moving it has to be mighty good. Anybody's best leaves an awful load for Providence.
And there is the matter of attitude towards responsibility to the public. In the matter of railroad employees, in particular, my own reaction is almost invariably with the trainman. The right of way is his; strength, force, and superiority are his. He ought to be respected and waited for. But he isn't. He is dealing, you see, with daredevil stupidity. (I speak of the usual case of collision). He is dealing with the man too brave to count the risk.
There devolves upon his intelligence, then, the task of protecting not only himself, his company's interests and the manifold interests of the many involved, but, in addition, the safety and well being of the man who will not safeguard himself. A big task, and one that will not permit him to overlook even seemingly small contributions to its furtherance.