Republican farmer., 1919-08-08
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS

American FederatOn government ownership democracy the operation of railroads
 The event is of the most important in American his tory and marks the beginning of struggle which will be long and bitter short and difficult pleasant the course of events shall dictate
 There is nothing new in proposal for the of railroads In countries railroads have been naonaliz ed for long time American railroads opera ed by the government.
 acquiring the railroads proposed by the workers are not new The IS asked to issue ponds s h the proceeds thereof acosre the stock of the rail private paying them the amount actually invested for the service of the public.
 is not of that railroads, other public ul es should be operated by government through manage ment provided by government.
 Any city which owns its water works, operates them through persons selected the city usually by the mayor Sometimes great system of railroads will be operated through single usually called receiver chosen by a court.
 In Connecticut the trolley Connecticut pany directed by board of trustees named by court
 Up point there nothing that varies much from the abundant in the relations of and roads and other utilities
 Railroads operated by governments acquired by condemnation and agreements for the purpose being operated these things abundany provided for in the usual customs and laws of the land.
 The railroad workers want something more. After the railroads have been acquired by government from the ceeds of the bond issues at price udcia declared they particular kind of management which novel to rail- road operation.
 management selected by court, management chosen entirely by government they want management the President five elected by the operating officers and five by the classified employees the classified employees
 
 The plan of the railroad institutes erence not found in usual types of ownership of public utilities
 post office instance, by the government operated with the idea of paying all but not the purpose of producing profit The postal employees work fixed but do not share in surplus similar fund In fact since there surplus there is nothing to share
 The post office is an example of public utility operated at cost.
 But the muncipaly company in Hartford after paying its shows profit and this belongs to
 
 The plan of the railroad workers to operate the railroads at profit that that there will be left each year. after expenses paid
 This surplus profit would be divided equally between the government and the
 The half going the would be divided that each operating department of the railroads would get double the share of each classified worker
 The railroad workers therefore propose profit sharing type of public ownership.
 The program is evidently modelled on some of the indus plans which been worked out for factories.
 Given factory in which workers have been admitted to the board of directors and which workers receive in add ton to their predetermined share of the prof and you have fair example of what the railroad their for public ownership and democracy in the operation of railroads"
 The plan suggests certain analoges to the Soviet program as exemped in Russia. inaon shows these analogies to be false.
 Russia the Soviets government. they industry it industry public ownership in Russia therefore plain elhip the difference being that Soviet government is Re- publican form of government
 The so-called Plumb plan distinctly American government substituted private ownership profit sharing partnership with two classes of rail road workers the operators small number but superior ability and the classified workers the employees and these cooperate in the actually doing railroad business under directorate which the employer has ve the operating the brains five and the body of the employees who the work, five.
 It may be added that between the Plumb plan and the so plan of acquiring private property there the vast diff ference that exists between taking by conscaon and taking with compensation by due process of law
 CAUSE OF HIGH PRICES OLD IS cheap therefore prices high,