Republican farmer., 1919-09-05
TRYING
 OF PLUMB PLAN
 AT BIC ARSENAL
Baker Says War Dept. Has Not Turned Over Plant
 to Workers.
SOUGHT COOPERATION ONLY BAKER ASSERTS
Commanding Officer on Rock Island is Still Boss
 of Enterprise.

Washington. Sept. 3.---H:sh officials of the War Department yesterday
 promptly repudiated -lc idea con Neyed by leaders of Lha Plumb plan movement that the Government had turned over control of production ac- tiviies at the Rock Island Arsenal to the workers under an arrangement which was alleged to be an applica- ton by the Government itself of the principles Of tho Plumb plan
 While Secretary of War Baker re- fused to he drawn into any cont-o- versy over what had been done at Rock Island Arsenal. he made it very plain orally that he did not regard the experiment a- Rock Island as an application of the principles of the Plumb plan for nationalization Of in dusJry. He also made it very plain that the Government had rot turned over control of all or part of the work at Rock Island Arsenal 10 the work CTS
 The authority of the commauding ofIicer.'' said Secretary Baker lis as complete as it has always been.'' Secretary Baker had a conference with General Charles C. Williams. Chief of Ordnance of the War Depart- mcnt. who aiso repudiated the inti- nation that the Government had re- linquished any of it's authority at Rock Island to the workers or adopt ed the Plumb plan ideas. General ! Williams sent a telegram to Colonel Harry P. Jordan. Commandant of the Rock IslauI Arsenal in which he de- Died that the harness shop at the ar senaI had been turned over to the ---~'Iers or that such steps for so- called "dcmocra atizatEoa of industry
 Va-Fnrr ffN hr fol the Government. The telegram fol lows.
 Referring to statements in many papers that the harness shop at Rock Island Arsenal had been turned o--er 70 workers the Secretary of War in formed me personally that he had no intention Of allowing interference in any way with the authority and re- sponsibiIity of the management in conducting affairs at the arscnals. You are authorized to give publicity to this statement"
 General Williams asserted most
 positively that not only had the gov
 ernment not turned over the harness
 shop 10 the workers. but that it did
 not propose 10 turn over the man
 aEement Of the arsena1s to them.
 The policy" he said. lis that the government is responsible for the
 management of these arsenaIs. and il
 intends to clius to that respons:bil-
 ity.'
 General Williams insisted that
 nothing which had been done in rhe experiment at Rock Islad was to be
 regarded as being in any wise radi-
 cal move. He said he was familiar
 with what had been done in private
 industry in an effort to improve reIa-
 tions with workers, and that the ex-
 pertinent at Rock Island paraueIed
 what had been done in certain plants
 of private industry.
 Secretary Baker issued this formal announcement in repudiation of the idea that the Government had turned
 over the Rock Island arsenal harness
 shops 10 the workers and of the effort to make it appear that the principles
 of the Plumb plan had been adopted
 at that, or any other arsenal. The publication of the coresDCnd- ence between representatives If ar senal employees and the Secretary of
 War has led to widespread rliluder-
 standing of the situation The War Department has Cncoura Eed the for matio1 of committees of it's employees in the arsenals. which committees consult freely with the men and act
 in an advisory capacity to the man
 agement on questions of shop cond:- tiOrs. production and wages. By this means hearty cooperation has been secured and complete sympathy be- tween the management and the em- ployes has resulted.
 The authority of the management. however, is wholly undiminished by the advisory relation of the committee the management of the plant is undisturb rbed-the Government op- crates them, and the authority of the commanding officer is as complete as it always has been.
 "The whole purpose of the steps which have been taken is to bring about understanding and good feeling but not in any sense to part with either the responsibility or the au- thority of the Government in the man. agoment of these industrial enter prises''