The labor standard., 1919-09-01
EFFICIENT SERVICE AT THE LOWEST
 POSSIBLE RATES
Plumb Plan Disclosures Show Railroads Capitalized for $2O,OOO,OOO,OOO-Worth Only $1O,OOO,OOO,OOO-3O Per Cent. on ssWater

WASHINGTON King, ex- ecutive secretary of the National Pop ular Government League, has issued the following for publication:
 I The discussion of the Plumb Plan for the solution of the Railroad Cues tion is shaking the entire country even Washington, from top to toe.
 Since the Civil War the railroads have been the greatest single corrupt ing influence in American government, local, state and national-from County Commissioners to Supreme Court judges.
 For that reason, if for no other, popular government men must take an active hand in the settlement of the railroad question. Our country can not be made safe for democracy" if old conditions return. It is the su- preme issue now before us, far more 1 important than who wins the next election. Neither the Republican or the Democrat parties offer construc- tive solution, and it is doubtful if they will. .
 '30 Per Cent. Profit on Water and All''
 There are few peoples men on Capitol Hill fighting on, hoping against hope; but a majority in both House and Senate seem galvanized into paralysis of stupidity, fear and inaction. Railroad bankers, through an obliging press, and an equal obllg- ing United States Chamber of Com merce, are endeavoring to convince the nation that "Government Owner ship has been a failure" Whereas we have not had government ownership, and even government control has not had fair chance. The officials of the railroads have been sabo tagging. We pay the iniquitous yearly rental of $94O, 100000 for the use of the rail roads. This equals as high as 30 per cent. profit to some of them on water and all The good things, the big things, done by the Railroad Admins tration are ignored. The people are in the dark.
 It is an open secret here in Wash ington that the real owners of the rail roads don't want them back unless the government will guarantee them at present an annual profit of $1,200, O0O,O0O to come out of advanced rates federal control worth whisper in the wind.
 Capitalized at s2O, O,00O, ,OOO, ,0OO-Wo Worth
 $1O,O0O,OOO,OOO
 It is an open secret here in Wash ington that the instant the speculative value is taken out of railroad stocks, cialism" will disappear, and the Big Boys will be ready to sell to Uncle Sam. The test will then come as to how much shall be paid. What basis of valuation will be adopted by the politicians now in control of the gov ernment? ' They are now capitalized at $20,- 0OO,OOO,OOO. They are actually worth about $1O,O00,OOO,OO We shall fight the subsidy business; we shall oppose any footing of the people through over-valuation; we are opposed to the resumption by the old regime.
 We have always held that before taking advanced steps into public own ership of utilities, the people should first own their government. That's why we work for twentieth century methods of self-governrnent, with the people in direct control, having new and adequate methods of publicity.
 Considering the selfshness, corrup- tion, incompetency and utter lack of vision exhibited by the politicians in control of both of the old parties, there are grounds for hesitating be- fore placing any serious public enter prises in their charge.
 Merit of Plumb Plan
 Here we arrive at the supreme mer- it of the Plumb Plan. The manage ment is taken out of politics. On the whole, it the best plan yet produced Best calculated to succeed normal con- ditions, and under present conditions, is backed by more power than any | other plan proposed in the public in- terest.
 One lie must be nailed here: the | officials did not threaten Congress with a strike. The govern ment was informed by the Brother hoods that, with the cost of living soaring into the skies, they would not be able much longer to hold their men, with the government doing nothing
 That if Congress or the President lid not act, the men would; but this had wholly to do with the wage situa- tion, and not with the Plumb Plan. Efficient Service at Lowest Possible
 It is untrue that the Plumb Plan is designed to benefit the railroad em- ployes as against the public. The amazing thing is, that, though coming Al.s II