The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-01
LABOR LAUNCHES
GREATEST FIGHT
Railroad Problem UniteS All
Unions in Demand for Pub
lie Ownership and Demo-
cratic Control

no undertaking comparable. in size
or intensity, with the campaign for
| public ownership of railroads now
under way. The greatest previous
labor contest originated, as did the
present public ownership program
in the ranks Of the organized rail
way employees. That was the fight
of railroad labor for just working
conditions and for labor's right to
share in the democracy of the ma
ton, which eliminated in the pass
age by Congress Of the Adamson s.
hour law.
Now, added to the forces of the
railroad employees is the power of
all the workers of the American
Federation of Labor. The eight
hour fight anticipated results ben
eficial solely to railroad workers.
The entire burden of the conflict
was borne by the railroad employees.
Today all American labor realizes
that democracy in railroad opera
ton is of vital Importance to the
welfare of every American citizen;
that it is not a development of in
terest merely to the railroad work
er, but a question affecting every
employee and every citizen.
Labor looks back to a world war
which, resulting differently might
have left America paying tribute to
a foreign despot. Such tribute
would have been through a tax on
every article produced and every ar
ticle consumed by American people.
Labor looks forward, also, and is
throwing its massed weight into the
scale to protect America from pay
ment of comparable tribute, lev
led in just such manner through the
machinery of railroad rates, to local
railroad despotism.
1t is natural that the campaign
for public ownership and democracy
In operation of the railroads should
originate with the railroad brother
hoods. No other group of workers
has been in a position to discount
by personal knowledge the value of
the reasons advanced by private in
terests for return to private own
ership and operation. No other
group so clearly has seen the evils
of transportation system operated
for private profit at the expense of
public service; the sacrifice of
equipment and maintenance work
and efficiency to high returns on
dishonest capitalization; the ex-
ploitation of public good for private
greed.
1t is natural that through organ
lied labor the issue should be
brought into the minds of all the
people. Highly organ
lied and skilled, by years of expe-
rience and struggle for democracy,
labor necessarily is the first to OPP.
pose the unjust demands of a small
class to profit at the expense Of the
whole.
The Plumb Plan League is the
machine which labor has set up to
carry on its fight for justice in the
settlement of the railroad problem.
With Samuel Gompers acting as
President, its officers in
clude many of the most influential
leaders of national and information
al organizations.
In practically every labor organ
-zation throughout the country,
from the smallest local to interna-
.ional headquarters, committees to
cooperate with the Plumb Plan
League are being appointed. A
weekly publication, Railroad Dem
ocracy," will be sent to every mem
Der Of the League.
Response of labor union member
ships to the initial moves in the
campaign gives promise of tremen-
1ous personal and mass action dur
ing the coming months. Following
a discussion Of the railroad question
in one small Pennsylvania city, the |
Congressman from that district re
ported receipt of more than 1900 |
letters urging his support of the
Plumb Plan Over 100000 copies
Of the first pamphlet issued, THE
A. B. G.. of the Plumb Plan" have
been needed to supply the demand |
If labor organizations alone.
Advertisements in New York
have announced "a
und of more than a million dollars
already raised to secure the return
# the railroads to private owner
hip" Organized labor of America
llso makes an announcement; Over
100000 American citizens already |
n the fight to secure public own