Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-08-09
WHAT SHALL BE DONE
WITH THE RAILROADS?

" = - 49,
3Under the above caption the Rail-
way Garments Journal, official organ
Of the Brotherhood Of Railway Car
men of America, runs an editorial in.
its August issue. This is Of especial
interest to the general public just at
present because what the railroad
workers themselves think is likely to
have much to do with what the rest Of
the people think. The railrods are
the people think. The railroads are
cIa.noring for the return Of the rail-
rods to the private owners. 1t IS in
terssting to learn what the workers on
the railroads think, and what their at
itr,d, is going to be. The following
I'd torial may shed some light on the
position the big railroad unions are
likely to take.
The above is the title of folder,
III efficient copies Of which have been
sent to the recording secretaries of all
Or lodges for distribution among our
members so each member can have
7r7, which explains in brief the pur-
poses of the newly organized Plumb
PIN League.
'As the fight to protect the interests
Of the wage earners and the public in
IL railway industry is now on at
w 5hington, it is imperative that every
lodge and every member of our broth
,erhood, without exception. should real
ize the urgent necessity of Immediately
interesting, themselves in and becoming
members of the Plumb Plan League,
full particulars Of which are given in
the folder referred to.
Railroad officials and security hold
ers have organized and financed the
Railway Investors League. which is
spending more than one million dol
lars on propaganda and page adver-
tisements in the Metropolitan Press in
the name of security holders. They
are asking Congress to act contrary to
the interests of the wage earners and
the public, to legalize and guarantee
profits in excess of their investments,
and they control tremendous means
for publicity. The public and labor
must likewise organize. This demand
is imperative if we are to retain that
control which our interests require.
TO meet this demand the Execu-
tiyes of the fourteen railroad organ
izatons, comprising the Railroad En-
pIoyees' Department of the American
Federation of Labor, together with the
four 7 transportation Brotherhoods
have formed a Plumb Plan League
The folder mentioned announces thi,
organization and its purposes, and in
vites all eligible 10 membership to be
come members.
Never before in the worlds history
have the masses of our people, 1.-THE
workers. been called upon to assume
leadership and shoulder responsibility
IN such a far-reaching undertaking
which has as its purpose the introduc
ton of new concept in the industrial
life of our nation and of the world
that of cooperative ownership and op
Grafton and the sharing Of profits owe
and above certain fixed charges.
The feasibility and Importance O
this plan has attracted to it some O
the most renowned men of the age
Statesmen, journalists, publicists, econ
omists, farmers, ETC., and they are rem
dering yeoman service in expressing
the gospel of this doctrine and educat
ing the people to the need Of it. Blu
we must dedicate ourselves to thi
cause. We must go out into the high
ways and by-ways and carry this mes
sage into every home in the land. anc
if we do this, we cannot fail, becaus,
once this Plan is understood, peopI
will be eager to embrace it.
There are many plans proposed a
a solution for the railroad problem
but all of them are founded on pureI,
Property Rights. and the great ques
ton of service to the public and tn
consideration of the two million rail
road employees receive little or no thol
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