Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-08-22
ESTABLISHED 1866
GREAT RAILROAD PROBLEM
Suitable Division Of Profits Between
Producers.
SOMETHING ABOUT GLENN E. PLUMB
Able Student Of Economic Has De-
voted Lifetime to Solution OF Per-
picking Problem and Knows Much
About Railroads.

VINO is i iuhho,
the so-called labor plan to democrat
lie the railroads?
This is the question Of the hour IN
the homes, at the clubs. in the hotei
lobbies and on street corners. IL Is
asked varying ways and under vary
ing conditions. For example, hubby Is
interrupted while eating his cantaloupe
at the breakfast table.
"Who Is this Prune the papers keep
talking about?"
"Not Prune. Plumb. my dear" Is
the reply. Its not person; lts
plan, q system. Labor leaders thlnk
the time has come when they should
get some of the plumbs earned py
the railroads. They have called strikes
until they get the plumbs. That's why
they call it the Plumb plan"
Or perhaps the question Is popped In
this way. You meet an. acquaintance
with a look Of desperation. who out-
tonholes you. Another touch' you
suspect, to meet the high cost OF living
But instead Of being asked for ten
snot Won are asked to impart little
current information.
.Who Is this Plumb person. do you
know"
Hes an American Bolshevik,' you
answer offhand. without knowing any
thing about II. He's made life study
of Socialism and the Soviet and all
that sort of thing and wants to apply
Russian methods to the American rail-
roads. Just another dreamer IN our
midst"
Another form of inquiry comes when
Chateau Thierry marines meet.
"Who the hell's Plumb?" bursts
from under one of the shrapnel nell
NETS.
As a matter Of fact, ones lack OF
knowledge concerning Mr. Plump Is
accentuated when one visits MS Oh
fees. The address given for the Plumb
headquarters is room 41O, Munsey
Building. but on the way down the
corridor It is noted that offices being
passed are labeled in gilt letters
"Pmmb Lecture Bureau" BY the
time the entrance room, 40S, is reach
ed one is in the midst of an organiza-
tion.
A cordial reception Is granted Visl-
tors. there being two or three %loe-
awake young men on their toes 70
make themselves useful. On the occa-
sion of my first visit / found MI.
Plumb himself at his desk In the ao-
Joining room. and one of the secre.
taries. without inqufring as to my iden-
tity or mission, directed me to the IN
ner office.
Hs Has a Strong Grip.
Mr.. Plumb arose in a tired sort OF
wav took told of my hand with grip
OF steel and indicated chair beside
his desk. In appearance Mr.. Plumb
illustrated the average American busl-
ness man-nothing very striking one
way or the other. Rather snort OIL
statue. but with a fine physique ana
a rugged, sunburned contenance' ne
might be taken for lawyer or
broker or a professional man or
sbopkeeper, but never for an orator or
an agitator His manner Is quiet In
the extreme and the tired look ABOUT
his eyes-he had been reading manu-
scripts prepared for the Interstate
Commerce Commission-suggest the
student or bookworm.
Socialism and certain brands OF
labor agitation are known to go hand
in hand with extreme craving for pup-
licity, but in Mr.. Plumb's case the
rule seemed reversed. He was sym
pathetic with the idea of having his
life story outlined, but he was at loss
to know what to say about himself or
how to begin. 1t was not arectatlon'
but genuine embarrassment.
"This is all so new to me that l
don't believe | can do myself justice
without thinking 1t over. My mind IS
so wrapped up In this hearing that
find difficulty in collecting my thoughts
for other matters"
At that moment young man VINO
had precipitated himself into the room
interrupted, to my address
Say, II you're going to write any
thing about this, get off that mares
nest YOU had in this mornings paper!
The theory that"
Mr.. Plumb raised a restraining hand
and checked his overenthusiastic as
sistant. With q scarcely perceptlple
shake of the head he suggested that
nothing bored him more than these
fiery outbursts of argument. The con-
trast between Mr.. Plumb. the silent
brains Of the organization, and the
fiery young assistant who advertises
the product was unmistakale. Mr.
Plumb himself had not had time to
read any Of the comment or criticism
in the newspapers. but his assistant
had read every line in every available
paper and apparently knew 1t all by
heart.
II soon becomes apparent in talking
with Mr.. Plumb that his Is dis
tinctly legal turn of mind. He Is a
lawyer first, and the plan for which
he is responsible has been built up as
a result of his legal studies and prac-
tical experience in the railroad line
The whole thing represents a case
which he has worked up and perfected
to his own satisfaction after years OF
persistent and untiring effort. What
ever flaws there may be in 1t and
whatever his ultimate fate will be
there will always remain the inter-
esting personality of the man who
single handed and alone has estab-
lished himself as leader in new line
and thereby finds himself suddenly the
most talked of reformer in America.
Indications are that Mr.. Plumb will
be a shooting star. but he will be an
unusual form Of meteor while he lasts
And when the glow fades he will
doubtless resume his law work at the
same old stand. disappointed. perhaps
but taking on his next work with the
same quiet. philosophical spirit that