The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-25
THE PLUME PLAN ANALYzED
BY A WOMAN.
In q Letter to q Congressman She
Shows why 1t Would BE Unjust to
the Owners Of Railroad Securities.

One of tho women stockholders Of the
Central Railroad Company of New Jersey
has written the following letter regarding
the Plumb railroad plan to her Repressn-
tative in Congress- In furnishing a copy
OF the letter to THE SUN PRESIDENT w. O.
Besler of the New Jersey Central re-
marks: 'Tt goes to the root OF the
| matter"
DEAR SrR-1when read an account OF
the Plumb bill little while ago could
hardly believe my eyes. That any one
In sober senses should talk OF taking
away the property OF others without CIV
ling them any equivalent at all seemed
incredible.
As understood Il all the income of
the railroads. aside from the amount
necessary for keeping them up and rum
ming them, was to be divided between
the Government and the employees IF
my understanding was right the project
could only have been put In words and
published by those who believe that all
the old standards OF right and wrong
which have governed the world since be-
fore the beginning Of known history
those standards which are instructive In
winds by the proposers themselves and
by the Government to whom they make
the proposition.
1 The proposerB OF this plan. the rail-
road employees. do not deny to them-
selves the right to receive and to hold
property, else how can they accept the
constantly increasing wages they de-
mand or how can they propose to make
themselves possessed of that property
which now belongs to the holders Of
stocks and bonds3 If they can hold prop
erty, IL money can belong to them. why
does II not belong to those who already
have interests In the railroad7
Il II two employees can rightfully re-
oeive IS a day apiece on Monday for the
days work. and II one spends all his
} money on the same day while the other
spends only s2.50, can any one whatever
deny that the remaining s25o belongs to
him on Tuesday quite as much as It
did on Monday? If, by saving of many
times $3.50, the self-denying man is at
that is to help not only himself but his
fellow men. thereby giving up the use of
It himself for a period Of time. Is It
wrong that he should be given one, two,
three. or even six dollars a year during
the same period Of time to make up for
losing the use of so much money?
OF course men are not perfect. neither
tho rich nor the poor, and there are
cases of lack of understanding. injustice.
: dishonesty. but the great majority hold
ing bonds and stocks in railroads are
people, both rich and Door. who have
done just this very thing mentioned
above with their honest savings and who
: depend for their livelihood on what they
receive from this source. their money
which they have earned by previous toll
, of hand or brain--for brain work Is toll
also and often more exhausting than
manual labor and not better paid-their
money. the greater part Of 1t always re-
naming with the road. where they them
selves cannot use It. In this way they
, also provide for those they leave behind
who are often not able to do much them
selves and are yet worthy and helpful
members of the community and are
helped by the money which their self
denying relations did not spend.
II the promoters of this scheme thini
that the bond and stock holders have
long since been paid what they put II
= and have at all times received too much
they must remember that without thess
, bond and stock holders the railroads
from which they too have been continu
ously receiving money for many years
could never have existed. They must
. moreover. consider that sudden chang,
> and upheavd would plunge not only tn,
bond and stock holders but themselve.
into state Of confusion which woui(
n result In there being no money for an,
v one.
The people who are planning this sor
Of thing must regard money as an abso
lutte thing in itself. as pileS OF gold. i
4 In not as all who have thought ration
Y ally about It know, an absolute thing
r Piles of gold may be of no use. hard a
1t seems to realize It Even their valu'
is made by rules and regulations which
o are In the unalterable nature of things
h These hasty persons should realize tina
d money Is only medium of exchange. ,
( convenient thing by which one persoi
gives to another something which It 4
Q worth the others while to have and get
4 In exchange something which he wants
II Is not always that two people wisl
Just the actual goods which the othe
u has. 30 an intermediate article Is used
and that is money. The man who ha
most OF what others want Is the rtcl
q man. He naturally must get more Il