Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-08-10
R,R, BILL ABSURD
PLAN NFORFARMS
FRAMER ADMITS
But 1t Would Bring Ef-
ficiency to Mails,
Plumb Contends.
IDEA IS TO EXTEND II
TO PUBLIC UTILITIES

Washington, Aug 9.-Organized labor
will not attempt to impose the Plumb
plan for railroad control on other in
dustries unless employees and the public
desire it, and its fight for public owner
ship of utilities will not stop until il
has reached that point where gran
and privilege cease" Glenn Z. Plumb
the Cbiceso attorney, author of the tri-
partite control plan told the house inter.
state committee, at today's hearing.
Answering questions Of Representative
Dewalt, democrat. Of Pennsylvania
whether he thought tri-partite control
should be extended to the farms of the
country, Glenn Plumb, framer of the
measure, said:
IF the farmers and the public want
it. yes, but / think that is an absurd
proposition"
"Yes that is what I am trying to get
fat." Mr.. Dewalt said. Il am trying %
7 reduce this things to its points of
absurdity."
Very well. you did that with the
farmers" Plumb said.
Attorney Plumb pounded the table
and denied in terms calculated, he said,
to brook no repetition Of the charge,
that the railroad brotherhoods had at
tempted by threats Of violence or strike
to force congress to adopt his plan.
The denial was made first in a state
ment from Plumb's office and signed
by the heads of the fifteen brother
hoods and while Plumb was answering
hot fire of questions from Repre-
sentative Dewalt. who wanted to know
where the new idea would stop.
Force Would Harm Labor.
"We unite in a definite assertion that
we have no desire and have had none,
said the statement and also Plumb, who
paraphrased it. "to impress upon the
public, by violence or threat, our pro.
posal that the railroads be nationallzed
under tri-partie control
Labor would be blind to its own in
terests. Plumb added with emphasis II
it attempted such methods.
Later Plumb announced information
would be put before the committee in
support of his charge that there had
been systematic plundering of the great
railway systems Of the country.
Would Grab Utilities.
Representative Montague wanted to
know if, in buying the railroads, the
government would pay for tracks AMI
lines built out of profits
Plumb said it would not.
Representative Dewat inquired if the
Plumb plan was leading TO socialism.
Plumb said it was not.
Representative Merritt wanted to
know if the plan would be extended to
gas plants. trolley lines and the like and
Plumb said it would.
Would Better p. o. Department.
Plumb cited the case of the postoffice
depa ftment. "the only great industry po-
litically managed" and said its efficien-
cy would be greatly increased if the en-
ployes had voice in its management, "or
if it were operated under the democratic
principles of this BILL.
It would be absurd he declared, to
suggest farmers might come forward
with demand for tri-partite, but if they
wanted it and the public said SO they
should get it.
Promotion by Workers Urged.
Regarding railway executives who had
advanced from the ranks. Representa-
tive Montague asked Plumb if he had
found evidence of undue repression which
would halt the upward march of the
underman. He quite agreed that ma
jority of the highest paid railroad men
today went up from the bottom, but in
sisted that they were not advanced thru
vote or voice Of the employees. but BY
railroad autocrats who felt that they
"were extortioners of human efforts
He wanted employees to pass on
mans right to go higher Plumb said
in the army there were many able of
ficers, but there would have been
larger number Of good one had the pri-
Yates been given voice il their Sc
lection.