The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-08-22


scented provides for immediate pub
/ lie ownership of these properties.
! the protection of every honest dollar
/ actually invested, and the assurance
/ of an adequate return on such in
/ Nestment without any increase in
rates; and
WHEREAS, Labor's plan provides
| for joint control of the industry
| through a Board of Directors repre-
scnting equally the wage Garner,
management, and the public; and
| WHEREAS, Said plan guarantees
/ to the public the protection of its
interests in procuring ultimately
service at cost, and at the same time
secure to the wage Garner a fair
/ share of the profits produced by his
Skill efficiency and economy; and
WHEREAS, LaboT's plan provides
for the fun protection of all the
rights and privileges of the wage
carners as a class without invading
the rights of any other class of So
| Clcty, and at the same time throws
wide the golden gate of opportunity
/ Tor the full development of the pow
crs of initiative, inherent to every in
dividual; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY this Thirty-ninth
Convention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor that we hereby APP
prove, endorse and adopt the plan
for the reorganization of the rail-
way industry, presented to the Sen
ate Committee on Interstate Com
mcrce on behal of the Railroad EN-
ployees represented by the following
/ organizations International Assoc
citation of MaChinists; Brotherhood
of Locomotive Engineers; Brother
hood of Railway Carmen of America;
International Brotherhood of Black
smiths and Helpers; International
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers;
| Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen;
SWitchmen's Union of North Amer
lea; Brotherhood of Railway Clerks;
! Brotherhood of Locomotive Engi-
neers and Enginemen; Sheet Metal
Workers International Alliance; Or
der Railroad Conductors; Order
RailrQad Telegraphers; United
Brotherhood Maintenance of Way
and Railroad shop Laborers; Inter
national Brotherhood Boilermakers;
Iron Shipbuilders and Helpers Of
America; by A. B. Garretson, Grand
chief of the Order Railroad Conduct
ors and Glenn f. Plumb, their coun-
sci; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That we hereby
pledge ourselves to use every legiti-
mate endeavor to promote the en-
actment of this plan into law.
The Resolutions Committee sub
mitted the following report on the
above, which was unanimously
adopted:
with reference to the subject
matter contained in the Executive
Councils report and in the above
resolution, your committee, in sub
hitting declaration in favor of
ownership or control of railroads by
the United States Government, rec
Ommend that inasmuch as the de
tails connected with the same are al
present in a formative stage, the
subject matter be referred to the
Executive Council with instruc-
lions to cooperate with the organ
izations representing the Railroad
Employees"
President Samuel Gompers, of the
American Federation of Labor, &C
cepted the Honorary Presidency of
the Plumb Plan League. organized
among the rank and file of the four
teen railway national and interna-
tional organizations and generally
among the organizations affiliated
with the American Federation Of
Labor, to carry to the public and to
Congress the principles of the plan
now embodied in the Sims bill
which has been endorsed by the
Chief Executives of the fourteen
railway organizations.
In all discussions of this ques-
ton it would be we'll to bear in
mind that quasi-public corporations
are created for service and not for
profit. A long line of decisions,
from the Supreme Court of the |
United States down have invariably
held that the fundamental purpose
of these corporations is to serve the
public and that they are only enti- !
tied to a fair remuneration.
Hardly any one will deny that
under private management the rail
roads have been financial footballs |
and that they have been directed by /
interests whose wreckage of numer-
GUS railroad systems is common
knowledge. This wreCkage has been |
accompanied by a debauching of leg
islatures and other political activ-
ity that has tested democratic insti-
buttons.
The times call for new arrange
ments in the management Of prop /
critics that are only made possible
by the public's consent.
The passage of the Sims bill will
re-establish the theory that rail