The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1919-08-19
KENTUCKY MANUfAC.
TURERS OPPOSED TO
PLUMB R. R. PLAN
Two Maysyille Manufacturers Men,
bers Of Directors Who Prepare
Memorial Against Proposed
Railroad System.

Louisville, KY, August 19.--Citizens
of the State are asked to Join In an
appeal to Kentucky's representatives
| in Congress to consider the rights of
the whole people against the demands
of any class seeking special privileges
in memorial of protest against the
Plumb Plan for the naturalization of
the railroads made public last night
at the office of the Kentucky Manu-
facturers Association. The memorial
has been forwarded to Senators Beck
ham and Stanley and to the Represen-
tatives from Kentucky. 1t was pre-
pared by the directors of the Associa-
ton and is in full as follows:
Accepting the invitation issued by
the Railroad Brotherhoods and the
American Federation of Labor in a
formal statement issued August 4, ask
ing the public to scrutinize their plan
to nationalize the railroads of the
country, the undersigned directors of
the Kentucky Manufacturers Associa-
ton now declare that, after careful
and earnest elaboration, we are con-
clusively opposed to such plan, and
that furthermore we respectfully and
earnestly urge the Congress of the
United States to Immediately return
the railroads to their owners.
I'VE are of the opinion that the plan
outlined by said Brotherhoods and
said American Federation of Labor,
whereby the American people would
be subjected to an additional debt of
twenty billions of dollars and the rail-
roads would be turned over to the
tripartite control of the public, oper-
ating management and the employees,
presents a menace so grave to the well
fare of the Nation that it deserves
universal condemnation, both because
of the fallacy of its logic and because
of the arrogance and menacing spirit
accompanying its presentation.
I'VE believe that the naturalization
of the railroads would not only add
to their inefficiency and the cost of
their operation, but that 1t would be
followed by the naturalization Of all
other industries, with the result that
America, land Of freedom and indi-
vidual initiative, would promptly dis
place Russia as the worlds most hid
eous example of the rule Of anarchy
and chaos.
I'VE call upon all citizens of the
State, including the members of those
| Brotherhoods whose leaders have is
sued demands that the system of pro-
| fits in industry be overhauled,' to ana
lyze carefully the un-American pro-
posals of such leaders, and then to
sustain and encourage Kentucky's
representatives in the House and the
Senate in unfaltering opposition to
any and all legislation tending to shift
control Of the Government or any
agency thereof into the hands Of any
special class or classes of our citi-
| zens.
| Especially do we ask our fellow
citizens to unite with us in an appeal
to Kentucky's representatives in Con-
gress-remembering as We must, the
acts of coercion resulting in the pas
| sage of the Adamson bill in 1916-to
consider always in their deliberations
the rights of the whole people against
the demands of any class which seeks
special privilege with such a declara-
ton as it Is in no mood to brook the
return of the lines to their former
control and openly announcing its in
tention of raising in one month a fund
of $2,5O0,OOO with which to conduct
its propaganda"
Some of the most prominent manu-
facturers of the State participated in
the preparation Of the memorial,
among the directors whose names are
attached to 1t being the following:
Philip s. Tulley, president of the
Association, Louisville; ]. Robert KEEL
ley, Covington; L. R. Putnam and W.
w Stevenson, Ashland; F.. P. Toof,
Paducah; r. A. Cochran and s. P
Browning, Maysville; s. R. Ewing. Jr,.
greensboro; James R. Rankin, Hen
derson; H. j. Wright, Mayfield; S
Schuerman, Carrollton Theodore
Ahrens, Milburn P. Kelley, R. v,