Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-01

incident with the growth OF
lie, he said. came disputes
the operators and the en-
Three Fnctors Involved.
transportation. proceeded the
= >'heTe are three factorS--the
whose needs arc to be met; the
$ OF capital. who are entitled to
ers, who should have considera-
In the matters of compensation
working conditions. But on the
beci OF capital, tho speaker asserted
the property accounts of railroads
made to carry investments made
years ago, representing engines
!, cars inc and r rails and and ties that have
srcfore. he argued. the property
ues Of railroads in America. said
d ooo , owners 81 t to amount to 900.
oecame evident that he thought one
OIL this amount just'hEure. Upon
sum the people arc expected to
such rates as will insure re-
Out OF such conditions as to capital
labor. the Plumb plan has been
plHed Described by its author. it
templates the purchase by the gov
Ient OF all steam railroads and
IN the country at prices TO be
Ny the courts in regular judicial
dings.
Bond Issue Suggcstcd.
The are to be paid for by a bond
sue, 20 bear. It was suggested per
mt. The roads are then to he oper-
men appointed ny the Fremont,
1e-third Of men representing the man
cement Of the lines and onc-third of
en- elected by the classified employees.
AS result. labor troubles would bc
lminted. he said. Rates to he
1arEed would be fixed by tho Inter
a Fnrrn MN
I'M as would pny for operation. main
snancc and replacement funds and "a
anking fund TO liquidate the bonded
yfebt: Any surplus would be divided
|tne-half TO the employees in proper
ton to their wages. and tho other half
re5urned to the public in the shape OF
reduced rates the succeeding year.
AnaIyxcs Presidents Argument.
Mr. Plumb analyzcd tho Presidents
argument to the striking shopmcn,
which. he said, wss based on the high
sos. sost of living. lie said he had little
luce the cost OF living
He cna rEed that Wall Street. as re-
I'VE, iyer for nankrupt Enropc. was sci
ihation OF currency. and this, ne said.
e~as practically the main cause of tho
present eXorbitant prices
Has the President" he asked. in
dorsed the plans Of our financial auto
His speech is as follows:
THE President of the United States
has rejected tho demands Of the rail-
road shopmen for mn increase Of wages.
he mas pointed out in impressive Ian
SuaEe the vital nature of this decision
AT. his hs,I request; his counter proposal
tneiI leaders are now awaiting the
result or their decision.
Grcnt Forces Mt Work.
hard "a s str, no vote is returned IT Is
go. Almost inevitably the issue viii
extend beyond the Immediate field OF
wage adjustments and into the field of
nre at work in tho heart OF society
great economic problems cry aloud for
consideration. and men today are full
than ever before in the history OF the
world; Statesmanship, not politics.
should now rule the counsels Of our
government 1t is time to strike out
change.
Were American railway labor CON
he compromised more readily than the
genera! public supposes. The private
owners OF the railroads we're never
creased or rates sufficient to cover both
expead, ans pGTSt on He
ernment control there has been a dis
position 10 grant wage increases freely
bills either by Increased rates or by
additional taxation Now tho emrioyens
are told through the Presidents Offer
arc temporarily WITHDRAW he will sec
TO IT personally that their interests
are safeguarded in future.
Exploitation OF Public.
But what. in effect. would this.
the government and labor TO 'e eSn:oit
x ,ne genera general, P1hiis jus, ms under pr
tween capital and labor to exploit IN,
e esSic st nusi sbe In S,he ease n
alton, in an increased cost t OF Of living iT
:, n ,;ss a combination, indeed, the
invites them 70 continue the practices des 5
finished With those practices, With nqS' that at
system, for good and all. We must
ests any enFer the have
Gn s s1 Ws By Hrs Of senE
naJism. to forego. not only . our PRESENT resent
ouirements and very necessities we
must demand moro honorable and
democratic basis OF agreement
Not WsEe Issue at All.
Thus the issue before American
at all. Labor understands that il is
only part OF the general public that
r,
and that as consumer 1t would nav
out proportionately under an increase
cost Of living any Increment which it
We, realize. furthermore, that this
dual function in society," function
shared by all productive labor-Eives
US 4Flal right and imposes upon US
dual responsibility. AS both pro-
d que rioh ana consumers nsl that right is
our labors,. to participate in the man
agement OF our production.
The President says that the gov
eminent has taken, up with all it's
teers 70 book He ADDS: "A general
check and might defeat all this at its
very beginning. Manufacturers
and producers ry sort would
have tnnur tional preteXts
for In nd all efforts
I" ! profitecring
. confused
I-roflteer De Punished.
mat way could rise in the
sc scale place the protiicer beyond
the law? How. under Our institutions.
could any set Of circumstances bring
it about that all efforts TO discover