Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-09-27
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An.,vs,s az tho Plumb Plan.

4
Analysis Of tho Plumb Plan
Omaha, Sept. ae.To the Editor OF
The Bee: G. Vincent, we'll known
member Of the Omaha Grain ex-
change. who was activet for many
years in the development OF. the
farmers cooperative movement IN
the west, has addressed q letter to
Senator Cummins Of Iowa, chairman
Of the senate COMMITTEES on inter-
poses strongly tho "Plumb plan" Tor
operating the railroads Of the United
States. Mr.. Vincent was connected
successfully with the Farmers AL
lance, the American Society OF
Equity, the Farmers Society of
Equity, the Farmers Congress lin
which he holds life membership.
and the Farmers Educational and
COOPERATIVE Union. No man has
been more closely identified with the
cooperative movement than Mr..
Vincent. He was at one time state
organizer for the Nebraska Farmers
COOPERATIVE Grain and Live Stock
association. In his letter to Senator
Cummins, Mr.. Vincent says:
"The Plumb plan for operating
the railroads Of the United States
Is unique in that It assumes that a
vast property would be operated by
persons who do not own 1t. so as to
not this asking too much OF human
nature?'
"How long would q packing house
or an automobile factory be salts
factorily operated by a committee
composed of one-third employees,
one-third elected officials and one
third representing the stockholders
1T I understand 1t, the Plumb
plan provides for operation by a
committee, one-third of which re-
resents the stockholders and bond
holders-men who own the prop
erty-one--third men who are in
terested solely in the wages they
can extract from the operating, and
one-third Of officials, depending for
their position on the votes of the
employees (for while the public
would nominally cast the vote, the
employees in this case would hold
the balance Of power and ultimately
dominate the vote).
This doctrine is opposed to any,
thing ever attempted in the United
States, and sounds like an echo
from bolshevic Russia.
The conservative, homecoming
and home-loving people of Nebraska
and the central west will not give
their assent to such revolutionary
proceeding.
Twenty years ago the western
farmers realized that something was
wrong with the system Of market
Ing their grain, but they did not ask
to have the grain business run by
a committee of owners, farmers and
state employees, one-third each. In
stead, they adopted the conservative
common sense idea that ownership
forms the proper basis Of operation
that no persons can long be
trusted to operate property in which
they are not financially interested,
or in which they are interested only
In the immediate cash returns to
be secured.
The farmers OF Nebraska recog-
nized that owners will always give
better management than 'nonown-
ers'-that owners will always be
more conservative and may be de-
pended on to preserve the property
In the condition required to give
continuing service to the best adj
vantage to all concerned.
Following this principle. these
farmers have developed the COOP
erative system. and have adapted it
to the operation of marketing meth
DDS that protect the individual hold
1ngs OF interested persons, and
which gives to the grain raiser the
full value of his own product and
compels him to share proportionally
and equitably in the proper conser-
V9fiOr IF this M o-,r
This admirable system is based
on the principle Of ownership-on
the ownership of all who are di-
rectly interested in the operation of
marketing grain.
III the railway employees would
enlist the sympathy of the western
farmers in a plan to give those en-
ployees large share in the manage
nent of the railways, it will be nee
essary for them to propose system
that embraces something more than
public ownership. Owners Of the
properties, whether they be stock
holders, bondholdsrs or plain tax
payers, will insist that before opera
tives be permitted to assume any of
the responsibilities of operation,
they be required to assume such an
individual share in the ownership as
Will carry with 1t compelling sense
OF conservatism and will eradicate
the careless ideas about management
that are only too likely to prevail
among those who are wage workers
only and whose immediate interest
stops when the bodily needs of food
and clothing are provided.
1T must not be assumed that all
employees are of that class. There
are doubtless some who would give
conscientious service without having
any direct financial Interest. but 1t is
not conceded that this group would
include any considerable proportion
of the employees of the railway sys-
tenn from clerks and engineers, to
track layers and repairers.
Before the public will take kind
1y to the Plumb Plan, it will be in
dispensably necessary for Mr.. Plumb
and his hackers to provide a system
that will make the employees feel
that responsibilities that are tndis-
solubly connected with ownership"
L. I.
Has Nothing on Him.