The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-01
RAILROAD MEN
GIVE BOOST TO
THEPLUMB PLAN
Banners in Labor Day Parade
Urge Adoption Of Plan.
Wage Farmers March Past
| Watchers Solid Hour.
OVER TWO SCORE UNIONS
APPEAR IN LONG LINE
Workers March With Confi-
dent Step-Go to Edge
wood Park to Finish CeIe-
bration Parade BEGAN.

Z 4
The rrmmb plan league secured a
great deal ofpublleity for Public own
ershlp and tr.partite control Df rall-
roads In Memphis labor dag parade
through the railroad brotherhoods The
motherhood Of Railway Tnlnmen, To-
col No. S47, had q fsoat IN the parade
m manned by the ladies' auNihHry bear
Plumb plan, The Maintenance g
Why lodge, the railway clerks and sutheis
railroad employees urganiRatlofaa eAr-
iIed banners urging support of tho
Plumb plan on the plea that II wpnld
give better services, better pay and
workers also carried a large banner
declaring their advocacy OF the plan
4 The labor day parade Justified the
expectations Of the organizers IL WAS
50 long that Il required IA solid hour
for It's marchng men 70 pass a single
notnt over two score "lovais' parN
tlgeipated the three carpenters locals
The wage earnera began thelriaarch
Of 1915 o'clock and dlabanded at Court
square at li,l6
Immediately after tho parade the
scene Of the days celebration moved
from the. downtown streets 70 Edge
ton there will be speech IN the after
noon delivered BY Il. NJ Van Nalkenhetg
OF the brotherhood or Railway CLERKS,
ON the Plumb plan.
Plumb Plan Not Socialism. \
Before the parade MIR, Van yarseE-
berg declared to tho News HeifraitAtt
that the principal part of Ms arxumsIsE
tar the Plumb plan would be on the
hasis OF the uver-cap pltaltgation Of the
railroads. Frhe railroads OF the United
States are now capitalized ~ llpurQxls
TDately $2aBqn 00AjaeOs's nv sstiss aiEiflie
thsir nctpa value is but SlaNQ0. QUO. .9Oes
Therefore, 10000, 900 600 of tho nres-
ent capitalization Ii wtterod stock Wa
| propose through the Plumb plan TO take
| the water out of this stock and save
interest on this $40 900, 200 900 OF over
capitalization This money can be used
IN improving the roads and keeping
them In repair, and In paving better
wages and furnishing lower rates.
at present the earnings of the rail-
roads instead Of being used 10 pay off
the debts and keep the systems In re-
pair, are being used to pay interest on
this enormous capitalization which Ia
often paid with bonuses"
Mr. Van Valkenberg denied that the
Plumb plan is socialism. declaring that
II was designed only to give the pro
ducers an opportunity to participate in
the earning of the railroads.
Business Suspends.
The vast majority of Memphis mer-
chants and manufacturers Joined with
tho men and women OF organized labor
Monday morning to make Labor's an
nual holiday n gala one. Most Of the
front doors of retail stores along both
sides of Main street display signs an
nounclng that they VIII be closed all
day Hardly a mill or factory turned
a wheel ut the usual hour to begin
Inh tsNV ~ All a nd ~ 10
offices Were also closed for the day.
Dressed In their Sunday best, or In
| brand new overalls and jumpers. with
ribbons streaming from lapels, the
workers began TO foregather as early
as : O'Clock for the annual parade.
which was scheduled to begin at 10
a, m. The leaders took this early
| showing of marehers as prophecy OF
| one Of the longest parades Of toilers
Labor day has ever brought to Menu
lshis
The workers are taking their ease
| Monday with a more confident and
| cheerful mein than they have ever be-
| fore evidenced The dominating POSI-
| tlon which unlonized labor has been
able to assume In the society of the
| nation, the signal victories which have
| been won In the past two years, have
| heartened labor tremendously. The
| workers really feel that they have come
| into their own and that they have per-
manently put behind them the cross
Of serfdom which they bore for ages,
| 1t Is possible to detect In the attitude
OF the men who are taking n day off
! from the bench and lathe and hammer
and forge a sense of confidence and
power that they have never before
| shown
Following the parade the union men
! and their families and friends repaired
| to Edge wood park where the remainder
| of the day will be sent in feasting, In
| dancing and athletic games.