The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-11-06
THE PLUMB PLAN

THE PLUMB PLAN
No popular movement in the history of Amer
lea has grown so rapidly as the so-ca1led Plumb
plan of railroad ownership and operation. La
Dor organizations representing fully 100000
workers are already behind it. With leaders like
Governor Frazier outspoken for it, the organ
lied farmers are rapidly swinging behind it.
Before an audience of fully $500 in Fargo re-
Gently Mr.. Plumb, attorney for the railroad
brotherhoods, explained the plan. The features
as outlined by the author are as follows:
/ That the government take back every pri-
vate interest it has granted in railroads and
make them public property.
2 That the courts put a price on all railroad
grants and that this be the price the govern
ment shall pay for them.
3 That the government issue bonds to the
private owners based upon the court awards
and take the roads over.
4 That a service corporation, owning no
stock and getting no profits, be created to oper-
ate the railroads. That this public corporation
receive only salaries and wages for compensa-
ton.
s That the railroads be under the control of
a board of directors, one-third of which shall be
appointed by the president and approved by the
senate, and shall represent the public. One-third
shall be chosen by the public officials managing
the railroads and shall represent the manage
ment. One-third shall be elected by the employees
and shall represent labor. "
6 The interstate railroad commission shall
prepare each year a budget of the cost of oper-
alton for the coming year based on the proceed
ing year and they shall fix rates at a level that
is based on these costs and the business of the
roads.
7 Whatever the service corporation running
the roads can save below the budget cost fixed
by the interstate commission shall accrue as
profits to the management, labor and the public.
The public share of profits shall be realized in
lower rates.
The three big features of the Plumb plan are
public ownership, joint democratic control by
the three great elements interested, and divi-
dends on economy and saving instead of divi-
dends, as formerly, on increased rates and low
cred wages.
Under this system private ownership with it's
enormous tribute in private profits of a billion
dollars a year and it's huge corruption of politi-
cal parties and the government will be abolished
forever. The profits on savings to the manage
ment, labor and the public is a system of profits
that will increase economy and efficiency to the
highest point. Profits through the reduction of
expenses is one of the most brilliant ideas ever
conceived.
Joint preparation of the management, labor
and the public in the control Of the railroads is
splendidly democratic and does away with the
dangers of Capitalization and politics in the
railroads.
Everybody belongs to the public and will be
represented in the management. The public will
have a greater power even than this. Through
the interstate commission it will determine just
what railroad costs and rates shall be. This as
sures that the public shall be supreme in the
really vital thing as it is supreme in the owner
ship of the roads.
IN the other hand, giving the officials and
the workers on the roads two-thirds of the say
in the direct question of operation is a good
feature, since these elements are responsible for
the success Of the roads. A direct plan of gov
eminent operation would make a government
bureaucracy Of railroad management and a po-
itical football of the railroads.
Another big thing about the Plumb plan is
that it insures transportation at cost. This is
insured by the interstate commission which ba-
ses rates on the cost of operation. The dividends
on saving below this cost are merely bonuses to
encourage economy and efficiency.
President Wilson has declared the contern-
plated coal strike unlawful and a crime. WHY