The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-06-16

learned that tho executive council
% the federation. composed of It's
mor~ conservative leaders had In.
vitcd Glenn u. Plumb. attorney for
the four railroad brotherhooda. TO
explain 70 the convention Just how
he and his broth-rhooda propose that
tho railroads should b. operated un-
dor government ownership.
The Plumb Plan"
Plumb. Chicago attorney. II the
author u the plan by which the
railroads. after being acquired by the
government thru the issuance of
bonds To tho amount OF money actual
~ Invested. are 10 be operated by
corporation whose board Of directors
will b. made up on.-thtrd OF repre-
.antativcs OF tho employees. onc-third
representatives OF the railroad man.
agrmcnt and one-third representa-.
uv.a OF tho public.
IL the Plumb plan OF valuation In
adopted tho government. II n est.
mated. would pay for tho roads not
the 10 billions which represents their
present total capitalization. but In
calculated represents the TOTAL.
AMOUNT OF MONEY ACTUALLY
INVESTED IN the roads by stock.
holders and bondholdrrr- IL is the
most radical plan that has yet been
PROPOSED for tho solution OF IN. rail.
road problem.
Plumb says that the plan has the
support not only Of the railroad
bruthcrhoods. with their 500 900 unrrnr
bcrs. but also Of tn. organizations
OF shop crafts and othsr employees.
numbering. II In said. over sne mil
lion
Tho railroad broth~rnocds are not
members Of thu American Fvderstton
OF Labor. but tho other railroad or.
I CARNATIONS are. and their support
win Insure a solid block Of powerful
unions tn the American Federation
I OF Labor when q vote IL taken on
tho resolution TO approve n. Plumb
plan
To Prevent Burcaurscy
| Superficial observers are amazed
that 10 radical u plan should have
any chance Of adoption by the Am
criean Federation OF Labor. which
has consistently opposed all social
istic proposals. They overlook the
fact that tho American Federation
Of Labor. In common with other
labor organizations. has always
looked with favor on government
/ Ownership of public utilities. ruch ms
railroads. telegraphs and telephones.
and that tho opposition OF tho trade
unions TO socialism has been dur In
larg. moaaure to fear OF bureau.
cratic tyranny.
Get Equal Voice
Tho Plumb plan has been devised
with the idea Of preventing burcauc.
racy By giving representation OF the
workers an equal voice In tho man
aEemcut Of tho railroads.
Tho trade unions also have shared
Ownership would make the railroads
tho playthinEs Of politics. but sew.
craI trade union officials with whom
have talked feel that the Plumb
plan goes a long way toward pro
venting that danger
Along with these theoretical con
alterations goes tho practical fear
Of tho trade unionlsts that " the
railroads arc turned back TO private
Ownership there viii be n general
reduction Of wages. which would Gre
ate compelling precedent for wage
cutting In all industries. Jus; now
the American labor movement has
two slogans: mo wage reductions
until prices are cut" and. second.
- voice for labor In the manage.
ment OF Industry Tho Plumb plan
fits in with both OF these slogans
and hence IL sure 20 command sup
port from tho rank and file Of or
ganlzed labor.
There are many Indications. also.
that II the Plumb plan for the rail.
roads secures the approval OF the
convention the movement will not
stop there. but may sweep on TO
cover other industries. The CONNER.
cial TeleEraphera' union and tho In
| tcrpational Brotherhood OF Electri-
cal Workers. which are now CON
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