The sun., 1919-08-10

that IN paying for the roads he would
not allow for double tracking or other
improvements that have been paid for
out OF the surplus earnings OF some
roads due to their efficient manage
ment and superior service.
All OF the surplus money put back
into tho property from public earnings
belongs to the public and should not be
included In what should be paid for the
railroads" Mr.. Plumb argued.
Mr.. Montague pointed out that the
Government is outvoted by 10 to in
the proposed directorate to manage the
ROADS, and that the country would be
lett TO the mercy OF labor and capital
Joined under the guise of the employees.
The directorate Is composed Of five men
appointed by the President to represent
the public, five elected by the classified
employees and FIVE by the official en-
pioyees. He also said that with this
situation the employees would be in
position to increase wages 10 a point
that would eat up all surplus, which
Mr.. Plumb proposes to divide equally
petween the public and the employees.
Mr.. Plumb replied that he did not
consider such action a possibility.
"fou have tho railroad employees Sc
lect their officers" said Mr.. MontaRu
DO you not know that all military sys-
TENS where privates have been allowed
TO chose their officers have proved wo-
fully inefficient?'
Il believe in the recent unplea SAINT
ness" said Mr.. Plumb, "if the privates
had selected their officers we would Have
had more efficient officers"
Well Russia tried that late in the
war;" Mr.. Montague replied. Are not
many of the highest paid and most able
railroad officials to-day men who worked
up from the lowest ranks7'
YES" answered Mr.. Plumb.
"Is not that democracy"
Mr. Plumb then argued that the men
were chosen for promotion because they
were the best extortioners of human
labor"
Mr.. Plumb to-day tanned down his
definition Of the approaching revolution
he has several times referred to as gen
eral objection"
II cannot believe that the workers Of
the country" said Representative Wat
son (Pa.), twill rise up I'm revolution.
because too many own their homes ana
property and realize the privileges and
BENEFITS of this democracy"
Calls Burleson An Autocrat.
Mr.. Plumb denounced the Post Office
Department as a political corporation
Whatever efficiency the Post ONCE
Department has attained has been
through the repression OF employees
| and much greater efficiency could be OBJ
| tanned II the management were turned
over to these employees" Mr.. Plumb
claimed.
Mr.. Plumb also expects to place before
the committee next week documents and
papers to show that Wall Street has
plundered the railroad syy.ems OF the
country. as he recently charged.
He will be followed by A. B. Garrett
son, adviser of the Order of Railway
Conductors, who will explain the en-
ployees' wage demands to the committee
The conference the labor leaders have
| called will continue it's sessions next
week under the craftsmanship of Judge
Walter Clarke OF the Supreme Court OF
North Carolina.
The purpose of the conference is to eff.
feet a Qualification of national thought
upon the basic principles involved In the
so-called Plumb plan for the rationale
zation of the railroads under tripartitt
control, with especial reference to the
principle loosely known as industrial
democracy" an authorized statement
said.