Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-28
Editorial Comment
Ohio Democrat Hits Plumb Plan.


Boston Herald)
Perhaps the most deadly criticism
Of the Plumb plan IL that Of Senator
Pomerene Of Ohio, regular Demo
crat, who In 1916 assisted in the passage
of the Adamson law. The Trafic World
publishes singing letter he has writ
ten to body Of railway men in his own
state. the sting going all the deeper be-
cause it comes in friendly argument.
Their Columbus ofIlcials. told him that
there the Plumb plan had been unani-
n:ously approved, asked him to sag
frankly II he was for or against it, and
thought he would be pleased to know
Of the interest their membership mani.
tested In behalf Of the masses Of thu
people," Thus they delivered them
selves into his hands, enabling him Il
begin his answer with the cutting ques-
tion. Whom did they consult who were
representative Of the masses of the peo-
pie, a. distinguished from those who
were personally interested, and did they
or the masses choose them?
It Ii easy for him to drive home that
the part Of the masses in the plan 10 to
ray the railroad operatives. II ten OF
the railway directors have interests At
variance with the interests Of the trav-
cling and shipping public and the re-
naming five are political appointees -
represent the public Of about 100000. 900
PEOPLE (apart from the interested PEI
sens, the railway employees and their
famlies) is that plan. in which the In
terests of the general public are not
consulted, plan devised in the interest
of the masses? asks Senator Pomerens.
Again. If the plan is sound econom.-
cally and IL for the interest Of the
masses, why do not the railway mer
suggest similar legislation whereby all
waterworks, electric light plants, gas
and heating plants. coal mine., iron AMI
copper mines. manufacturing and indus
trial plants, stores, banks and farms
would be purchased with government
funds and turned over to the opera
tives in the same way? The senator
proceeds:
If one man should happen to own
two houses. one of which he rents.
why do you not ask that the second
hcu shall be bought by the govern
ment and turned over to the renter?
Where is this going to end? Ny
friends, permit me to say the Plumb
plan has nothing akin to 1t outside
Bolshevik Russia. It Is worse than
Socialism. Socialism contemplates the
public ownership of property to be con-
trolled and operated by the public for
the public. The Plumb plan contem-
plates the public ownership of the rail-
roads for a class. 1t is the most
vicious piece Of legislation that has
been presented to Congress since I have
been in the Senate, would feel that
was contributing to the ruin not only
Of the transportation system of the
country. but to it's financial and. indus
trial breakdown, If I voted fer it,
The Plumb Plan out-Harrimans Harri-
man in his palm:est Gays.
That is a sound judgment. Other
senators and representatives should
speak out as boldly, and make their
votes agree with their words if the ne
farious scheme ever comes to a vote.
1t may not. as both the Esch-Pomerene
bill and the Warfield plan are being
preferably supported by sober opinion.
Neither would plumber the public.