New-York tribune., 1919-08-09
Author Expects 1t to Run
Into Millions of Dollars
and Says 1t Is All Coming
From Brotherhood Men
He Talks of Revolution
Tells House Committee Ac.
ton Must Come by Legis-
iation or Way of History

WASHINGTON, Aug. s.-All dav
long from witness chair before the
House Interstate Commerce Commit
tee, Glenn E. Plumb, counsel for the
railroad brotherhoods and author of
organized labor's plan for tripartite
control Of the railroads, responded to-
day to sharp questioning from the
semi-circle of committee members, who
called on him to explain every phase
of the labor bill
Through it all, Mr.. Plumb clung
steadfastly to the assertion, number
less times repeated, that the railroad
unions aimed "to eliminate the motive
OF operation for profit and substitute
the motive of operation for SERVICE"
to which he added the corollary that
1t means democracy in industry, with
out when democracy in politics is a
mere shell and sham"
Gravely, Plumb talked of revolution
as an alternative in case the adoption
of some such PLAN was not obtained
by political actlon through Congress,
and said that was the determination Of
the masses of men whom he repre-
sented, though I hope never to live
to see the day"
Leagues Income Is Growing
The income of the Plumb Plan League.
organized to forward the labor bills
passage, he said, was ain the neighbor-
hood OF 100000 or s125,0Oo annually
now, though only organized in July"
He estimated that its income shortly
would be $500,000, and implied that it
might run UP to S5,000,0OO or s6,OOO,-
600. All Of it, he said, was coming
from brotherhood members.
The situation is that our men be-
lleve they have come to a new day,"
Plumb told the committee They have
spent their money and their lives to
secure liberty, and have now found that
without liberty and democracy in in
dustry they have only the shell of lib
erty to live. We intend to get it law
fully and through the Constitution by
the ballot"
will be done? ?" Representative Saun-
ders, Republican. Indiana, asked.
Then 1t means something else"
What else ?" the Indiana Representa-
tive persisted.
Knows the Way of History
"Ah, there is no doubt in your mind
sponded. "lf the forces of reaction e.
vent the adoption of this programme
by lawful means, we know the way of
history"
Revolution is a word that should
not be used lightly" Mr.. Saunders OBJ
served
~ hope never to live TO Sc the dav
when the methods necessary 90 further
than those / have outlined,' Mr. Ng Plumb
responded.
"In essentials, this is the Russian
Soviet plan of industrial operation, is
it not? % Mr.. Saunders continued.
Soviet PLAN" Mr.. Plumb said, "or
rather, am only familiar with the
popular misconception of what is the
Russian Soviet plan"
Threatening Letters Received
There was q change in the general
tenor of proceedings early in the day,
when Representative Webster, Re-
publican, Washington, introduced
hundreds OF letters sent to him
threatening his removal from any post
of political trust with which the
people had intrusted him. in case of
opposition to the labor railroad plan.
The letters were printed on Railroad
Brotherhood stationery. Mr.. Plumb
said he deplored he phraseology Of
the letter, and wouldn't indorse it.
Agreeing that shippers and railroad
users were not back Of the plan" Mr..
Plumb said it was because the "inte--
mediate shipper is not concerned in
rates. He doesn't pay them
Mr.. Plumb insisted that there would
be no difficulty in raising the money
through government bonds at per
cent to pay for the roads, and esti-
mated the amount necessary at thir-
+aop b;l1iorc