The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1919-10-16

of government price for wheat. The
idea originated with others. They
whispered to the farmers that it would
be agood thing and they took the bait.
Now we2are asked by some very
plausible gentlemen to support the.
Plumb plan for government ownership
of railways upon the assurance it will
be a good thing for us: This is very
generous, very generous indeed, but |
want none Of it in mine, and will vote
for none of it. Senator Lenroot's plan
fora broad Government control with
some changes would, to my mind, be
much better:
s'The Plumb plan, as applied to rail
roads, is to be only a part of general
campaign for theP Plumb plan to be ap-
piled to other industries, and it is be-
ieved that it will also be the next move
by the steel organizers. If the Plumb
Sis logical and proper for one industry
it is the right Of all who work in other
industries. There should be no favor
itism.
These propositions are always put
up in very attractive, inviting pack
ages. / see by some of the North Da-
kota papers that the savings in freight
costs claimed for farmers is to be
brought about by squeezing the water
out Of the railroad stocks. They say
that instead Of paying interest upon -
billion of bonds and Stocks, the rail
roads can be taken oveer for IL billion
That is the bait by which it is expect
ed to capture farmers votes. AS Ma
jor Edwards used to say, important
if true"
Mr.. Plumb is quoted as saying dra-
matically, "We will not pay cent for
the railways above what they actually
cost" There may be considerable
sympathy with that declaration, but
this is a business proposition and it
will do no good to turn our faces from
the facts. No matter what Mr.. Plumb
and other like him assert, the courts
will apply the same rules Of law in
respect to taking property from rail-
road company as when taking it from
a private individual. If the state needs
a farm for a packing plant or other
wise it cannot by condemnatio pro-
ceedings take it for it's original cost,
which might have been only few dol
lars paid to the Government as home
tstead fees. If the Government buys
the railways they must according to
| law be paid for according to their val
! ue at the time they are taken over. 1t
wont beea question of what they cost
! but their value measured by present
scales of wages and present costs OF
! materials and equipment. The Inter
&oto
complet an xhaustive inventory OF
the sfaiiWay property of the nation, in
| which will be counted every steel rail
every tie, every yard Of earth moved
and all other property scheduled with
the same detail, and from which val
tuation can be easily figured. Meas
IIllred by the present scale of wages and
Icost Of materials, the railways are now
/ worth more than 20 billions Of dollars
according to conservative estimates, il
other words more than the amount Of
! the present. issues of bonds and stocks
These are unpleasant facts but they
| must be faced if a proper solution o1
the railway problems is to be obtain
ed.
Again the. very just complaint
Iinf the past has mo more revelancy to
the Plumb plan than to any other plan
because the committees of both the
Senate and House have determined no
matter what plan is adopted to place
the railway issues Of stocks and bonds
under rigid government control.
"Then they say they are going tc
save money by paying "a lower rate oil
interest. With immense issues of ma
tional bonds for the war, for railroads
for coal mines, for other mines, etc.
ETC., can the government borrow the
money at anything like the present
rates? It is, highly improbable that
there will be much saved in that di-
rection.
my belief is that even the railway
men themselves if they consider where
I it may finally lead to cannot afford te
give UP. their old leadership and thei1
I old methods under which they have
made great progress to follow Plumb
the radicalist."