The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-12
It is too Radical and too
Much Like the Soviet ? :. :.
for American People
GOVERNMENT =, /. s4a.s
OWNERSHIP BETTER
Effort in Washington to Have Ameri-
i can Federation of Labor Withdraw
i Continuous Strife.

/ Continuous Strife.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11.-Friends
of organized labor in congress and 9th
er official positions here are urging
the American federation of labor to
withdraw its backing Of the Plumb
plan for naturalization of the rail-
roads on the ground that it is too rad
ical and revolutionary.
In its place straight government
ownership and operation plan would be
advocated. The big objection many
conservative labor friends see in the
Plumb plan is that it provides for pub
lie operation after the government has
bought the railroads and taxed the
people of the country heavily for the
purpose.
| Public operation under the Plumb
plan means practically the running of
the railroads by the employees so the
hearings on the program before the
house interstate and foreign commerce
committee during the last week show
On all the directorate and regional
boards for the operation of the roads
the Plumb bill provides for ten repre-
sentatives of the employees and five of
the government.
This, several members of the COM
limttee believe, is nothing more than
the application of the principles of the
Russian Soviet to the operation of the
railroads. Representative Sanders, Indi-
anna, Republican, pointed out that I'M
der the proposed plan the employees
would have the power to increase their
wages to any point desired and the peo-
pie would have to pay the bill through
Increased rates.
In addition Representative Rayburn
(Texas), Democrat and also a mem
Der of the committee, believes that
under the plan the result of the pub
lie operation proposed would be a con
tinuous row among the various classes
of the workers for the highest wages
possible. This, he thinks, would cause
lsimilar conditions experienced by Rus
sian industries during their controluby
lSoviets of workers.
Conservative leaders also have beer
surprised to find that the men, carry
ing on the propaganda for the Plumb
plan have been leaders in radical agi
tation in this country for several years
Lincoln Colcord. formerly associate ed
itor of the Nation, and Herbert Broug
lham, both of whose 'liberal'' writing
have attracted considerable attention
are members of the Plumb plan press
bureau, organized to carry on propa
Iganda.
Friends of labor here who do no
share these radical ideas believe tn
American federation of labor and tn,
brotherhoods are making a serious mis-
take by linking forces with the so
called parlor Bolsheviki factions.
Even Representative Sims (Tenn. }
former Democratic chairman of tn
house interstate commerce committee
is among those urging labor to adopt
more conservative plan. He Introduce
the Plumb plan in congress, but no
until after stating the bill was offere,
"by request.
Mr.. Sims believes if the government
purchases the railroads it should be al
lowed to have the control of their op
Grafton. He is suggesting a compromis
plan of having the government bu
, the fixed equipment, leasing it to tn
railroads and allowing them to main
tain the rolling stock.