The Washington herald., 1920-09-03
FLAYS
PLUMB SYSTEM
Marion Star Attacks Rail
Plan as Way to
Commune.
SEIZURE OF PROFITS"
Cox Proposals for Public
Ownership Of Utilities
Also Opposed.
SEIZURE OF PROFITS"
BY SAMUEL ". BELL.
Copyright, 1870, by Public Ledger CO..


Marion. Ohio, Sept. 2.-Character-
izing the Plumb plan for railroad
control as a system that conflscates
the profits of industry" the Marion
Star, owned by Senator Warren G.
Harding, Republican Presidential
nominee, today roundly denounced
all schemes discouraging individual
enterprise, including Gov. Cox's re-
cent proposals for government
ownership of all utilities except
agriculture"
The editorial is doubly interest
ing due to the fact that on Labor
Day. Senator Harding will address
a gathering of workmen who also
will listen to an address on the
Plumb plan by a speaker supplied
from the leagues Washington head
quarters.
Gives Russian Example.
Quoting recent reports from Rus
sia to the effect that the peasants
under the Bolshcvist regime are
Cultivating only enough land to
supply their own families because
their excess products are seized by
the government for Soviet money,
the editorial says:
"A Soviet government may com
pei its victim to give up the goods
and take worthless money in the
first instance, but ultimately the ef-
feet Will be to discourage produc-
tion, in which event there will be
no goods to take, either with or
without compensation.
The Plumb plan proposes that
the government sell bonds to raise
n ~
then turn the properties over to A
committee on which the railroad
employees would have d dominatinC
voice. In practical effect. if not
technically, the employees would fix
their own compensation. Instead of
owning the railroad stocks as at
present, the stockholders would
hold government bonds on which
they would draw interest without
giving the government the benefit
OF their experience and ability in
the management OF the business.
DiscOurages Industry.
The new managers would have
no special incentive to make the
roads efficient. for they would not
be called upon to pay deficits and
there would be no profits to share.
The government, under the Plumb
plan. would call upon the public to
pay the increased costs of operation
IN the form Of taxes and 10 that
extent would confscate one mans
property for another mans beneft.
Having no control as an owner, he
could be Ousted by the communisttc
management as soon as he had ac-
complished mis- undertaking With
such prospect ahead. he would
act upon the policy adopted by the
peasants of Russia, and strive for
nothing but the immediate needs of
himself ana family. National de
cline would be the certain result.
'Imitators of Reds"
Those economists who proposed
taxes that would absorb practically
100 per cent OF a mans income were
close imitators of the economic
policies of the BOIshevists. They
could easily collect the first tax, but
after that the producer would ex-
claim in disgust: What's the use
and would cease producing more
than his family necessities. There
is more than one way to kill geese
that lay golden eggs. Mr.. Cox, the
Tammany nominee for the presi-
denCy proposed a wholesale killing
when he urged government owner
ship of all utilities except agriCul-
ture. Government owned utilities
would find some way to ConsCript
the profits Of agriculture, and then
Bolshevism would be supreme