Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1920-02-07
The Plumb Plan
and the PIu1r1s Plan


The railroad men want to own the
railroads do theya
But whya If this particular division
Of this particular railroad is anything
to judge by, why should railroad men
want to let 60 of perfectly safe plum
take the hazards of a very unsafe
Plumb Planp
In November company near here
ordered two cases Of goods from a
town 20 miles away, They have never
arrived, and an air of great mystery
surrounds them. These were rich
plums for someone, probably worth
more than the dividends from any
Rlumb-pldn ,wnuld bring, ANOTHER
shipment was landed at nearby
town, rifled Of a portion Of it, and re-
turned three weeks later. Other ship
ments 80 astray and are weeks in GO
ing few miles. It is difficult to the
point of impossibility Of learning when
they arrive, and prepayment of ship
ments of groceries or household goods
except furniture is folly. 1t means
sure loss of part of them
It is not the high officials who do
this, nor the administration at Wash
ingtOn. Not to hurt anyone's feelings,
we will refrain from saying whose
fault il is.
But the question is, Why should
anyone want to own a railroad or take
chances on getting profits, when the
rich. protected right to loot it is given ?
Why barter off such an opportunity to
take chances with dividendsp ? It is like
walking through a restaurant with un-
guarded tables to go to the back door
to beg for hand out. Giving up sure
pilfering for hazardous profiteering
seems folly.
Surely the Plumb-plan could offer
nothing to interest those who are pick
ing the rich plums of food shipments
over this railroad. IF the Plumb-plan
were to be adopted it is barely possible
that the railroads might pay shippers
claims. though such a thing would
mean great reform on this railroad.
IN such event, the employees would
80 deep into the hole. As il is, the
splendid pickings they must be enjoy
ing will enable most of them 10 re-
tire soon, Under the Plumb-plan they
will be condemned to work. It is IN
conceivable that any of them would
vote for the Plumb-plan if they thot
It would mean giving up the present,
pleasant, profitable, protected, pilfer-
ing plums plan.
The lure Of the loot is certainly
present day realization, while the
Plumb plan means certain contingent
cies must be faced which might lose
dividends. OF course if the present
purloining can be continued, and then
profits can be added. it will mean an
Improvement. But in this event, en-
ployes will be able to retire so rapidly
that it will be impossible to operate
the railroads. As it is. the salaries are
probably all velvet. for certainly the
laTdes must be weELstocked.
Perhaps we are wronging railroad
employees. Perhaps they are being ac-
cused Of things they do not do. But il
they are wrongly accused, we beg par
don. Perhaps the shipments merely go
astray. But if this be the case. there
must be marvellous congestion some
where. an il is strange to us that mo-
thing ever congests here, and that It is
always wearables and eatabIes, parti-
culanIy the latter. that fail to arrive.
This may be coincidence, but if so.
it is extraordinary in its continuance
II is enough to make one superstitious.
Here's luck to the Plumb-pIan, but
here's betting that the plums of the
Plumb-plan will have nothing on the
pIums Of this division of this railroad.
AT present the only thing it is safe to
ship is paving blocks, old iron, and
similar non-edibles, and even then you
are lucky if they every reach you.
Exchange.