Arizona republican., 1920-01-09
FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 9, 1929.
Heavens eternal wisdom has decreed
That man of man should ever stand
in need -TheocrituS.
The Enlarged Plumb Plan

Our idea of the reckless waste of paper at
when the conservation Of its is much needed
is convert it into pamphlets such those which
said be flooding Washington and which will
probably spread all the country carrying speci
1cltons the Plumb plan the control of all
American industry. The alleged aim of the inventor
this plan, enlargement ~ his scheme for tho
OF The railroads. is to cheapen production
eliminate and divide the profits of enter
prise equtably among those who participate in
terprise.
people want. though they may have
Iute understood before Just what they wanted, is
increased production. They had previously walked
the dark. They complained OF high prices without
understanding what made prices high Naturally
hey sought the profitecr They thought that the
government could. somehow. remedy matters. curb
ng the pronteers Toy the simple process of fixing
prices. Some very sensible people among them gem
-lemen hish in official lie. thought this could he
lone. And Vet. all OF these people had heard and
aughed the futility the order King Canute
against the encroachment o. the tides his do
main and the efforts OF tho weli-meanins old
20 sweep back the waves OF the sea with a broom.
At last dawned upon all but the densest OF
that the cause OF high prices the unusual
scarcity things to buy ana the unusual cheapness
n money. There is profiteerins ard great
deal of eNtravagance but botn OF them minor
factors in producing high prices
The Plumb plan proposes Of course. increase
of production hut how? As TO the chcapness of
money evil the Plumb plan does not deal; II Ignores
utterly. So look for the relieving opera
lion in the field OF producon-the installation OF
greater efficiency the giving hours labor.
The trouble is. and of the prime
lcssened production. hours Of labor the
shorter day and the shorter week Another cause
reduction efficiency. PLACING, individual
output upon level ability efficient
Workman In industry do perform the volume
work they formerly did. They have lowered the
minimum Of output degree which The worst
attain, and they frown upon conspicuously high
Individual achievement
Would this situation be changed in any respect
nder the Plumb plan? there would be in
.entive for change. urged. The would
increased interest the enterprise. because,
'arty. of their personal interest in its
partly because Of their shares of the profits
that would come to them by of the greater
Efficiency of the workers.
Dealing with the first supposed incentive
the objection which has always been urged
against broad socialism. that all would do
heir share under There would he the good
The bad the willing, efficient worker and the lazy,
shtless and inefficient who under such beneficent
arrangement insuring him living anyhow would
become lazier shiftless ever. 1t would
AXE from him the incentive OF necessity.
As TO the second incentive. increased remunera-
ton the shape of the share the profits his
voice in the raising of his human nature
would assert itself We do think that the
sTS would be satisfied with division Of the profits
absorbed by the owners of enterprise For in
stance of the plants the Bethlehem Steel com
pany employs $1,000 Whit the profits
hat particular plant not know. Suppose
hough they divided among all participate
the enterprise the share of each the widest
stimate OF the earnings would be small and there
would be 4 temptation to increase prices in order
hat there might be more money for higher wages
pr greater profits be divided Where. then, would
he public interest" which the plan proposes
serve, come in? There would be increased pro-
luction and production lower costs.
There is nothing there things in this
world wholly bad and there may therefore be found
the Plumb plan a good principle. Especially
profit sharing principle been found to be a good
one when properly applied. That principle is being
more aid developed. that may eventually
le applicable in industry generally. But prin-
cipIe which the rights the public well as
hose Of labor one side or capital the other
are protected, to be adopted
The Census