Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1920-01-08
PLUMB HAS new
INDUSTRIAL plan
FOR ALL CLASSES
Idea Proposes for American
Industry System Of Tri-
partite Rail Control
Recently Given Out.
BY The Associated Press.

Washington, Jan. IA Plumb
plan for all American industry.
modelled after the plan of the same
name for the railroads. has been
prepared and is expected to be Dub
icly announced soon.
Copies OF the plan, captioned IAN
industrial program by Glenn f.
Plumb" are being circulated in
Washington and some of them nave
been received in government circles.
Briefly. the plan proposes for all
American industry the system OF
tripartite railroad control advanced
some time ago with the backing of
the great brotherhoods, and which
it has been announced. would be
made an issue at the elections. 1t
proposes practically the same divi-
sion of representation for capital,
labor and the public.
Industry is classed into four divi,.
sions in this way: \
/. Those "individualistic in owner
ship and operation, including the
farmer and the small artisan, con-
tractor and manufacturer, who is
both capitalist, laborer and con
sumner"
2. All industries formerly indi
vidualistic, but which through or
ganization have so developed that
ownership is separated from labor
and concerns itself only in direction
ard supervision OF production in
TAesA 4 engages the efforts OF
others who have no share in owner
ship"
Corporations Included.
3. Industries based upon a grant
from society in the shape of fran
cllise, grant of privilege or monop.
oily" In this division are included
all public service corporations eX-
cept those engaged in interstate
commerce "and all industries en-
gagged in exploiting natural re-
sources" These latter are described
as including mines, gas and water
power.
d. Railroad and commercial
transportation facilities. The plan
explains that these are considered
separately from the public service
facilities embraced in the third di.
vision because the former are "un-
der local control, created by local
authorities and subject to local reg
ulation."
The Fundamental interests" in
these industries, the Plumb plan de.
clares, as the need of society for
the products Of that industry or the
Service which it renders, that calls
the industry into being. In the FIRST
two classes where society has made
no grant the free working of the
law of supply and demand protects
the public interest"
Public Interest Defined.
Public interest" is defined in the
plan as follows:
1T is the right of the public to
obtain better, cheaper or more prod
ucts or service as the progress of
the arts permits the making of more
or better goods or service at lower
cost of production. The constitution
denies the power of the public so to
exercise its power of regulation as,
to deprive the owner of the property
of his investment, actually, honestly
and prudently made, or of fair re-.
turn on such investment. If society
pays more than this amount which
the owner retains as a profit, society
pays more than it lawfully is re-
required to pay and the owner re-
ceives more than he is lawfully en-
titled to receive.
This says the Plumb plan, "in-
PRODUCES perpetual conflict between
society in the exercise of this public
regulation and the agent it has Gre
ated for its service and results in
supplying 1uxuries and procuring
greater revenues for those who ben
eft in these cxactions."
Under the Heading. Rights of
Labor" the plan declares that the
measure of what workman shall re-
ceive depends entirely upon the
amount in value of service which he
renders. He is entitled to receive
equivalent amount in value of the
services of others. The wage system
disregards this human right"
In its conclusion the resume de-
clares "the existing industrial sys-
tenn is crashing around our ears"
that wages bear no relation to the
value of services rendered and that
profits are wrongfully exacted."