The Owosso times., 1922-02-10
Today,
"TEETH"
.VETERANS-RELIEF

thO IAoAhS W 4uht
That was the problem that occu.
pied the center of the stage at the
opening session of the twepty-thir6
annual meeting Of the National
Civic Federation at the Hotel AS
tor, New York city, last Monday
Former Governor Ben w. Hoop
er, member of the public grouI
of the Railroad Labor board
pleaded for more power for the
board.
He admitted that so far there
had been practically no viola
tions" of the boards decisions by
the employees. On the other hand.
he said. the instances in which
carriers have ignored and flouted
the decisions of the board are too
numerous to mention"
Glenn e. Plumb. counsel for the
railway employees, replied to Gov
ernor Hooper. Mr.. Plumb eX-
IL plained that he was speaking for
SeS. M. Jewell, president of the
Railway Employees department of
the American Federation of Labor,
who had found 1t impossible to be
present, and that everything he
said had been submitted to Mr..
approval.
Mr.. Plumb held that instead of
being supplied with teeth" the
Labor board should never have
been established. The board. he
said, was so constituted that the
members supposed to represent the
public must eventually make all
important decisions. They were
not qualified. either by experience
or training, to assume such re-
sponsibility, and when they made
a correct decision they were
fright by chance"
1t would be just as unrca-
sOnable. said Mr.. Plumb, to
deny to capital the right to
withdraw its investment from
any particular industry as to
attempt to say that labor
should not withdraw its SER
vices when the conditions were
unsatisfactory.
While contending that all work
ers are guaranteed under our
form of government "the enjoy
ment of the gains which their in
dustry produces" Mr.. Plumb de-
MED that this means that all
wealth created by productive en-
terprises shall be distributed
amongst laborers alone.
Labor and capital" he said,
must work together jointly under
every form of organized industry
to produce wealth. 1t is the func-
ton of capital to provide the plant.
tools, equipment and facilities for
production. 1t is the function Of
labor to furnish the effort which
furnishes to the consumer the COM
modify or service he requires.
These two factors, labor and
capital, are entitled to share in the
wealth which they have jointly
produced in the proportion of the
value of the contribution which
each has made in order to produce
the common output of commodi-.
ties or service"
Around this distribution of
earnings between capital and labor
centers all of the wage disputes,
Mr.. Plumb continued, and to ad-
just these disputes. when they oc-
cur In the transportation industry,
congress created the Railroad La
Dor board and invested it with
certain powers Of inquiry and ad-
judication.
The governmental agency deal
ing with veteran relief work, the
u. S. Veterans bureau, Is now
manned almost entirely by ex-
service men. This situation has
y been long contemplated by the
government and has been advocat- :
ed by all the veteran organiza-
, tions. The veterans have contend
ed that their problem would re-
. ceive more sympathetic consider
alton by one who had been in the
service. They'felt that one who
was familiar with the conditions
existing during the war, both in
army cantonments in this coun-
try, as well as the conditions
which existed overseas would be
acquainted with the service pro-
cedure and therefore better able
to render a fair decision in their
case. President Harding took this
into consideration when he ap-
pointed an officer who had seen
service overseas, Col. Charles r.
Forbes, to be director of the vet
Grams bureau. Col. Forbes in
turn has made 1t point to fill
practically all the responsible po-
sitions with ex-service men who
had worn uniform. Regional Of
ficers are 100 per cent ex-service
men. The managers of the four
teen regional districts are with
out exception eX-service men.
These men are in direct charge of
the activi les of the Veterans Bu-
reau relating to compensation,
disqualification and vocational
training i'm their respective dis
tricts. The decentralization of the
Veterans Bureau has given these
men added responsibilities.
The Sweet Bill provided for a
number of sub-offices not to eX-
ceed 14O. There are now 1913 such
sub-offices in existence. Eighty
six per cent of the sub-district
managers are ex-service men.
In the Central Office in Wash
ington all the chiefs of divisions
are men who were in the service.
Sixty-one per cent of the entire
office force in the Central Office
are veterans. The reason for this
percentage being less than those
n mentioned above is due TO the fact
that large percentage of the
3 <orce q composed Cf cierks, typ
ffets end stcnogra who are
(. women.