UNIVERSITY DEBATERS WIN IN CAMBRIDGE

The University debaters in Cambridge won the match with Dartmouth by a unanimous decision of the judges; Justice John C. Crosby of the Supreme Court of Massachusetts, Professor Arthur Andrews of the Department of Debating at Tufts, and Mr. M. Y. Hughes of the Department of Debating at Boston University.

The University team composed of L. E. Thomas '20, M. J. Donner '21, and L. Dennis Occ., upheld the negative of the question "Resolved: That the United States should adopt the Plumb Plan as embodied in the Sims Bill for the operation of the railroads, constitutionality granted," against the Dartmouth men. They were T. H. Pinney '22, H. E. Bernkopf '20, and S. B. Gorham '21.

The following is a summary of the negative speeches made in Cambridge:

Leonard E. Thomas '20 First Negative Speaker.

The system of private ownership and operation of the railroads has built up the roads of this country to the most highly developed, the most accommodating, and the cheapest in rates, of any country in the world; and so no radical change from such an adequate system is called for.

The Plumb Plan would call for an investment of $18,000,000,000 to be raised by bond issue, which could be accomplished only by placing an interest of 5 1-2 or 6 per cent on the same. Such a procedure would be most undesirable financially to this country as it would decrease materially the value of our Liberty and Victory Bonds, and moreover, it would increase taxation.

Matthew J. Donner '21, Second Negative Speaker.

The Plumb Plan gives the railroad workers the absolute power to determine their wage. This fact has been admitted by the New York "Nation", a publication favorable to the Plumb Plan. "The Nation" says that whenever a vote is taken on the Board of Fifteen Directors, the ten members elected by industry can out-vote the five members appointed by the government.

Finally, the Plumb Plan marks the beginning of the nationalization of all industry. Senator Cummins has very truly said that the railroads have in the past, and will in the future, determine the fate of the other industries of the country.

Lawrence Dennis Occ. Third Negative Speaker.

One of the principal objections to the Plumb Plan is the inefficiency in management which would result. Government ownership has everywhere proved less successful than private management, our present experience with the railroads being a case in point. Moreover, the interests of the public would not control the policy and direction of the railroads under the Plumb Plan, but rather the interests of the railroad men themselves.