Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-25
Attitude of National Asso-
citation Of Letter Carriers.
MR.. KELLER is SEVERE
REBUKEs REPRESENTATIVE
LOUD IN PUBLISHED STATEMENT
New Phase of Conduct That May Come
Before Civil Service Com
mission.

REPRESENTATIVE Loud of San Francisco will
be brought to the attention of the civil
service commission to determine how far
an employe of the government may go in
criticsing the official acts of a member of
Congress. In the Rebecca Taylor case it
was decided that an employe of the gov
ernment would be liable to dismissal from
the service for severely criticising the acts
of superior officers But 1t is an open ques-
ton whether the commission would con-
slider a member of Congress as a superior
officer of an employe in the executive
branch Of the government. There would be
no question as to the application of the
rule in the case of an empoye of the legis-
Iative branch of the government criticisng
a superior officer, but when 1t comes To
employees in one of the three coordinate
branches of the government criticising high
officials In another branch new question
is raised.
Rulings of Commission.
This situation would not affect the rulings
of the commission in regard to the undue
political activity of government employees,
which, Of course, would readily be applied
to any one in the classified service, as are
letter carriers. who might undertake to con-
duct a campaign against any ane, whether
repu jlcan or democrat, IN order to secure
their defeat.
The question that is now raised is in re-
lation to an article by President Keller,
published in the August issue of the Postal
Record the organ of the National Associa-
ton of Letter Carriers. published in this
city. In this article Mr.. Keller, who is a
letter carrier, severely criticises a speech
by Chairman Loud of the House committee
on post offices and post roads ON the sub
ject of the letter carriers salary bill This
speech was delivered June Is and is repub-
ha n which
appears Mr.. Keller's comment on 1t.
The fact that this matter is given public
ity long after the event occurred and on the
eve of an election, is said to probably have
a bearing on it's intent as a means of affect
ing the reelection of the. members of the
House who disapproved of the bill for an
increase of salaries for letter carriers. Mr..
Keller, in this publication, contradicts num-
erouS statements made by Mr.. Loud on the
floor of the House.
Mr.. Keller's Criticism.
But all these things are merely Incl
DENTAL" he continues. THE main portion
of this remarkable speech-rema rkable for
its inaccuracies remarkable for It's mis-
representations-the portion to which 1 take
particular exception is that in which MIR.
Loud, by inference, seeks to brand the car
riers of the country as a lot of criminals.
We can pass over his so-called statistical
enumerations; we could even respect the
man for his consistent opposition to any
measure which he considers wrong in prin->
ciple, but we do reserve the right to pro-
test against the attacks made upon the
integrity of the letter carrier, especially
When that attack Is made on the floor of
the House in a manner and under conditions
which will not permit those attacked to an
swer the charges brought against them
Mr. Keller says Mr.. Loud tried to make
the members of the house believe that the
time carrier was recorded as being in the
n npi, hn, rr,oiro
ms rect, playing cards, telling stories,
worrying MS brain over his Investments
Representative Loud's Reasons.
In his speech of June IS Mr. Loud gave
reasons why he believed the salaries of the
letter carriers were as high as at that time
they should be.
Il believe" he said, "the government
should pay as large a salary as any pri-
Vate individual pays, and no more
ne went on TO state reasons why the gov
ernment actually does pay better for the
service rendered 1t than do private ndi-
Viduals, beside providing liberal conditions
or labor such as leaves of absence, sta
nlilty OF salary in good times and hard
tlnes, etc. He satd the carrier is appointed
at S6UD and at the end of the year vets
SSco and at the end Of another year 81, ,Oo0
Thls, he said, he gets whatever kind of
carrier ne happens to be. If he is untitled
10 De carrier he is made collector, with
very simple duties that consist of gathering
mail and carrying it to the post office. Yet
the bill sought to pay all these men In cities
of over $4,000 salaries of 81, 200 annually
Nv h1le the carriers have used every
means In their power to secure the passage
OF this BILL said Mr.. Loud on that occa-
sion. many means which l have no right
to criticise, say that they have come to
congress with unclean hands, and in 4
court OF equity would have no standing;
neither can they have before this legislative
body
He said If any salary should be increased,
all salaries of government employees should
De raised, but declared that all such en-
ployes are receiving p per cent more sal
airy than men in like positions in civil life.
The Post Office Department was not in
formed today whether Mr. Keller had re-
turned to his duties as letter carrier in
view of the revocation of his leave of alb
Sencs.