Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08
Regarded as Due to Letter
Carriers Work.
CASE OF RETALIATION
HE BLOCKED BILLS FOR INCREAS-
ING THEIR PAY.
Will Be Used as an Argument Against
Government Control of an
Industry.

The defeat of Representative Loud for
| reelection in the fifth California district
| will give rise to some interesting discussion
| during the coming session of Congress. 1t
| will be interpreted in some of the speeches
| that will be made in the House as having
| significance far beyond anything in relation
| to Mr.. Loud's district.
For several years Mr.. Loud has opposed
bills introduced in the House for the pur-
pose of increasing the pay of letter carriers
AS the chairman of the House committee
on post offices and post roads, Mr.. Loud S
objection was equivalent to the defeat of
the measures. The letter carriers have
national association. and 1t was determined
that Mr. Loud should be defeated for re-
election, in order that his objection might
not stand in the way of the ambition of the
carriers. This matter was discussed in their
national convention last summer, and after
it's adjournment their president started
westward, and it was widely reported at the
| time that he was to devote his energies to
| the defeat of Mr.. Loud. The Post Office
| Department heard about the matter and
| the president of the association who was
| serving in that capacity while on leave as
| letter carrier, was promptly informed that
| his leave was revoked and he was ordered
| back to his duties. This official froWn on
| the activity Of the carriers, 1t is said, only
| suppressed the outward signs OF opposition
Ine laDOr OESdUlZdllOIiS lOoh tiC llSi
| up. They had nominated one of their own
| number to be the democratic candidate
| against Mr.. Loud and they elected him.
Government Control Of Industries.
All this is but preliminary to the presen-
tation of the case as it will be made IN
Congress- The bearing that campaigns or
the kind encountered by Mr.. Loud will
have on the question of public ownership
will be discussed. The question of public
ownership has been very largely an aca-
demic one so far as Congress is concerned,
but it has been brought forWara very PROM
inently in connection with the discussion or
the anthracite coal trouble, and Will pc
talked of in connection with the trust prop
lem generally.
The fight on Mr.. Loud will be Of interest
in this discussion as a warning against po-
litical control of industries If the employees
| of those industries have power to dictate
| questions concerning their wages ana otner
| conditions by means of a threat to seek the
| political downfall of any one VINO, IN OH
| c1al position, defeats any measure they may
| advocate. 1t will be claimed that what mas
been done in the case of the chairman OF
| the House committee post offices ana
| post roads by the influence of the employees
| of the Post Office Department may be done
| on much larger scale If the control OF tne
government is extended to take III other
| large classes of labor.
| If this principle of political activity were
| applied to the million employees of the rail-
| ROADS OF the country, IL - SuS6SS'So, 81
posing the railroad systems were under the
control of the government, almost any na-
| tional election could be thrown one way OF
the other at the bidding of such forces.
| Whenever the subject of public ownership
| comes to the front Mr.. Louds experience
will be recited by those who oppose such
| policies.
Importance Of the Case.
| 1t is stated that this case is the most
prominent example of the danger to Fov-
ernment because of extended government
| control over large bodies of men that has
vet come forward in connection with Con-
gress.
Representative Loud will himself take
an opportunity to finally lay this matter
before the House a record for future
| reference. Last winter he made some com
| ment in the House on the fight that was
| then being made on him, and with consid-
cradle feeling declared that If his action or
the bills to Increase the pay of letter car.
| riers were to result in his defeat he woulc
! rather be defeated than be Ell 2cted, and sc
let the issue be made as plain as possible.