The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-05-01
MANY HESITATE
TO UNDERTAKE 1T
With Presidential Campai II
Coming On, It Will Prove Hard
to Steer Clear Course-May
Please Farmers and Off
set Effect Of Re
ciprocity.
Isl Ispccial 10 The rimes-Dispatch.l

Washington. D. c., April 30.-NoW
that the Democrats In the House hi r,
discussed at length the free list u
and reciprocity bills. have passed the
Z reapportIonmcnt bill. settled the veNe1
patronage question:, and started hcoms
for several fayorite sons, they are TO
tackle at an early date anosh=r tough
prorositIon--onc that Is generally con-
ceico to be of tho hardest kind--that
Is. whether they will pass a parcels
post law. either general or limited
/. On the one hand. the sentiment for
tho establishment OF a parcel: post
obviously Is growing. On the other
hand, with the opposition to 1t bittsr
and n presidential campaign just
ahead. there Is some hesitnncy on the
part, OF the Democrats concerned over
the party fate In 1912 about taking
It up
Up to This Congress.
IT iE plain. however. that the ques
tlon Is up to this Congress, and that
It Will have 10 pass on It. Speaker
Clark admitted this himself recently.
Mr.. Clark has not committed himself
on the proposition though he is con-
WINGED the express companies. to use
his oTn term, are ''gouging' the p,io-
lie. He Is In favor of the PnIt Omce
Department living up 10 that require
ment OF the law as exercising i3onnp
oily OF the business OF carrying olck-
cts.
That the House Will pass parcels
post measure IL one Is reported ont OF
committee IS generally believed Tie
recent parcels post convention IN
Washington was the strongest gath
cring OF tho kind ever held here 1t
took steps to urge Congress to act
In favor OF the system. and even went
further and put Itself or record de-
4 string that the government take over
the business OF the express con,ranJe3
. Congressman Moon, OF Tennessee
already has appointed the subcommi,.
tee OF his committee. Among them is
one on parcels post. 1t consists ri
Representative Lloyd OF missouri
chairman, and Representatives Mayes
Bell Gregg, Weeks. Gardner, OF New
Jersey, and Lafean. Representative
Lloyd is chairman Of the Democratic
Congressional Committee. and MesSrs
Gardner Weeks and I>afean are the
Republican members. The sentiment
OF the subcommittee and of the main
v committee Is about evenly divided for
and against the system. Mr.. Lloyd. rs
chairman OF the subcommittee In
charge OF the question, has large
responsibility in the matter. II no
bill is brought out he Will be blamed
Tor II, and 1t Will be said that he was
AFRAID to let the legislation get
& +
Guences. But the disposition OF a good
many Of the Democrats Is to take .ho
View that parcels post legislation is
wanted by the farmers. and that II
should be provided. Some OF tile astute
politicians perceive that the enactmcn.
OF Canadian reciprocity has hurt them
with the farmers. who can see moth
ms TO their benefit in 1t. Parcels post
legislation would he very popular with
the latter, and might countera:t any
deleterious effects on the farmer vote
from the reciprocity agreement
This situation makes the parcels
post proposition a verysimportant one
at this time. and one that will he well
worth watching
Dr. Holmes Stnnds Aloof.
Denying that he had ever discussed
the contention Of union men tina the
wrecking of the Los Angeles Times
once by dynamite could not have re-
suited In the combustion of inks ami
OILS. which followed. Dr.. j. A. Holmes
director of the United States Bureau
Of Mines, and we'll known in tho
south this morning. stated that he
did not propose to align himself with
either one side or the other in the
Dig legal controversy between labor
and capital, which has grown out of
the arrest OF John and James r. Me-
Namara.
When seen at his home. IT49 p
street. Northwest. this morning, Dr.
itolmes said that because Of his Off
}'cfal position he was not at liberty 10
! make an authorized statement Tele-
graphic advices from Los Angeles
last night We're to the effect that AR
Hartman had stated DR.. Holmes would
be subpoenaed by the representatives
OF organized labor as one of their
most important witnesses.
But nave you3received any intima-
ton that you are to be called to Los
ANGELES" DR.. Holmes was asked, when
he said that the1 department with
when ne is connected would not take
Kindly TO his making statement
NO, have not"
Concerning the statement credited
70 VT. Hartman. that the first point
mo defense would seek 10 prove would
be that the Bureau of Mines had TEST
ed the kind of dynamite alleged IN
have been used, and had found maj
IL would not Ignite gas, DR.. Holmes
said that he did not even know what
factory had made It. -i
II is known that every effort will
ne made to prevent tho subpoenainr OF
any one connected with the Bureau ~
Niines In the past the bureau has
been successful in frustrating ALI smcb
, attempts.
It is pointed out that the men con
n nected with the bureau are pronted
admission to the mines through Tic
mine operators and moi for the mr.
pose OF collecting evidence to he used
In cases that may follow. Sbonid
representatives OF the Bureau Of
Mines appear as witnesses I'M all cases