Arizona republican., 1917-12-08
postnastsr General RurIesOn

Between the postal employees and the publishers Postmaster General Burleson is likely to have many unpleasant half hours. The publishers who look upon him only with alarm perhaps will give him less trouble than the myriad of postal employees who re- gard him with growing hatred There is also being arrayod against him the American Federation of Labor which is just making itself power in American affairs
 At it's late convention at Buffalo, the Federation adopted a resolution hostile the postmaster general and that was before his report made public which has stirred up organized postal employees whom he described potential revolutionists.'
 The trouble between Mir. Burleson and the postal workers began at the outset of his administration They first complained of deterioration of working conditions. In order to make financial showing. help was reduced in spite the growing business of the department. Also almost from the beginning the postmaster general has endeavored to stfe organiza tions of the employees of the department.
 The result has been that would be fatal to any private business in the land Out of sympathy with employees of the department, the postmaster general has lost the confidence of all of them. In such a state there be cooperation from which adequate service to the public result Either thers .must be a new head of the department else many thousands of postal clerks of all grades must be placed by and women whom the postmaster gen eral has not yet offended
 In all protests against Mir. Burleson by the poyes of his department and by organized labor gen. eraIly he has been charged with being autocratic. That too, is the charge chiefly made against him by the publishers whose grievance is against his sum- mary of denying the privileges of the mail to publications These grievances are voiced not by the publishers who have been suppressed for they have now no voice, by those who in sympathy with the general purposes of the postmaster general behold in his methods a menace against the freedom of the press.
 No one can or does blame Mir. Burleson for rutting the ban the Masses" the Blast" the "Bul" and many other publications which ob- structve of the government in the war; else plainly pro- German. But warning has been given by Mir Burleson to other papers which have indulged only in criticism of the administration in phase of work but of whose loyalty there be doubt which desirous of winning the war as the administration can be-
 If these threats are carried out widely as has been done a few instances the postmaster general will have accomplished what congress refused per init the administration to do when it struck out the censorship clause of the espionage act. If these threats should be carried out there would be no belligerent country where there would be less free dom of the press; only where there would be so little-Germany
 It expected that the administration would make mistakes in the conduct of the war there would~be instances of incompetence at many points That has been so in every that ever fought 1t was expected and desired by congress that the press should be free direct public to takes just the British papers have done and are freely doing to the great advantage of Great Britain
 But if the postmaster general is permitted to gard every honest criticism the administration or any branch of the administration discour- aging to soldiers in the field or helpful to the enemy, freedom of the press will be at an end.
 There is a much better way to handle all these matters and it is being employed with good results Persons guilty such crimes postmaster gen. sral claims be trying to suppress are being daily convicted in federal It would be as easy to convict publishers of dsloyal periodicals.