The Coolidge examiner., 1941-04-18

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PHOENIX, Apr. IS - Word fill
tering from a downtown office
hints at an imminent decision"
by the governor in the custer man
euyer against three members of
the State Industrial commission.
From supposedly reliable sourc-
es comes the prediction the chief
executive will attempt the re
moval of only two commissioners
Chairman l.. C. Carl Holmes and
Lynn Lockhart. Commissioner E.
T. Happy" Houston reputedly is
ensconced until the expiration OF
his term in 1912 despite the fact
the governor appointed a success
sor |. P. Mcbride who failed to
receive senatorial confirmation.
Governor Osborn's hesitancy to
press his move against Commits
sioner Houston is said to be ac-
tuated by two reasons. The ex-
ecutive's inquisitors were unable
to dig up even a semblance of
charge" against Mr.. Houston no
matter how diligently they dug
The second reason is that Mr.
Houston stands ace high with fell
low members of the politically
potent railroad brotherhoods and
the powerful state senate, Of
which he is a former member.
The governor is said to think
that by not pressing Charges"
against Mr.. Houston he may fare
better before the State Supreme
court to which tribunal his decis.
ion will be appealed by the other
two commissioners. Then, too,
Mr.. Osborn, anticipating reelection,
would have vacancy on the In
dustrial commission in 1912 at
which time he could displace Mr..
Houston.
Considerable irony appears in
the situation of Commissioner
Holmes. No one-not even the
governor-will dispute the state
ment that Mr.. Holmes would have
been reappointed to the commits
sion by Governor Osborn had the
chief executive been successful in
his 1898 campaign.
Mr.. Holmes, according to rec
ords on file with the secretary of
state. was one of the largest con-
tributors to Mr.. Osborn's 1888
campaign. He was a member of
the intimate inner circle of Os-
born strategists. His cash contri-
buttons and sage counsel entitled
him to reappointment.
But Bob Jones defeated Mr.. Os-
born in '38 Governor Jones, while
knowing that Mr.. Holmes support
ed Mr.. Osborn in the primary
campaign, recognized in Mr.
Holmes a commissioner of unusu-
al ability. So when Mr.. Holmes
term expired, Governor Jones re-
appointed him. In the subsequent
campaign Mr.. Holmes did what
any appreciative person would do
he returned the favor by remain
ing loyal to Mr.. Jones.
Forgetting the several hundred
dollars contributed by Mr.. Holmes
to the unsuccessful Osborn cam
paign in 1888, the governor sought
control of the commission by ask
ing the three commissioners to
resign. When they refused, ous-
ter proceedings were instituted.
One of the witnesses subjected
to a severe grilling at the hear
ing was Sidney B. Moeur, presi-
dent of the Tracy-Holmes Fruit
company which leases land from
the commissioner. For many
years Mr.. Moeur had been a per-
sonal and political friend of Mr..
OsbOrns. For a considerable time
one of the largest sources of in
come for Dunbar's Weekly, Mr.
Osborn's magazine, was the publ
cation of foreclosure notices from
the Home Owners Loan corpora
ton, which were given to the mag
azine by Mr.. Moeur, who is state
manager for the HOLC.
1t is evident that these friend
ships of long standing have been
shattered as a result of the gov
ernor's offensive against the in
dustrial commission.
Several Democratic leaders told
this column they regard the attack
ON Commissioner Lockhart as IAN
other example of why strife rakes
the party's ranks"