The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-13
Postmaster Fielder in RebuttaI.


81 had nothing to do with assessing any
of my men," said Postmaster Fielder, of
Newark. speaking of the evidence taken
at the recent secret investigation into the
management of his office. 81 did not
assess them for campaign purposes, nor
did | know that they were assessed. The
charge that l sent men to the polls to see
that my men voted the democratic ticket
is a lie. never followed my men to the
polls, nor did l hire any one to do so, nor
is there a man in the service who can say
that / ever asked his political opinion.
"In regard to the Civil Service rules re-
garding appointments | adhere to them
strictly. On three occasions Civil Service
Inspectors visited the office, and each
time they,left me fully satisfied that l was
living up to the laws. In making up lists
OF men eligible for certain positions III the
service there are three men to choose
from, Before making my choice / did
not ask q mans politics. Formerly four
men were certified as eligible. If | chose
n of the four, and now ii | choose one
Of the three, l am conforming to the law.
The Inspector lays stress on the finding of
beer kegs in the building, and one would
infer that he charged the men with i'm
billing beer on the premises as q regular
thing. That is false. On four occasions
the men had refreshments, but each time
after regular hours. On two occasions
tuCy IcQuSSlGu, through LuO SupCElutcuQ-
ent, permission to use the cellar for recep-
tions to men who had been promoted or
married, l 4 don't remember which. | gaVe
the permission conditionally.
THE superintendent was ordered to be
with them to see that my orders were
obeyed. After eight o'clock at night they
assembled and no one was at all disor-
derby nor did they. behave boisterously.
Their receptions did not last longer than
one and one-half to two hours. The two
other occasions were of my own creation.
Each occurred on New Years eve, after
hours, when the men were fatigued after
a days hard work. | invited them to
have refreshments. When beer was in
troduced at the church building it was
Government property, l knew nothing of
the Intended presentation of the album.
It was a surprise, but was compelled to
decline it when l learned that il was
against the laws"
Mr.. Fielder is awaiting developments
how. All the other charges had been
made and discussed before the investiga-
ton.
An Infamous Coal Deal.
A sensation was created at the meeting
of the Board Of Education of Elizabeth
last night on the announcement being
made that Egbert g. Young. who were
awarded the contract for furnishing the
public schools with coal, were unable to
comply with their bargain, as Whitney e.
kemmerer, of New York, the coal firm
that supplied them. had given them to
understand that they must pull out in
favor of the next lowest bidder, or other
wise they would not in the future be sup
piled with coal.
This announcement caused q sensation
in the Board, and several Commissioners
denounced the affair as an outrage. I'm
der the circumstances all bids were re-
Jected n new ones advertised for.
Trenton Bridge Tolls.
The complaints about the methods
adopted by the managers of the Penn
sylyania Railroad bridge over the Della
ware at Trenton are very Numerous, and
the promoters of the free bridge feel con-
fident that when the contract price is
known and the scheme in a little more
definite shape, they will have plenty of
instance of the Pen~nsylvania's methods
was told by Captain William II. Skirm
yesterday. He is superintendent of
Greene street NJ. E. Sunday school. On
"Wednesday they held their annual picnic
IN Morrisville Grove. In former years
Sunday school superintendent were
furnished with free passes for their chill
dren, but when the interstate Commerce
law went into effect the company said
they could no longer do this. Then they
charged for each person who walked
ccross the bridge and for the wagons.
Last year nearly all the children of the
Sunday school in question were conveyed
to the grove in wagons, and the bill for
toll amounted to nearly 50. On Wednes-
day, Captain Skirm supposed he could do
the same way, but was informed by the
gateman that he must pay for every child
IN the wagons as well as for the wagons.
so they all had to be counted and paid
for. The bill for toll amounted to
not say q word to the men, who were
Aasrely obcying orders, but it is this