Perth Amboy evening news., 1910-01-12
POSTMASTER
MUST REMAIN.
Cannot Close Office During
Absence in Florida -Peti-
tion to Washington.
OTHER JERSEY NEWS
tFrom the NEWS Correspondent

| (From The NEWS Correspondent
Washington Jan. 12:-H. R.
Lukens has been postmaster at Har-
vey Cedars since May 8, 1894. This
place is small town down in Ocean
county in Representative Howell S
district, and the inhabitants proba-
bly, do not number more than fifty
at best. However, these fifty per-
sons feel that in this age of daily
papers and excellent mail service
that they are entitled to some ac-
commodation from the federal gov
ernment.
For several years it has been the
| custom of Mr.. Lukens, the postmas-
ter, at Harvey Cedars, to go to
| Florida, and in his absence the post
office has been closed. When it be-
| came noised about the town this
year that he intended to follow his
usual custom it melted a spirit of
rebellion. A petition was quickly
drawn up and signed by every per-
son in the place, protesting against
the closing of the Office, and reciting
the fact that the patrons were
obliged to travel a distance of two
miles to get their mail during the
|
it was contended, was a hardship
upon the majority of the people.
In due time the petition received
the consideration of the officials of
the Post Office Department, and
Congressman Howell has been ad-
vised that the postmaster has been
instructed to return to Harvey Ce-
dars and to open his office for busi-
| he, af Il. ., 10
do this, Ii Is probable the office will
be declared without postmaster,
and a civil service examination will
be ordered to select a successor to
serve in the place of Mr.. Lukens.
Hence, if Mr.. Lukens wishes to re-
tain his position as postmaster he
will be obliged to forego his usual
sojourn in Florida this year.
Residents of New Jersey who took
the required civil service examina-
tion for appointment to places in the
Census Bureau have been advised
that the salary upon receiving the
appointment will only be fifty dol
lars month. In view of the high
cost of even the necessaries of life,
and the fact also that Washington
is an expensive place in which to
live, it is thought that the schedule
of salaries Is too low for the work
and abilities that are expected from
the Census Bureau employees.
Already it has been shown that
an income of 81, 900 year in Wash
ington Is too meagre for a family of
four to live on comfortably, and
while an unmarried person might
get along on the fifty dollars to be
paid by the Census Bureau, the class
of work that will be done by the
clerks entities them to more pay.
Some of the congressman think that
the schedule of wages should have
been fixed so that the minimum sal
airy should have been $500 a year,
which is little enough for what is
expected of the clerical force.
1t is very evident that there is a
division in the New Jersey delega-
ton on the question of supporting
Speaker Cannon. Representative
Fowler has all along been one of the
most pronounced leaders of the "in-
surgents," and yet on Friday when
there was a test in which the In-
surgents" gained their first victory,
Mr.. Fowler was recorded as mot
voting" another way of indicating
that he was absent from his seat.
representative Gardner and Lou
denslager were both in the same
company with Mr.. Fowler, and yet
they are both known to be "regu-
lars" in every sense of the term.
Representative Wiley, Parker and
Howell were on hand and stood to
their convictions as regulars" Two
nf re
kead, for some reason were evident
ly both absent, as both were put
down among those mot voting"
However, since 1t was not the demo-
Gratis fight, although that party did
unite with the insurgents" and
made the victory over the speaker
possible, yet they could absent them
selves with better grace than their
colleagues on the other side of the
house.
When members of the New Jersey
delegation were asked their opinion
relative to the Ballinger-Pinchot
controversy and the proposed inves-
tigation Of the affair, general regret
was expressed that the matter had
been allowed to go so far 1t was
thought that it would have been far
better for the party, and for all con-
cerned had 1t been possible for the
President to get his two subordi-
mates together and persuade them
to agree upon something that would
have prevented an open rupture.
Now, It is believed, the controversy
that must inevitably ensue will Gre
ate bad feelings that will cause
trouble for some time to come.
Anthony T. Woolley, postmaster
at Long Branch, has been recon-
mended for reappiontment. The
services of Mr.. Woolley have been
very satisfactory to the Post Office
Department, which is not disposed
to make any changes even with
Presidential offices, If the incumbent
is satisfactory to the department
officials. Forrest Green, former
member of the Board of Aldermen,
would like to have had the appoint
ment. Mr.. Woolley, however, had
the Endorsement of the city republi-
can committee, and many of the
prominent republican leaders as
we'll, and hence his recommendation
was foregone conclusion. His
name will probably be sent to the
senate by the President before the
end of the week.
Alfred N. Dalrymple, chairman of
the Essex County Republican Com
mittee, has returned to his home in
| Newark after spending several days
in this city. Mr.. Dalrymple has a
host of friends at the Capitol who
were much pleased with his re-elec-
ton as county chairman. Naturally,
Mr.. Dalrymple Is much gratified
with the result, although he is not
| n, q Ii o. auxr oraat f11Gs ahnut Ii