Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-03-03

by committee Of business men yester-
day afternoon fatty refused to enter
tain a proposition to increase the
clerical forces in the postofice, but
told the business men he might con-
sent to making an application to have
the office closed on Sundays. A COM
mittee comprised Of J. T. Sheehy,
Thomas Brown, Charles r. Fletcher and
Edward Il. Gridley called on the post
master in his Office shortly after four
O'Clock yesterday afternoon and at
their tight he became quite sarcastic.
He asked where the ministers were,
seeing that there were none with the
committee, but despite the fact that
he declares his office a public one, he
refused to have newspaper men pres.
ent
Various members Of the committee
spoke, while the postmaster assumed
an air of Importance. He gestulated
and pounded with his fists as he made
replies to the queries put to him, but
gave the business men little satisfac.
ton, beyond admitting he might recon.
mend that the office be closed on Sun.
days if the public demanded 1t.
This result means that the postofice
employees with the aid of the business
men win carry the fight further and
probably appeal to headquarters at
Washington. It is likely that petitions
will be circulated for Increasing the
entire working forces Of the postoffice
and for closing it on Sundays. Mr..
Tice wss told that this might be done
and was asked If he would support
them. He said if a sufficiently large
petition was presented in favor OF
Sunday closing, he might approve Of
it, but under no condition would he
consent to uphold petition to increase
either or both the clerical forces.
He stated emphatically that be was
at the head of the postoffice here and
knew better than his employees what
might be needed in those lines. He
was asked II it might not be possible
for the clerks and carriers to know
what was needed in the distribution
and delivery Of mail, as they were men
Of intelIige Hs stated In zs1lg that I
seheIii6d upon TOW ~ avoid
14ork.
Mr.. rice told his iaterviewssrs that
lhe amonnt OF elericat and carrier force
Was reckened by the business of tile OF
! flee. After making that statement, he
was asked IL he happened to know of
one, G. P. Grandfeld, first assistant
postmaster general, to which he replied
yes as he was his boss. Well, he
states in q publication that the num-
Der Of postofice forces Is calculated by
the population, said one of the COM
r,ittee. The postmaster looked 1T the
speaker and said that was only bosh,
issued by q union. He was told by
one of the business men that Mr..
Grandfeld must have stated this.
The postmaster was told of the pop
ulation of other cities in the state,
which have two and three times the
force the local office has and was ask
ed if some of those offices did not run
behind with expenditures. He replied
In the affirmative and said he had a
good record as postmaster, stating this
Office never ran behind He was told
he had struck rut wherein he remain
ed and was unable to see that that
postaffice has not kept pace with the
growth of the city. He became infur-
lated at times and said he wanted it
understood that he knew what was
wanted in ehe postoffice here better
than anyone else. When he proceeded
to tell Of his days as blacksmith and
of other hard work he had done and
was asked to say less about himself
but more about the Office
One of the committee asked If a Pc
tition was circulated for adding four
more clerks and four more carriers to
tire present force, r Mr.. Tiee would
support it, he replied sNo,' again
asserting that he knew more about
what was needed than anyone else. The
postmaster then told of his trips out
with carriers and finding that when
watched and timed they worked bit
faster and were able to return to the
office an hour earlier than usual.
With this, the committee confronted
him with questions as to why, if the
carriers had so much time to spare, he
he did not deliver mail on certain
routes in the afternoon where it was
sorely needed and why more trips were
not put on other routes where business
men daily wait from ten to eleven
o'elo}k in the morning for their mail
TIE committee confronted him with
many queries, but Mr.. Tiee stated that
he was running the office and knew
what be was doing.
The committee told the postmaster
he was erring when he went to the of