Assumes Charge Monday

For Four Years Dating

From January 9.

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RETIRING OFFICIAL HAS HELD POSITION

9 YEARS

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Peanut Politics Cause

Of Long Delay In

Krook’s Appointment.

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Lewis B. Krook, New Ulm’s new postmaster is now in charge of the local office. His commission arrived last Thursday and Monday he proceeded to the post-office for the purpose of checking in. The transfer was perfected during the day and Fred Pfaender” who has held the job as postmaster for nearly nine years stepped out and Mr. Krook stepped in. Mr. Krook’s official duties commenced Tuesday.

The commission appointing him to office is signed by Calvin Coolidge, as President of the United States and Harry S. New, as Postmaster General. It is dated February 9, 1924, and appoints Mr. Krook Postmaster of New Ulm for a period of four years from the ninth day of January, 1924, the date his appointment was confirmed by the Senate.

Second Time Postmaster.

Mr. Krook has held this office once before. He succeeded John H. Wedendorf and in his turn gave way t S.D. Peterson. At that time the New Ulm post office was a second class post-office. It is now an office of the first class, having qualified for the higher place July 1 of last year. The business during the past ten or more years has increased tremendously and the new postmaster will meet with new rules and regulations, but his past experience will no doubt, make it much easier for him to get on to the ropes than if he had never occupied the position before.

Party Politics.

There was considerable delay in the matter of a selection of a successor to Mr. Pfaender. From the three highest candidates certified by the civil service commission some time in June it became the duty of Congressman Clague to name the winner. Those who knew the political ropes, knew that Fred Pfaender who stood highest in the examination, but also would not be appointed, because he was a democrat and had been appointed as a Democrat and would have to give way to some worthy Republican. Congress-man Clague did not feel like assuming the responsibility of picking the winner, so he turned over this, delicate part of the work to the Republican city committee. They met September 1 and Lewis B. Krook received the largest number of votes and his name was sent to the Postmaster General for appointment.

Peanut Politics.

It was then that some of the aspirants for the office got busy and made different attempts to prevent the appointment of Mr. Krook. He was charged with disloyalty to his country and to his party. As soon as the charge of disloyalty and Pro-Germanism was lodged with the Postmaster General, this officer refused to do anything further until these charges had been disproved. Mr. Krook had no trouble to prove that he was a patriotic citizen and his name was sent to the Senate when it convened in December. Here also it was held up for several days, because of objections raised by Magnus Johnson and Mr. Krook believes that some of the same influences which had tried to prevent his name from being presented to the Senate were to blame for the opposition of Senator Johnson. It was a case of peanut politics perpetrated by disgruntled aspirants and Mr. Krook knows this to be the case.

The Retiring Official.

Fred Pfaender, the outgoing post-master has not fully decided what he is going to do. He has the satisfaction of having held the office of Postmaster as a Democrat longer than any one else in the history of the local post office. He may decided to enter the life insurance field and it is reported that he has under consideration taking the local agency of the New York Life Insurance Co.

Mr. Krook will be succeeded as Cashier of the Brown County Bank by Warren Bond who will, according to latest advices, enter upon his duties not later than the first of March.

New Ulm Review,

Feb. 20, 1924

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