Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-10-22
A Future Need Of the CAPITAL.

ment are the needs and wonderful DEVELOPMENT
of our great country so strikingly exempIined as
in the Post ONCE department.. Since the intro
duction Of the railway system in the United
States the business of that department has
steadily and rapidly increased until the require
ments of the service necessitate the EMPLOYMENT
OF "a clerks, II special agents T9) route agents
156 mall route messengers, IS local agents, oo1
railway postal clerks. and a formidable army of
1000 pOstmasters. Ii is almost unnecessary to
say that the business still continues to increase
and promises ID expand from year to year until
every section Of our country is opened up to
Civilization. Even then it will not cease to
grow in magnitude, but Its increase, after the
iron horse has plowed his way into the most iso-
lated portions of the republic, will be compara-
lively slow. Every new line of railway swens
the operations of the department, since its
construction necesSitstes the establisamsns
of new post Offices and the sppoint-
ment Of additional postmssters, special
agents, route agents, postal clerks, SC.
Its true that the duties of these employees lie in
the main outside OF the Post once department
proper, but they are nevertheless connected
with and must report to it, and the increase of
the business OF department. in Consequence
will therefore be readily understood. For the
fiscal year ending June 3Oth last the postal SER
vice was extended over 8 ,17i miles Of railway
rendering necessary the employment Of q large
number of additional special agents, route
agents, railway clerks, postmssters, Sc. Beside
this SIC money order Offices were established,
and the amount transmitted during the year By
all the Offices Of this kind reached the large
figure of sis SIS, 532T2, against SAP lsi 1sos for
the fiscal year ending June 30fh, 1871. We mem
ton these facts to show that the Post ONCE oe-
partment is destined to bacome q mammoth es-
tablishmeDt, and If any further proof is wanted
we have only 10 glance at Walkers admirable
census of 1870. Careful investigation Of the
subject o. population in the United States shows
that the increase Of one census over the one pre-
seding it is about So per cent, or one -third.
Assuming this to be the ratio We shall have, in
$780, population Of about s. 900 ,Oo0, and in 1890
over 20 C9e 900 souls nearly twice our present
population. If then We now have 31.0DO post
Offices we shall require in ls9l If not twice as
many, at least a very large additional number
not only Of post Offices and postmssters, but
special agents, railway clerks, &c, which will
render imperstTyely necessary a corresponding
iTcresse in the number of employees in the de-
partment proper at Washington.
In view Of these facts the Postmaster General
and others who have given the subject consider
alton sre of the opinion that Ii would be the
part of wisdom 10 do something now
10 anticipate the demands OF the future
in the matter of increased accommoda-
tons in the General Post Office department
at the capital. That such Accommodations
will he absolutely necessary sooner or later no
one can doubt. Already the force in the de-
psrtment is cramped for room and something
must be Gone to increase the capacity of the
building An additional story has been sugges-
ted to be built upon the present structure but
as this would destroy the architectural beauty
OF the edlfee 1t was subsequently proposed by
some TO raise the building by the process
described in yesterdays STAR, and place the
extra story below what lie now the first In
either care the policy Of enlargement would be
atemporizing one, for In a few years still more
room Yould be demanded. The Postmaster
General foreseeing the future needs of the
service takes the sensible view that a new de-
partrnent building should be erected large
enough for the requirements of the service for q
long time to come, and that it should be located
in Judiciary square, The present building
could thin be assigned for the use of the
Interior Department. the Patent Office building
being entirely inadeq uate to the wants of tn
department, which pays rental for extra &C.
commods lions to the amount Of s22.5O an.
nualiy, and which could utilize every foot of
space in the present General Post ONCE.
Among the probabilities Of the future Is the
adoption OF the postal telegraph system in the
-
Postmaster General, who earnestly recon-
mended the system last year, win renew his
recommendation in his next report without
repeating the arguments in favor Of this system.
we may state that the Postmaster General sums
them up forcfbiy when he SAYS: 'sThe psople
VIII sooner or Later dem and the use of thu tsls-
graph as means OF quick, cheap, and essv
intercommunicstion." should this systam be
finally adopted An extra force of ut least ous
nundred men must be accommodated In the
department at the capital. Whether IL Is or n IT
goed reasons for . new and much larger general
posi- once building are apparent to every think
ing mind, and We trust the Postm aster General
In hs forthcoming annual report will earnestly
recommend the erection Of such an sdidca "a
viii meet the demands of the future. r.
We don't give mucn credit to the report OF
instructions among the stockholders of the New
hofk Tribune which are to result in the dispIace-
ment Of Horace Greeley and whitelav Reid "A
the Jonahs who imperil the financial prosneritv
OF the paper. On the contrary, it is most prob
able that in November Mr.. Greeley win resume
MS OLD post as writing editor, and Mr.. Reid his,
as The capable managing editor. Mr.. Greeley,
We believe, will take pains by the unmistakable
fairness OF his treatment of Gen. Grants admin
lstrafion for the second term to show that he Ia
innuenced by no piques or disappointments
Inc SreuHe during this contest has occupied an
embarrassing position, liable on the one side to
oe charged with sinking to mere partisanship in
she personal interests OF its Chief; and on the
other, with failing to deal effective, HredAhot'
blows because its motives mi yht be msconstrued.
For the same cause IL could not comply with the
angry de mands OF the liberals that 1t should
trounce sluggish democrats, or with the counter
demands of the democrats that it should spur
the liberals mp to make good their promised
quota Of disaffeetion from the republican ranks
Doubtless Mr.. Greeley's hand has ached many
times during the campaign for tae opportunity
TO apply the cudgel, after his Old fashion. 20 the
marpiO,s and do nothings who were importing
his cause; but ne could not utter Q word HIS
hands and the hands OF tas Tritaas were tied
by his candidacy. -- --, s'.s .
On the whole, II must be admitted that the
Tribune has steered its diffcalt course quite as
successfully as could have been expected. IL
has been tolerabiy fair, and though fasherinx
some disreputAbie political oauards, has at the