The sun., 1879-02-23
LET CONGRESS, DEFEAT IT.
A MOST FLAGRaNT JOB INWHICH moss
SHEPHERD rs. .INIIcRKsgED..
Proposing TO Buy the shepherd building nt
Double its vaIue FOR n Ctty Post Once
The House Oossfsttteo shsFkIpE its Duty.

WASHINGTON, Fob N-Tlterc has been
during the present session n persistent effort.
backed by powerful and we'll organized lobby.
TO sell to the Government two or three different
sites for n city Post ONCE. The movement first
developed itself in tho annual report Of tho do
facto Postmaster General in which Congress
was urged TO mako some provision for q new
city Post Office. II was further alleged that the
Post once Department was so crampcd for
room that the space occupied by the city Post
| Ollcc was impcrntivcly demanded for its use.
| 1t Is doubtless true that the Post Oflco Depart
mcnt has need for moro Office room than its
present accommodations afford. but IT Is por-
footy certain that the space in the building oc-
cupicd by the city Post once will afford but
| temporary relief. In tho near future another
| building will be necessary 10 accommodate tho
natural growth of the department. Already
some Of the divisions arc uuartcred in outside
| buildings. and the room which would be gained
| by tho removal Of the city Post ONCE would not
| enable tho department to gather all its om-
ployees under ono roof.
Moreover. the Interior Department has not
sufficient accommodations in the Patent ONCE
building for It's employees. The Pension Onice
and three or four other bureaus occupy build
| ings rented by the Government from private
parties. Tho Pension ONCE Is quartcred in
building built 10y Boss Shepherd on the corner
| Of Twelfth street and Pennsylvania avenue, for
which $4,000 n year rent Is paid. Fully as
much more annual rent ia paid by the Interior
| Department for other buildings occupied by its
employees. This grcnt growth Of the Patent
| Onice will soon nccessitHte n separate building
| for its use. II would. therefore. have seemed
advisable, in view Of the fact that the Interior
and Post Onlce Departments already require nd
| ditona room and that more will hc needed i'm
I the futuIN. That the ttpVpruIWpUt lustpul
! Of purchasing lily constructed buildings in an
other part of the city should MAKE some tenn
pornry shit until tho necessary huilling or
buildings can be- erected. nPnr TO or adjoining
the Interior and Post ONCE Dcrartmcnts.
The rr"-ent site tis ~ Tho Post Oncs is tho best
that could be secured. bccause IL Is In the very
centre of .hc business locality. anI gcOgraph-
icnlly very near the centre Of the city.
The Government already owns more land in
the city than II has any need for. As senator
Edmuhds Snid tho other day. whenevcrth the sub
Ject Of taxation IN this city comes before Com
grcss the cry is raised that the United States
owns one half OF the real estate Of the city. and
therefore ought TO pay one-haf OF the expense
Of running tho City Government and making
ana maintaining improvements. But the in
slant there is u proposition TO erect public
building here the cry Is raised that the Govern
mcnt has no suitable sttc-that II must not de-
siroy one Of the public reservations 10y placing
ntor Edmunds "I will meyer vote n dollar To-
purchase another foot of ground in this cty."
This sentiment WIS echoed by Senator Thur
man. who was present Whenever any owner
first move is TO sell It To the Government. or,
falling in this. to rent II. Spectators in real
estate buy ground in certain localities with the
purpose Of selling 1t 10 the Government.
In the present instance the proposed removal
ni the city Post Oilirc has given employment to
lot Of hungry strikers TINS winter. IL has been
a bad time for tue lobby. There has not been n
Congress during the past quarter Of u century
when 30 few jobs offered IN opportunity TO
strikers To make their board bills There are
scores OF desperate fellows hanging about who
Will have TO blk their landlords AMI walk home
after the ith OF March or course tho proposed
removal of tho city Post O1icc To a building to
bu bought or rented made these hungry sciVrn-
gers prick up their ears. half dozen cmhar-
rasscd real estate owners saw tho opportunity
TO relieve their cmbarrassments at Uncle sans
expense. AMI they wrre quick TO ofter thcir
property To the Post ONCE Department The
ownetS were as quickly attracted 10y the lobby
isis. and. n they daro not offend them. the
price had 10 10 up To cover the estimated value
Oi the property and the demands of the strikers.
Take. Tor example. the Boss shepherd build
ing. on the corner of Twelfth street and Penn
sylvnnia avenue. II WIS butt in 1876 10y
Shepherd ut - cost of about sl25V0. ground
and building II occupies about 1000 feet. aud
would uNprI about hail as much space as the
rIty Iost once Would require. ~ mas no Dnck
entrance by which the mails could be delivered In
bulk or shipped. Its basement after every heavy
rainfall mas about two feet OF water IN II. 50
that II would be- useless 10 the Post ONCE oven
for storage purposes. The building WAS built
for stores. and sufficient means of lngress and
egr"ss. 80 essential a requisite for a clty Post
Oili,e we're not and cannot be provided. 1t is
not centrally located. II tho GpNcrnment buys
THIS building twill have 10 buy 5000 or G.uOO
feet OF additional ground and add To the pres.
cnt building to that extent. Now. the price asked
ior this building is, | understand. t3400oO;
When real estate was higher than AT present and
when the cost Of building materials and labor
were AT least 20 per cent. higher than now.
grn 10 tail when the old city Ring was broken
up IA ls14-j. went under IN 1876. The money
borrowed from Philadcl phlans to put up this
huildin. was secured 10y mortgages on Il. and
the mortgages had to take II 10 cover their
G ~ was c@n m ,o Piece & oil nT1pS
and 50 Shepherd and some Of his old strikers
were employed to rent Il to the Interior Depart
ment Tor the Pension Bureau. Iach Chandler
was Secretary Of tho Interior, and money was
needed for the Presidential campaign. 1t is al
legged that besides Shepherds lobby fees con-
siderable contribution wal made to the Re-
publican campaign fund. A clause was put on
AN appropriation hill allowing the Secretary
Of the Interior to rent fire. proof building for
the use Of tho Pension Bureau. The Shepherd
building was rented. ol course. nj cost 10 tho
Government OF SIG 900 per unuum.
The success attending this strike emboldenod
the strikers and encouraged the owners towork
General Tyner and Second Assistant POST
mnster- General Brady are tho friends Of the
palmy days Were with al other Rings. and cs-
perlally close with tho Post Ot1ce Department
kng. Tyner and Brady, run tho Post ONCE
General Is simply their creature. Through
Tyner and Brady tho lob was SIT up TO urge
upon Congress. in the Posimaster- tcncrals s
annual report the purchase or renting at u
building for the city Post Onice. TINS point
secured Shepherd and his gang next turned
their attention 10 the House Committee On Pub
lie Buildings and Grounds. Through some
impccunious southern Democratic strigcrs.
two or three southern Democrats on this Com
mittae were secured. and the reference 90 il Of q
letter written by the Postmaster General To the
Speaker OF the House. urging action upon that
part Of his recOmmen lAtlon in his annual re-
port about tho city Post ONCE was obuined.
Then subcommittee. with Mr.. Bliss of Brook
lyn Hs Chairman, was made. and the city Post
ON te lob referred 10 II.
In the mean time the owners OF other prop
erty saw tho plundcr in sight ana went for II.
Two or three other Rings were qulcky organ
ind and dozens Of hungry lobbyists began
their assaults upon ths subcommittee. BY
and by the cltznns Of the District became inter-
csted, public meetings were held in tho interest
OF certain localities, and petitions were circu-
lated and largely signed. These efforts wero Mt
first instgated by the parties Interested in the
sale OF certain pieces ot ground. Lately the
business men. who want the Post Oificc retained
whore II now Is, have moved, and n great many
names have h,en secured to u petition urging
Congress TO leave il there. and to buy the squire
OF ground immediately west OF the Post Oillco
Department building bounded by Eighth and
Ninth and f. and streets.
The subcommittee having this mRttor in
charge was embarrassed by all these different in
trrcsts ana the strikers representing them and,
10 get rid of tho quAndary, recommended tho
Postmaster General 10 appoint committee Of
experts to decide tho matter. This WAS done.
"a fha al pf N pf Than