Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-11-23

Report Oh the tOStl11StCE 0Ie0exaIs
POINTS OF DISTRICT INTEREST.
The report of the Postmaster General will be
given out to the press tonight The following
points Of local interest have been condensed
from the report.
NEED OF NEW DEPARTMENT BUILDING.
''That part OF the General Post Office build
ing lately occupied by the city pOstoffice has
been retitted for occupancy by employees OF this
department. but the additional rooms thus pro.
fortably the present clerical force of the
Post Office department and sixth auditors
office. The basement story Of the
by the clerks and employees Of the department
supplying many additional rooms. but the In
crease OF the clerical force has been so great
that every room IN the oudg is now &C.
crowded that the work of the depart
ment Is conducted with great inconvenience
The business of the Post Of1ice Department Is
constantly increasing with the growth and ex-
tension of the postal service OF the country, and
requires for It's direction and management q
constantly increasing force OF clerks. There Is
at the present time urgent need OF new build
business operations of the department. and this
necessity will become more and more urgent
every year.
Ny predecessor, Postmaster General Creswell
in the month Of January, 1872, addressed let
ter to the chairman OF the committee on public
buildings and Grounds of the House OF Repre-
sentatiVes. transmitting plan and design Of
department. for providing additional rooms
by fitting up the basement story Of
the building: and although recommending its
adoption by Congress In order to provide the
time, he clearly foreSaw the necessity of new
building, and expressed himself as decidedly
of opinion that the best arrangement for
Post ONCE building on another site, OF
ample dimensions to accommodate the pros
pective increase Of the clerical force OF the
department for the next fifty years,
Interior department, which is now obliged to
rent private buildings for the accommoda-
ton Of a large portion OF It's clerical force u
In January, 1873. the force Of officers, clerks
and other employees of the Post Office depart.
ment, the sixth auditors Office, and the city
post office was reported as numbering 62S per
sons. Now, the employees Of the Post OfIice de-
partment and of the sixth auditors Office ex-
pee n transferred to private building. number
l5S persons, very large increase OF the clerical
force in the short period OF seven years. But
nothing shows so clearly the rapid extension OF
our post al service as comparison OF the rev.
enues of the Post Office department. Making
this comparison by decades, we find that In 1Ss0
revenues were s, SIS 065 40 in 1870 the revenues
were 1912, ,210.65; and in 1SS0 the revenues
were S3S 3l5, ,4,9.34.
1t is apparent from the foregoing facts and
CpDoluei alionS ludl lue carry ConStTucllOn III
this city Of more commodiOuS building for the
use of the Post Office department is a necessity,
and as several years must elapse before such a
building can be erected no time should be lost
IN taking the intiatory steps for It's
construction. When it is built and
ready for occupancy by this department
the present building may be transferred to the
Interior department. or devoted to such
other uses as Congress shall determine.
therefore earnestly recommend that the nee
essary legislative action may be taken on this
important subject at the approaching session of
Congress.
THE WASHINGTON CITY POST OFFICE.
My predecessor, in his last annual report.
alluded to the fact that the building known as
the Seaton House had been leased for the term
of five years for the Use of the Washington city
post office. 1t is extremely desirable that the
uneXpired term OF this lease should be devoted
to the erection OF suitable building for the city
post office, and recommend that an appropria-
ton be granted for that purpose