Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-01
TEE CITY POST OFFICE.

schaaraffenland, DC, April !, 1881.
THE CITY POST OFFICE.
THE NECESSITY FOR NEW BUnDING-wHA1
PoSrhAsTER ANGER SAYS ABOUT THIS
VIEWS As TO THl LOCATION AND PLAN OF
THE PROPOSED STRUCTURE, &C.
The condemnlng of the building now occupied
By the city post ONCE by commission Of ex-
perts has drawn public attention somewhat to
the character Of the accommodations which are
provided for that necessary public Office in this
city. Still, while people will admit whenever
their attention happens to be called to the mat
ter, that the post Office Is not the handsomest or
even the most convenient, building In the city,
there has not been . strong feeling expressed
against the present state of affairs. This Is large
ly due to the fact that q large proportion of the
citizens never go to the post Office at ALL and SO
they are not personally cogniZant of the real con-
dition OF the building and the distractions ex.
isting in the transaction Of business. This fact
as well as others of value In regard to the post
ONCE. was extracted yesterday from Col. Anger,
the city postmaster, in conversation BY star
reporter. The postmaster was asked:
DO you think that the present location is the
best for the post Officer"
The location of the office is not material to
the public That is of really very little conse-
Quence."
why is it of little consequence"
well, with our carrier system we deliver the
mail to everybody in Washington. There is no
necessity for permanent resident to come to
the Office for his MALL
Except on Sunday"
''Yes on Sunday. You.see that there are four
deliveries each day between and o'clock.
and that obyiates the necessity of any one COM
q Y a ucifo \
lar as the location Is concerned"
Apart from the fact that this building has
been condemned. what objection is there to it?"
1T Is incOnyenient and not fit for the pur-
poses OF a post office. 1t was built in the first
place for hotel, and a very badly arranged one
at that
ingl" y
Ny idea is this. think that there ought to
De building exclusively for the city post office
1t Is a singular fact that there is no building
erected by the government in the United States
exclusively for this purpose. Public buildings
accommodate the custom house officers and the
courts, and other United States officials besides
the post office. Here in Washington there is no
such need. A building is needed here that ia
provided with all the cOnveniences that expe-
rence has suggested one that will be the en-
Dodlment of the American idea of a post Office.
and one that the department will take pride in
showing TO visitors from other countries as a
model OF the system as carried on in this coun-
try"
:" In other words, it would improve the char
Acter of the Office here?"
''Ies, that is it. 1t is almost impossible to
have model Office here. We cannot do the
necessary work on account of restricted facili-
ties'and, as the Inspector says, it is a wonder
that We are able to give as good service as we
do i notice that the committee on buildings
In the House, think. have reported in favor of
erecting new post Office buildings in twelve
towns, none OF them equal to this in import
'What facilities are needed for carrying on
the work."
swell. our working space is divided I'D in va
nous small rooms that are approached by mar
row passages. Some rooms are on the second
uoor, when they ought to be on the first and
easily accessible. Such, for instance as the
money-order office and the registered letter
ONCE, which the public ought to have ready
eecess to, are hid away In the second
story The money-order office is especially diff
n ns OF access. The present arrangements are
building?" -
THE new building ought to be two stories.
ana the lower floor one large ROOM so that a
. nan can stand and see every man at work in
the office There shonld be light on all sides.
Jand SO arranged that the mail wagons could ap-
proach without blockading the sidewalks"
4, nat Is the prospect of Congress taking &C
tiou III tHfS respect THIS session.
The committees 80 far as have taIked with
them aud the members seem favorably inclined
! see no reason why an appropriation could not
De secured for the building if a site could be
selected without a contest. The only difficulty
that score Is that the real estate interests will
get INTO aconict Overit- My idea Is to pass bill
leaving the selection of site to acommittee con-
ssting OF the chairman Of the House committee
on post Offices and post roads the Postmaster
.enefsi and the city postmaster. Let the con-
TEST, there Is any, be made before this CON-
mission, and not before Congress: and then
have an appropriation made subject to the de-
cision OF the commission. This will be sure to
give US a post office somewhere"
Will 1t be done this year?'
Il hope so. We will try to bring about that
result"
"How does the post Office building here com.
pare with those in other cities?"
sThere Is no post Office building anywhere
tnat know OF SO poor and unsuitable. It ought
10 90 without saying that this city should have
tue pest instead of the worst There are hut
few that realize, even among the members OF
congress, that there are but six post offices in
tnis country that handle a greater volume q,
mall matter and only one greater weight
why Is there not better building here?"
Ine post ofiice used to be located In the
building occupied by the Post Office 6enart.
ment and remained there until about two years
ago Then this building was taken as tenn
Porsry expedient with the expectation that q
new building would be erected. OF course
nave no morejnteTest In this matter than an
other citizen OF Washington. have however
pride In the service and In the city 1t is pos
s,oie thaf my term OF Office will expire before
the building Is erected. and might never. per
eonaiiy, enjoy the convenience of it. But
take public spirited interest in the success o.
any such movement"
erected?" '" "
Ny idea Il that the building ought to b
placed somewhere SO that 1T vii! DO in a com
handing position and easily approached. II
this principle is adopted the post Office VIII bs
located on the avenue or some tntcrseetine
street"
Motion.
10 the Editor Of THK- EyxxISo STAR
move that there be . strong mar appointed
- our City Post Once. whose special busi
0ees IL shall be to deliver uackaaes sstot