Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-03-16
ENHANCING THE P0sroFr1cE. =
DR.. Days Return From Washington and
What Ue Accomplished

LN 1AAUxNU An EOOx OG ExV&s
Dr. Days Return From Washington and
What lie Accomplished
Yesterday afternoon Dr. Day returned from
a trip to Washington. His special and only
business to the capital of the nation was to
make some provision for more room in tho
custom house, and better facilities for the
transaction of the business of the postoffice in
St. Paul, and to obtain some change
in the present mode Of sending off
money to the postofiices throughout
the country so that st. Paul can get such
portion of the money as rightfully belongs to
her.
WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED.
The doctor became satisfied coon after reach
ing Washington and conyersing with the au-
thorities, that the supervising architect of the
treasury department. would not listen to any
proposition for the enlargement of the custom
house, in which the postoffice Is located.
The argument used is, that the st.
Paul custom house is larger than
the ones at Milwaukee, Pittsburgh,
Richmond, Va, and many other cities with a
larger population than St. Paul. Besides
this there are many large cities that have no
public government building, and appropria-
lions have been asked for already, for similar
purposes, to the amount OF $4,000. 900.
This, he found, is more than congress will
allow. Everybody the doctor conversed
with in Washington held this view. The
doctor says he could never see how the build
ing could be enlarged without destroying the
symetry, and tearing away good portion
of the old building. There is no hope
that any enlargement will be made. The
treasury department, however, will do what
dol xyxr y<,fo fha
inside of the building SO as to give the post
Office department more room. 1t will take
down partitions that do not involve the integ-
ritY of the building, or make any other
changes necessary. 1t will make a stairway
to the basement for files and other papers that
have to be referred to occasionally. This it is
thought will make room enough On the first
floor for present needs.
The plans of the building are at Washington,
and during the interviews the doctor had with
the authorities were brought and carefully ex-
amined to see what changes could be made in
the interior of the building. The partitions of
the custom house were put in with view to
the fact the time might come when it might
become desirable to take them down. The au-
thorities will also put in q new rack for the
mail bags. There is no doubt that they can
make all the room necessary for all present
wants. The authorities at Washington will
for the letter carriers, and will make
all changes necessary. They will
finish large iron safe for the registered letter
department. They will fit up new wickets at
the new delivery windows, and make every
| thing as convenient as possible. They will
alter and change the money order office If
deemed desirable. In order to do this it will
be necessary to knock out some of the walls
| and tear out some of the brick work. This
| uar 1nonnvapianf and dia-
agreeable to work in the office while the work
was going on, as the dust would be
| flying all around, covering papers
and everything else for months. Of
course, it is desirable to avoid that if
possible. DR. Day will not advise that this be
| done unless it is absolutely necessary. With
the changes suggested the doctor thinks the
business of the postoffice could be transacted
! with reasonable convenience for some time to
come.
THE MONEY MATTERS.
The matter of money was one of the two
subjects the doctor had in mind when he went
downto Washington, and this he also paid
particular attention TO. His object was to
get an increased allowance for letter carriers,
and for clerk hire. For the last five
years western postofflces have been
disseminated against, and not allowed the
percentage that eastern Offices have. During
all this time western offices have been allowed
bnly 25 per cent. of the earnings, while the
eastern offices have been allowed from so to 65
To remedy this evil DR.. Day last winter opened
correspondence with the postmasters at
Toledo, Detroit, Kansas City, Denver and one
or two other towns with view of comparing
notes, obtaining the views of the postmasters
upon the subject, and if possible, devise some
joint action, if deemed best, by which the
western offices could obtain the same percent.
age that the eastern offices got The result
of this correspondence was that the post
masters thus correspondent with determined to
make joint effort to see this wrong made
right, and to obtain the same percentage that
the Eastern postmasters have, SO that the
people these respective towns, with the post
masters of which the doctor corresponded,
can have as good postal service as the people
of the East have. When the doctor went
down to Washington he took the
letters of these postmasters with
him and used them to good advan-
tage, both with members individually and with
congress and the departments. Last years
appropriations were exhausted, SO that he
could get no aid from the department. A short
time ago bill passed the house making an
appropriation of $75, 900 for clerk hire. This
went to the senate, where it was amended by
adding SIS 600 to it. The house disagreed to
the senate amendment, when the bill was re-
feered to conference committee, which final
~, after considering the matter, agreed upon
the sum of 500, 900, and the bill passed both
houses and finally became law. Out of this
amount the western offices have been relieved.
The doctor says he found Postmaster General
Howe, of Wisconsin, and First Assistant
Postmaster General Hatton, an Iowa man ia
vorable, and both declared this difficulty
should be remedied and that it should not oc-
cur again. The Doctor says he got all he
went for. The present postal admins.
tration he found to be willingto do what no
other administration has appeared willing to
do, and to do justice to the growing west, by.
allowing the same facilities for the perform
ance of postal business in the west that the
east has. He says he never before found the
department willing to believe that we did not
all live in tents out west. The Doctor ap.
peared very greatly pleased with the result of
his trip.
Some Crooked Business.
Chief of Police Weber received telegram
from Shakopee yesterday, saying that the
horse and huopv stolen from NicolS in tho