Evening star., 1884-01-09
WANTED:A A POST OFFICE BUILDING,
postmaster COnXer Makes q Vigorous
Report ON the Subject.

REPORT ON the subject
THE INSUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATIONS NOW FUR
N1sHEp FOR ONE OF THE BrsIksr OFFICES IN THE
CoUNTRY-AREvIEw OF PAST EFFORTS TO OBTAIN A
SUITABLE BuLpING-ENB ARRASSMENTS CAUSED BY
The UNSUITABLE CHARACTER OF THR PRESENT
BCILDlNG-FIGURES WHICH SHOW WONDERFUL
INCREASE OF BUSINESS FoUR YEARS.
Mr.. Frank B. Conger. the city postmaster. to-day
submitted the following report TO the Postmaster
General
Sir: have the honor to inform YOU that the
lease on the building at present occupied by ;he
Washington city post Office viii expire on the 10th
day or February. 1885, and desire TO submit my
reasons why some action should be taken 1T once
locking to the locating and erecting by the gov
ernment OF permanent building for post Office
purposes in this city.
Prior 10 the occupation OF the present building
the city post Office was located I'm portion of the
Post Office department building fronting on
street. In the annual report OF Postmaster General
D. NJ Key 10 the President for the year ending june
81. 1s.s. he strongly urged that some suitable
building be provided for the Washington city post
Office for the reason that L occupied Large por-
tion OF the departmental building 10 leave in
s'lflcent room FOR the clerks al the dep lrtment,
and rendered the space available for files and
records entirely Inadequate. requiring many tons
or valuable records To be slowed in the attic OF the
building, adding greatly TO the danger from fire,
etc.
subsequently, postmaster General Key appointed
conIniltee
TO EXAMINE AND REPORT
upon the suitability OF such buildings as might be
suggested for the Use and occupation OF the Wash
ngton city post Office, which committee made a
port under date OF January 14h. lS.S to the Post
MASTER General. who transmitted the same TO Tie
senate Under date OF January II. 1879. with the
statement that While the law authorized the Post
master General TO lease 4 building 10 bp used Tor
post ONCE purposes in cities where noedifIceS have
been erected by the government; for that purpose yet
as the original Cesign o the post Office department
building contemplated the use of portion OF il for
the city post office. doubted his ilithori:, 20 re-
move The said post Office another place without
me authority OF Congress, and requested that the
department be relieved OF its embarrassment. In
The report OF the committee to the Postmaster Cen
eral three considerations were used the basis OF
procedure
First. The locality, which it was desired should
be central.
Second The construction of the building to be
hre-proof and in gooi sanitary condition.
Third. Capacity sufficient to ;neet the require
fnthtS ot the business of the post Office.
Only four buildings Were named that In the opin-
ion OF the committee. could be made suitable in any
Way for the purpose OF a city post office. They
We're as follows:
psI"een 18th ana tth streets; the present Pension
o!fce, corner OF 12th street and Pennsylvania
n': le Lincoln hatl building. corner OF 9th and ID
streets. and tie Seat0n house. Louisiana ave
nue.. between 9th ANA ,th streets.
All four buildings were rejected as being unsuta-
pl-lhe >eii0n house being referred to ''or brick
and wood nor fire-proor. OF averag. construction,
and seven stories high. The changes required to
make this building suitable are t9lDracttcable,
L he committee recommended taat temporary
ffe-proof building costing about S+50O0 be erected
on the open space II the Intersection OF eth street
ana PennSylt2na avenue. on the east SIDE Of .th
street, or the purchase OF site In some other local.
lty. and In conclusion said:
81 ne question ma. be raised, why 4 permanent
building should not be erected at once and avoid
tie outlay Tor a temporary one. TO this would
answer that as much as the committee is impressed
with the desirability Of a permanent building vi
proportions suitable 10 the dignity OF the nation
ana Its capital city, ii is also aware OF the inpract-
cabiity of suc Il project at this time and the
primary reason that relief is required immediately.
Wft!St TIE permanent building could not Ue gOt
ready Tor occupation in less than four years.
AN EFFORT MADE IN CONGRESS.
This Information have secured from executive
document NJ. "a. FOrty-fifth Congress. third ses-
Sion. On the eth OF February. 1879 Mr.. Henipe
presentedin the House OF Representatives a pett-
tion OF w ". Corcoran and lifteen hundrcf: Others
Ior the location OF the city post Office square m
northwest. adjacent to the present Post Office de-
pirtin2nt building. On Nay il. 1879 q resolution
III. X. No. ID authorizing the appointment OF =
commission to lease building for a rity post Office
in the city OF Wasilinc1o on. u c.. was referred to
the committee on pub!.c buildings and grounds and
reported back on May 10Th. and post poned until the
Hr>t NCHJay In December OF the same wear ON
May SiFh 4 motion to reconsider WAS entered, and
rhc pa Of June the question of pos;nnnernnnr
was again taken tn and the resolution rs originally
presented passed. and received the signature OF the
PRESIDENT on the 2Sth of June. 1879 Under this au-
Il
seat occupied by the city post Office The leaSa
went into effect on the 1Gth day OF February isSo
70 continue for five Years at D annual rental of
iiv" ti!oGSa I'D dollars.
THIS embraces substantially all the Official fnfor
nation have been able to obtain. although have
na'ie Application at every Office in the department
ANA 20 The committees of Congress for such records
a have reason nlieVe might De on iii., re r
10 this subject. Dlt have been unable TO obtain any
Other official evidence looking To tie erection of a
city post o..ice uH To ne present time have rea-
son to believe from statements II :de 70 me- which
are thought 10 he reliable, that In addition To the
rental tilC government has been put 10 the aypenSa
Of r.nodel.ng. rcfittns and repairing the building
since lis lease Up TO tiie present time OF between
THIRTY AND FokTy THOUSAND DOLLARS
Since hy appointment as Postmaster six months
ago. have daily become more and more Impressed
with the fact that the location OF the city post
Office In the present building was mist AXE ard
t.iat even II the Immense bsjueSS Of the Washing
ton PoSt Office could be accommodated at The time
OF us original occupancy. such business has grown
SO rapidly that ii is to-day absolutely unfit for post
Office purposes. There is moi room In the build
ng where the Necessary work can be speedily and
economically performed. The various divisions; are
separated la many parts OF the building. and in
some cases Il division has Its work divided nm I'm
Snrrral parts. Tie registry division and luosay
n;d"" division which should always be on the
grou': 1oor convenient to The public. are o"a,ed
on the second l.cof III inaccessible and out CT tie
Way places. II being necessary to pass through
harrow dark halls TO transact any business in
these divisions. and III fars. ali the Interior
arrangements OF the Office are Sch thar very little
Sts'lIi, and hardly any personal supervision can ba
Trl 10 The Wo.i without much ad III iDn;tI Labor
:. I'll tine. Connected with the office Is mail blr
repair silop aud h;li bag depository. The uepoSi-
tory occupies tie largest portion OF low, damp
gloomy and unhealthy basement. which is divided
into Irregular shapes by wooden partitions greatly
enhancing the danger in ease of lire. without the
possibility OF he removal OF particle of valuable
material Whir is stored therein. The mail bay
repair snop occupies another portion OF the BASE
nlent, and considerable portion Of the third loor
OF the buiiiing. making Is necessary 10 transfer
back and forth between these floors daily some nor
tiOn oi the vast amount uf material which is Sent
Iotts 01ce Tor Inspection. repair or condemnation
from all parts OF the country. Another portion of
the basement is fitted Nip Tor the acconn, ion Of
the employees OF the House and Senate post oi,ices
which, while very iucOnvenenI for those offices is
the best that BE- furnished with the facilities Al
hand. The remainder OF the basement is Occuuied
as store r1cmS water closets. boiler rooms coal
vaults, &c, DC. The superintendent OF the third
division OF the railway mail service occupies large
number OF rooms In the building as Offices dornli-
tories and store rooms greatly enhancing the
danger from fire, and mountaineering not only
that service, but the city post Office by
THE INSUFFICIENT ACCOMMODATIONS
afforded The carrier division is so crowded ana
craped In the room assigned to it that It is fmpo
sibe accommodate the entire force OF the office
one-fth OF the number of carriers being stationed
at the branch offices at Capitol Hill and George
town. thus causing great delay. and unnecessary
repetition In the handling OF mail. The building
has not fre or burglarprOOf vault, and the nsuf-
hc1ent number OF safes allowed to the Office makes
1t necessary to keep the entire stock OF stamped en-
velopeS, wrappers and postal cards almost without
being under lock and Key, the risk from loss by fire
or theft being very great In fact SO great Is the
risk that keep on hand a stock barely suffcient
to meet the daily wants of the public and the de-
partments making 1t necessary to send frequent Or