The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1884-01-09
THE CITY PosToFFIoE.
An Absolute Necessity for More aud
Better Accommodations - what
city Postmaster COnger Says-fhe
Business of the Office.


poetonlce Will expire on the 10th day
OF February 1885, and submitting his
reasons why some action should DO
taken at once looking to the locating and
erecting by the Government OF permanent |
building for postofllce purposes in this city.
Mr.: oonger first reviews the history OF me
LEGISLATION, &C., that lead to the Lease OF the |
present building at an annual rental OF S0,- |
600 per annum, the lease TO run for Ave years. |
Mr.: Oonger says he has reason TO believe from
be reliable, that In addition TO the rental, tho
Government has been put to the OK |
Fl fenE e % he
time of between thirty and forty thousand dol
lars.
Building.
Mr.. Conger then continues as follows:
"Since my appointment as postmaster, six
months ago, / have daily become moro aud
more impressed with the fact that the location
OF the City postofIlce In the present building
was mistake, and that even II the Immense
business of the Washington postol1lce could
be accommodated at the time OF It's original oc-
cupancy, such business has grown so rapidly
that 1t is to-day absolutely unit for postonlce
purposes. There Is not n room In the building
where the necessary work can be speedily aud
economically performed. The various divt-
sions are separated In many parts OF the
building, and In some cases divislon has Its
work divided up in several parts.
WThe Registry Division and Money. order
Division, which should always be on the
ground floor, convenient to tho public, are
located on tho second floor IN inaccessible and
out-of.the.way places, 1t being necessary to
pass through narrow, dark halls to transact
any business In these divisions, and, In fact,
ali the interior arrangements OF the oillce are
such that very little system, and hardly any
personal supervision, can be given to tho work
Without much additional labor and time.
Connected with the oflce is u mailbag repair
shop and mail bag depository.
s'ihe depository occupies the largest portion
OF low, damp, gloomy ana , nnnealthy base,
by wooden partitions, greatly enhancing tho
danger Ia case OF fire, without the possibility
of the removal OF a particle OF valuable ma
terial which is stored thereln.
"The mailbag repair shop occupies another
portion OF tho basement and n considerable
portion OF the third floor OF the building,
making II necessary TO transfer back and forth
between these floors daily some portions OF the
vast amount OF material which Is sent to this
ONCE for inspection, repair or condemnation
from all parts of the country. Another por-
ton OF the basement is fitted up for the &C.
commodation OF the employees OF the House
and Senate postofllces which, while very In.
convenient for those offlces, Is the best that
can be furnished with the facilities at hand.
The remainder of the basement is occupied as
storeroome, water-closets, boiler-rooms, vaults,
"The superintendent OF the Third Division OF
| the Railway Mall Service occupies q large
| number of rooms In the building as offices,
| dormitories and storerooms. greatly enhancing
| the danger OF IRE, and fnconvenioncing not
only that service but the City Postoflce by the
| fDBuf1lcient accommodations
| "The carrier division is so crowded and
| cramped In the room assigned to 1t that 1t IS
| impossible to accommodate the entire force Of
| the ofllce; one-fifth of the number OF carriers
being stationed at the branch ofIlces at Capt
| FOL Hill and Georgetown, thus causing great
| delay and unnecessary repetition In the hand
| ling OF mail.
WThe building has not fire or burglar.proof
vault and the insufficient number OF safes al
| lowed to the ONCE makes 1t necessary to keep
| the entire stock OF stamped envelopes, wrap
| nd without being
under lock and key, the risk from loss from fire
or theft being very great. In fact, so great is
sufIicient to meet the daily wants OF the public
| and the Departments, making II necessary to
send frequent orders to the manufacturers.
'The accommodations to the public through
| the carriers window and general delivery
| and windows are very poor indeed, while
the vast number OF messengers, who, several
| times O. day, carry mall back and forth from
the scores OF offices In the various Depart
ments of tho Government, are absolutely
without any accommodations for the proper
| transaction OF their business, mail matter
| being thrown on the platform on the outside
| Of the office to be cared FOR by Its employees
I believe the building to be
Absolutely Unsuited I'm ANY Way fol
City POstOfsice.
and further believe 1t to be unhealthy and In
| furious 10 tho large number OF persons con
etantly employed within 1t, especially as thou
sands OF pounds OF waste matter, condemne
leather, jute and cotton Sacks besides the I'm
mense quantity Of pouches and sacks neces
sary to keep constantly on hand to suppl
other ofIlces, are required to be stored In
damp and dark cellar. The three upper storie
OF the building are entirely unoccupied, bu
the ONCE, as 1t is imperative that as much 9
the business as possible should be consol
dated upon the main foor.
The Vast Increase of Business.
s'To show tho vast increase OF business In th
, | office since its removal from the Departmel
building, l have prepared comparative stat
ment of the service performed during the mr.
| year the Office was located In Its present sit
and the calendar year OF 1888 Just closed.
careful perusal OF the statement Will 6ho
[ that the business in all Its branches has II
; creased at an unprecedented rate.
''The last report OF the Third Assistant Pos
| master General places this ONCE as flfth
, | the amount OF registered matter handled
the United States. The great increase In Il
: registry business which has taken pla
|, 1 within the last few months, caused by ne
: | legislation and the action OF several or the
5 partments OF the Government In registerli
. official matter, places 1t to-day as third al
y will probably place II before the close OF Z
q next fiscal year as second In Importance In =
!, United States, ranking next TO New York eli
y ''The decrease Of twenty.one per cent.
y tho amount OF money orders Issued at this
u flce attribute to the fact that persons W
y have remittances to make within the Unit
% States find 1t much more convenient and or
v | trine more expensive to patrontze bankl
10 institutions rather than subject themselves
70 visiting the inconyenient and out OF
II way office now used for money order purpos
o. This is especially the case with ladies a
~ aged people. on the other hand the amot
10 paid on money orders at this ofllce SHOWS
very gratifying Increase OF rorty'two per CO
SIN the last annual report OF the Third ASST
ant Postmaster General showing the amol
of postage collected on second-class matte
y sixteen OF the principal postofllces In
to | United States, Washington was not includ
From tho amount OF postage paid to Dec
,r Der 81, 1888, compared with cities given
~ | that report, Washington now outranks Tol
and Baltimore, standing fourteenth on the
ID, | and only lacking $500 of exceeding Pittsb
Or. and st. Paul. This shows very gratlfy
increase in circulation OF washington ne
ca The First Thing 10 be Done.
ny "There are several sites In the city VII
49, would be suitable for q postonlce build
e1 but hope whatever action Is taken that
cd united support Of tho entire population
no Washington may be given to the eirorts 70
cure from Congress an appropriation II
g. site and suitable building, leaving the a
!as ton OF location to be determined In such n
NV ner as Congress may direct after the ap
priation has been madei for the reason IN
-, any particular site should be selected
~ more than likely that conflicting inter
We would be able to combine 70 deteat tue 9
his ton of a much.needed public building WI
would accommodate the postonice busli
ht. | for years to come and be an ornament TO
ew | Capital city OF the United States, and W.
JOS respectfully suggest that II any reeomm 81
erection OF postoi1lce building In this
that the bill prepared should DO 30 guarde
lso to prevent, II possible, such an undesir
ia, ending of whatever effort may be made"
tSs The Comparative Statement.
hat The comparative statement referreu !
Mr.. Conger, and which accompanies MS 10
Il shows that the number OF pieces OF mai
su, ceved for city delivery In 1883 was 63,t
$50 4B2; the number OF pieces OF mail delly
i'm. | 1880 and ia oSo r-O7 I'm 1879 being an
Nor crease Of O,27l $3.50 pieces, or 90 per 90