Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-12-23

III Lnls Association be requested to urge up
on Congress, through Mr.. Tucker, cur rep
resentative, an appropriation for public
building in this city for use as postofice
and revenue Office
Accordingly, the Board of Directors OF
that institution, have, as requested, COM
municated with Mr.. Tucker. The subject
is an important one to this city, and as we
will presently show, it has very high claims
for full recognition of them by Congress
and the Postoffice Department.
From the report of the Postmaster Gen
eral, Colonel Villas, we obtain the following
statistics, which sustain the view expressed
and which can but add TO the merits of our
application for a government building to
meet the exigencies of the situation.
Virginia has thirty-one Presidential post
Offices, five of which are in government
buildings, to wit:-Alexandria, Danville
Norfolk, Petersburg, and Richmond. In
net revenue to the government from the cit
les and towns which have or are to have gov
eminent buildings, in all we believe eight,
Staunton, though not SO favored, is fourth
in amount, and contributes mole than that
paid by Alexandria, Danvile, or Peters
burg-Richmond, Norfolk, and Lynchburg
only exceeding her in this respect. There
are three classes in these thirty-one Presi-
Dental offices. Richmond and Norfolk con-
stitute the first, and Lynchburg, Staunton,
Petersburg, Eanville, and Alexandria, the
second class Staunton is second in her
class, led only by Lynchburg, and fourth in
the rank of total of thirty-one
The net income of the government during
the last fiscal year from the postoffices in,
and to be located in government buildings,
is as Richmond, $40, 1877 80; Nor
folk, $50, 3SS.13; Lynchburg, $12, $50 OF;
Danville, IS, 035. "a; Alexandria, 81, 722 80;
Petersburg, Sc, 938. SO; Harrisonburg, ST.
Sl4.92; Abingdon, $1,71664.
Staunton paid net into the treasury for
corresponding period with the other offices
named 9,O16.1O.
A consideration for erecting government
buildings is, that they accommodate other
than the Postofice Department. To rest
this application alone Oh its merits in an
economic view, and only for the postal
service, it should be satisfactory, for the
income would more than pay the interest
three times on an ample appropriation.
But there is located here branch of the
Treasury Department-the central office of
the Internal Revenue for the Sixth Virginia
District. Without reference to the many
thousands of dollars which pass through its
operations over the district, it is, also, the
local Office for the collection of one hundred
and Fifty thousand dollars of revenue de-
rived from the city of Staunton and the
county of Augusta.
There can be no question of the fact that
i'll reasonable time the Postofice Depart
ment will look after the better accommoda-
tion of the mail service here. With that
evidence bearing upon the commencement
of the movement for a building, sustained
as it would be by a large present and con-
tinually increasing income from the post
Office, united with the other benefits the
government would derive from if, there is
every reason to believe that we would be
successful in our application.