Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-05-30
Presidential POSt-Oflices.

The Washington correspondent of the
New York Journal Of Commerce, reviews
the House bill No. 1919, providing for the
construction of Post-office buildings which
is as follows -
a. Where the gross post-office receipts
for each of the two preceding years exceed
| $25, 200, the cost of such building to the
United States may be sum not exceeding
$25, 900.
e. Where such gross receipts for each
of two preceding years exceed $50, 900,
and shall have been no more than $25, 900,
the cost of such building shall not exceed
to the United States $50,
81 Where such gross receipts for each
of two preceding years shall be $4,000, and
not more than $40, 1000, the cost of snch
building shall not exceed to the United
States $4,000.
From the report of the Committee recon-
mending the bill the following extracts are
made
Under the first-class there are forty-five
cities in which the gross post-of1ice receipts
during each of the past two years have ex-
ceeded 1875, 900.
In the second class there are thirty-tour
cities or towns in which the gross receipts
of the post-office for each of the past two
years have exceeded $50, 1000 and have not
exceeded $25, 5000.
OF the third class it is estimated that 1882
buildings will cost $4,000 each, and S72
buildings will cost $1,000 each. The total
estimated cost of buildings of all classes for
1, 433 post-offices is 81, 755, 900. This does
not include the cost of sites, which the bill
provides will be accepted when donated for
that purpose. The bill is substantially the
same as the recommendations of the Post
master General in his last annual report.
Hon. David Ermentrout, Democrat, Of
Pennsylvania, who has represented the
Eighth district of that State in tine present
and last Congress supported the measure
in strong speech which concluded as fol-
lows =
"The post-office, like the Government, is
here to stay, and for this reason, if for
none other, it should be kept in some suita-
BILE building owned by the Government,
and at some permanent place whenever the
volume of business justified it,"
The correspondent speaking of the post
Office and mail service in connection with
MIR. Ermentrout's advocacy of the bill re-
marks -
'1t is one of the greatest elements OF
strength in our system Of government, that,
in time of peace, to the great majority OF
the people of the country, including all but
those who have direct dealings with GUS
toms or internal revenue officers, or who
may be SO unfortunate as to become in
volved in civil or criminal proceedings
before the Federal courts, the post-office
and the United States mail are the only OBJ
ject lessons teaching the existence and
partially defining the sphere of operations
of the general government.
The constitutional power to establish
post of1ices and post-roads has been exer-
cised by Congress, in obedience to an en-
lightened public sentiment, in such man
ner that in most essential points the postal
service of the United States is not only the
cheapest but the best in the world. There
is still room for improvement, however, and
always will be until the progress of the
whole country shall cease, and the people
will not be content unless the postal service
is kept abreast of the times.
It does not seem that any proposition
could DO clearer than that it will be cheaper
for this country to own its own post-office
buildings in every city where it now pays
rent than to continue to pay rent for an in
definite time to come. 1t is not likely thai
land can be purchased and buildings
erected in future for less cost than at pres
ent, or even at the same cost indeed, it is
probable that in ten years from now the
land in growing communities will be worth
much more than to day."