, 1889-04-11
The Government Building.

Some weeks ago the editor Of Il
ARGUS received letter from DeIegs
Allen in response to oie writtel him
relation 40 the new government build
ing. We understand that Mr. D. W.
Smith, as president of the hoard of
trade, received one at the sbmn time
The petition which was recently circu-
lated was the result nf those letters, but
as yet nothing Whatever has been done
on the W r6. SIR. Allen in his letter TO
the Angus intimated that 'Ee ft4it was in
| Mr.. Voorhees,, and that the designs for
| the buildings we're in the architects Of
| fee. Now that Mr.. Voorhees, has been
reiegated 10 private life it cannot be his
fault that the designs still liager around
the pigeon holes Of tue designers desk.
We had hoped ami f0ndly believed that
the very frst thing TO 6e done by Mr..
Alien would be to push that matter, and
that the bright sun Of yesterday would be
shining upon the niHsons AID she brick
layers inside the feuce. Congress has
been pleased TO appropriate $250,000 for
the building, We believe that was the
sum asked. We DO not believe ihat the
force in :ha architects Office has been SO
rushed that the changes in the plans
enE!d not hage been made long 90. and
and the work could now DO In progress,
We do not think the matter has been
IN any way pushed until recently, and
then only 10y petition being forwarded
to Washington, aud which no doubt was
received too late tG he of any service
during the last session of congress.
I Other means than petitions conid have
] heea adopted, We think, that would
r have been more beneficial, that would
T haze bad more weight than they would;
: recent events haze proven the useless
y ness OF such things. We want the new
: building, we ueed it badly, and the
e sooner j: is finished the better for our
people aGd the government. There is
: absolutely no place to keep the records
t ia the present custom house, and papers
representing hundreds Of thousands Of
rs are perflrce kept in places where,
there ever BE- fire in the build
"a power on earth could save them
Destruction. Our citizens have
a species Of mossbackism that il
tulsgcstiny TO The eye. Cities further
D mp soaHd would have jumped at the
u chance of baYiGg sHeh a fiEe building as
d this will be. and unless the people hers
: do n little jumping Seattle or Tacoma
e will hive The building and Port Town
IS send will haTe the fence as it stands,
t, SIX weeks ago the editor of the ARGUS
IT called o. several men of prominence in
le the city, and suggested that some rlcys
n be taken toward having the matter
i Jrou. It before the proper authorities at
e Washington, and in each instance the
&c same reply was given-Yes! We should
to do something; and there the matter
is rested. Those few words would accom-.
bit piish worlds of good If the people would
IN only do. Stand not upon the order oil
i'll doing, bat pitch 10, 90 back into ths
D. woods and sc:afe away the mossy GOV
rk ering from your frames, We men who ain
e } to be prominent features in the histor,
of of Port Townsend. We can never placl
ourselves in the same class as the othe
cities on the sound unless there is NOR
vim and get up in those men to whop
he the citisens look for making the oit
ew what it IS justly entitled to-the hand
ne soonest ou the Pacific coast.