Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-07-25
THE FEDERAL BUILDING .
Some Important Letters
Upon the Subject,
THE WORK SOON TO BE STOPPED
The Views of the Supervising Archi.
tect of the Treasury and of
Representative Vandever.

now IN course OF erection at tn0 corner
OF Main and Winston streets, to be used
for the Postoffice and Government offices,
is apparently about to receive a solution.
The letter of Jas. H. Windrim, Supervis-
ing Architect of the Treasury Depart
ment, given below, shows what attitude
the Government will take during the
recess of Congress, or until that body
can take action On the matter Of an in
creased appropriation. The work will
probably be stopped at the completion of
the first story. 1t is now finished to
about midway between the first and Sec
ond floors.
The work was begun on this building
during last winter. On the 9Th of May,
after the adjournment of Congress, Rep
resentative Vandever visited the city, and
expressed to the Chamber of Commerce
his opinion that an increase of the appro-
priation might have been secured had
not such q degree of lmpatience been
displayed at this end of the line to have
the work begun. About week later, on
the 14th of the same month, the Sena-
torial Harbor Committee came down to
inspect the harbor of San Pedro. Several
of the members of the committee offered
opinions coinciding with that of Mr. Van
dever. A special committee of the
Chamber of Commerce set to york pre-
pairing a memorial to Congress, which
soon after appeared in the columns OF
this paper, stating the grounds on which
an appeal for larger appropriation were
based, and recommending that work be
stopped Immediately. At a meeting Of
the Chamber held June 18th this memo.
rial was adopted, and telegram was
ordered sent asking that the work be
stopped.
The sister organization, the Board OF
Trade, met about a week later, and took
a somewhat different view of the case,
recommending that the work be con.
tinued for the present, but that the Rep
resentatives of this section be urged to
exert themselves to secure larger ap-
preparation, and that the whole question
OF where the work should be stopped or
whether it should be stopped at all
should be left to the Government autho-
rites to be decided without interference.
Yesterday, Major Jones, President of
the Chamber of Commerce, received the
following letter from Representative
Vandever, dated Ventura, CAL, July %,
1889:
SIR-I herewith transmit for your in
formation the enclosed letter Of the Hon.
Supervising Architect of the Treasury,
and copy of my reply thereto, which
please submit to the honorable body you
represent. l trust that the recommends
tions are such as they will approve.
Very resp'y, your obedient servant,
VIM. VANDEvER.
The letter of the Supervising Architect
at Washington, dated July 10Th, to Hon.
VIM. Vandever, reads as follows:
DEAR SIR-I have the honor to state
that since mailing Office letter of the 18th
instant, in reply to your letter of the Goth
ultimo with enclosure, your letter of the
5th instant in regard to the inadequacy
of the public building now being erected
in Los Angeles, California, to the needs
of the public service and convenience,
has been received, and that the state
ment therein has been carefully noted
The records of the office show that the
building as originally designed, under
the administration of my predecessor,
contemplated three-story building; and
that when proposals we're received for
IQ0 6F6CblDh vi tuO bhluO ~ 10 lOuuu
that the balance available of the appro-
priation would not permit of the lowest
proposal being accepted, and then it was
decided to omit the second story and
accept the proposal for the erection and
completion of the first and third stories
of the building as originally designed,
thus making the two-story building now
being constructed.
& kLa ;nf1 H. 81.
has been furnished on the subject, exist
ing contracts, the present condition of
the building, the present and prospe ctive
needs of the public service at Los Ange.
les, the department is of the opinion that
the best remedy that can be applied and
that the exigencies of the case would be
best met by suspending the work on the
building at the top of the first story until
such time as it can be ascertained
whether Congress will. at its ensuing
session, increase the limit of cost of the
building and make further appropria-
tion of such sum as may be needed for
the following purposes: 70 purchase ad-
ditional land and erect an extension or
wing to the building as originally de-
signed, making such changes in the
present arrangements of the first story
as may be necessary to provide ample
space and suitable accommodations on
the first floor for the Postoffice, and con-
structing the now omitted second story,
thus having the three-story building
originally designed, with the changes
and extensions referred to.
would like the benefit of your definite
recommendation in regard to the above
plan of action, and expression of your
opinion as to the probability of Congress
making the additional appropriation.
Respectfully yours,
Jos. III. WINDRM,
Supervising Architect.
To this communication Mr.. Vandever
responded as follows, under date of Ven.
tura, CAL, July %, 1889:
SIR-Your communication of the 10th, !,
instant, relating to suspension OF work on
the public building in course of erection
at Los Angeles, California, received. In
reply | say that the opinion Of the De-
partment therein expressed comedies
with the views contained in my previous
letter on the same subject. l am fully
persuaded that the exigencies of the
case, and a due regard to the
present and prospective needs of the
public service at Los Angeles requires q
suspension of the present work at such
point as you may deem best until it can
be ascertained whether Congress at its
next session will increase the limit OF
cost and make an adequate appropriation
for additional grounds, the extension OF
wing and to make the structure a
three-story building, as originally de-
aioned