Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-04-21

The Senate committee on public buildings
has Withdrawn its assent to the House PROPOSE
ton OF q local post Office at 9th street and
pennsylvania avenue, and the city's strong
hopes of speedy settlement of the question
are destroyed. The wrangle which has para
lyzed all action for many years will now be re-
sumed. The representatives OF contending
site owners will proceed as Of old to
cut the throats OF one another 8
projects; the advocates of the sacrifice of a
park to bricks and mortar will club the site
which promises to survive the throat-cutting;
those who wish to utilize the urgency of the
need of a local post Office to secure extension
Of the general post Office department with tenn
porary accommodations on one floor for the
city Office, will be on hand to stab in the back
the project which has run the gauntlet of the
throat-cutting and the clubbing; and the capi-
tai will continue 70 be disgraced as in the past
by the discreditable and dangerous rented ac-
commodations which it provides for its post
ofice.
The objection which seems to have been
viewed as fatal to the House proposition is that
OF lack of adequate ground space. Abundant
floor space was offered, but the postmaster is
reported to have insisted that the so 900 square
foor The report of the House committee
states that the supervising architect of the
treasury had estimated that the plan OF post
Office building upon the proposed site would
afford 5000 square feet of floor space,
exclusive of the basement, or $4,000
feet more than was now needed and
so planned and built that several
stories could be added to it if found necessary
in the future. The present unsuitable rented
quarters furnish 2),0OO square feet of floor
space. The necessity will arise OF making it
very clear to the people of Washington that ac
commodation on the ground floor is so essen
tial to all branches Of the post-ofice. that it is
better to retain the present rattle-trap than to
secure a building to cost SSO0,OO0
IN a convenient location with four times the
present floor space merely because it will have
only 11.000 feet of ground floor instead of the
$4,000 feet of an ideal post Office in another
city. If this showing can be made then the &C
ton Of those who have deprived Washington of
million dollar post Office will be justified for
the new building would be practically worth
less; otherwise very heavy responsibility will
rest upon those who have interfered to throw
the post Office discussion back to its starting
point. and Washington will be in the mood to
hold them strictly to this responsibility.
1t is supposed tina! the Senate committee will
now take position in favor of housing the
local Office IN a new building with the general
department, to be kicked into the street when
Its rooms needed by the general govern
ment, after the fashion in which it was ousted
= hen it occupied quarters with that depart
me t once before. Representatives WILL it is
expected. oppose the proposition, as in the
past, by the advocacy of various distinct, pur-
CHI 'se sites for the post Office, or location
on udiciIry square. The sooner a conference
is reached the better. The proposition OF
d-sInterested commission to select site will
be favored by everybody in the District who
cares more for securing post Office than for
booming a particular site. The advocates
of various locations will not agree, however, to
the appointment of a commission composed of
men who are known to be committed to
particular method of settling the controversy
or to particular site. They will undoubtedly
contend that all should have fair chance in
the tossing of pennies for the site. Washing
ton asks the Senate to yield to the House. aud
the House to yield to the Senate and, If
neither will yield. that they leave the settle
ment of their differences to a commission The
capital will be satisfied with any reasonably
convenient purchased site to be occupied by
creditable post Office building, but il wants
some decisive action at once.