New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-12
PUBLIC BUILDINGS BILLS.
EXTREME L1BERALrrY OF THE HOUSE.
CHAIRMAN MIIHIKEN's COMMITTEE as BVhN
MORE NBERAI~BILIS WHICH CALL FOR
NEARLY $4,000 900 PASsED-TEN MILL
IONS MORE DEMANDED-1s 1T TINE
TO CALL A HALTf
1sr TELEGRAPH TO THE TBIBUNE.I


at Cedar Rapids, Iowa Chester. Penn Columbus ga
Atchson, Kan. Alexandria. La. Houlton. Me-; Lynn
Mass: LAFAYETTE, Ind. Baton Rouge La, ana Ere
mont Neb. Bills also passed to increase the
limit of cost Of buildings heretofore authorized at
Newark n. j.; Scranton Penn. Troy. y. ~ Daiias'
Tex and Springfield, Mo. The total expenditure
authorized by all the bills is 81 $4,000. Besides
these hills the House on March passed bills for new
public buildings at Washington, ID. c.; Galesburgh,
Ill. Lansing Mich; Ashland, Wis. and San Jose,
CAL the total expenditure authorized being III Ooo
The totals make an aggregate OF S3,3'oOOo, WHICH
everybody must admit pretty fair stroke OF
work for two days. The average amount per Dill
authorized was s16s,5OO On March 5. seventysix
Hills had been favorably reported by the House Com
mfttee on Public Buildings and Grounds. At Sl6soOO
each, these bills would aggregate $l2,637'
300 Since then three other bills nave
been favorably reported, bringing the total
number to seventy nine and increasing the
taking the average Of the first twenty bills
to 900. If the committee has reported any
bill of this kind adversely the fact has escaped notce
In fact. Chairman Millikcn and his committee, II
they have not earned high praise any other account
have shown unparalleled industry and exhibited
degree Of nberality which is without precedent in
the history OF any other Public Buildings Committee
OF tho House.
An inspection of the reports which accompany the
bills shows that the committee was hard pushed in
many cases Tor NduO rtdsOnS W JUSTLY it> iV'VH
mendations, and not only forced to resort to
arguments which should have had no weight. but also
felt il necessary in order to carry them through, TO
adorn its reports with many gay and pretty rhetor
cal posey Thus. Mr.. Bankhead. of Alabama mem
her Of the committee. who submitted the report for
building at Tuscaloosa-a town which. by the merest
coincidence in the world, happens to be in Mr. Bank
heads district-informs the country that Tuscaloosa
is situated on Warrior River "and was AT one time
Of Tho tata
State Lunatic Asylum which are both located there
are the pride of the people, that in an educational
way it is the Athens of the south tlat the people
are all cultured and prosperous" lin 17sO the popuia
ton was s41s of which about three -ffths are white
and two-ffths colored persons) that cotton factories
grace the bank of Warrior River and that street
car lines run parallel with the river and other car
lines ntersect these right angles" After setting
forth these and many other equally cogent and
irresistible reasons why Congress should appropriate
$40 600 for a postofce building at Tuscaloosa Mr..
Bankhcad adds a single paragraph when mouDi'aoN
proves that no such appropriation is necessary. 1t
is the only paragraph in the report which relates TO
the postal service and its needs, and reads as follows
The postal receipts have been very materially re-
duced because 1t necessary 10 establish TWO
branch Offices one the university the other at the
ASYLUM for the reason that business could not be
successfully properly done in the small and poorly
managed Office existing
Another member of the committee. Mr.. Lewis. o.
Mississippi favorably reported and the House pa'Se'
bill to appropriate $50. 900 for public building at
Alexandria, La, a place which, according to the
latest official data contained a population of l7oo
persons. The report is rhetorical "gem Of purest
raw, but Mr. Blanchard. in whose district Alexandra
is situated and who offered the bill for 100000, Is
creved because the House declined 70 sqnandcr onF
$50 900. How could the liolsc refuse TO do this In
the face of the committees report, which states that
Alexandra is in of the largest and most popuons
parishes in the State: that it IS, moreover the
geographical centre Of the state; that not only
several railroads already there but two moro
are now in process Of construction towards the town
and others are projected; that in the section OF
country Of which Alexandria Is tie entrepot, are the
almost iimtable forests of long leaf pine timber now
in such demand; that the Rcd River Valley Is an
surpassed for the fertility Of its sQ', and that plan
taton after plantation for hundreds of miles up and
down the river 10 be found growing in equal
luxuriance the sugar cane, cotton. corn and the
smaller grains, And vet the House refused 10 vote
more than $4,000 for town of some 1000 inh.b-
itants, which is the geographical centre Of 50 much
natural and cultivated lovelness and fertility not 10
speak of it entrepot for long leaf pine TIMBER
The business OF the pOstOhcc at Alexandria, is con
stantly increasing" the report and it adds This
Office is the distributing point of the mails going east
and west for considerable extent Of the country
As il that might not be enough to clnch the argument
TIE committee further added In view Of the Federal
business being transacted at Alexandra and the
generally promising outlook for the town and for the
section of country in which it is situated, your com
mittee believe il TO be In the line Of liberal and
enlightened public policy to erect substantial and
suitable building there for the accommodation Of the
business Of the Government
Now turn from Alexandria, the "en,repot" the
place of 600 inhabitants, with its promising out
look TO the ancient town Of York, Penn. with It's
81 900 inhabitants and S25, s51 Of gross postal re
ceipts and Sl5.4Ol Of net postal revenues for the
year 1889. York wants 100000 for new post
Office and the House Committee recommends $50 600.
York seems 10 have good case-tOo good almost to
drive the committee to such all argument as this
In the public square Of York, in history commonly
called Yorktown in building known as the state
House. sat the Continental Congress- during the gloomy
years of 17777S. 1t there that the Articles Of
Consideration were completed and adopted by Con-
GROSS There the Conway cabai exploded there
Lafayette came 10 support the Commander in Chief
These important historic events can be appropriately
commemorat9t upon public building AT that Guy.
ReIdsvllle North Carolina. according to the report
ais rapidly increasing in population, having In 1851
a few hundred inhabitants, which is now increased
to over 10 O0O' authorty for latter statement not
given): it has "the largest plug tobacco factory In
the entire South. "a system of water works and
electric lighting has been introduced and the post
Office is now used by over $1,000 people tauthorty
for this statement not eiven The committee there
fore recommend an appropriation of $4,000 for g
postoffice building at Rcidsville
Camden, Ark is another place hungry for piece
of the "pic" as Mr. Clunc. Of California pleasantly
termed the dish that the committee OF which lie is
member has prepared. Camden, according TO the
report, had a population Of 500 in 1873; In 1880
according to the United States Census report the popu
lstion had dwinded TO 800; In 1888, according e
the committees report, IL had increased TO 3,5O(
authority not stated The gross postal revenues last
year amounted TO 81, O65 80: amount Of net
any, not stated As matter of fact, therefore
there are hundreds, IL not thousands, of country
villages scattered throu the Eastern Middle
Western States which better entitled by popula
ton postal revenues and every other pertinent con
sderation to public buildings than Camden. Bu
then Camden is thriving city, situated on th'
Ouxchita River" and ii promises 10 be city Of con
siderable importance we'll railroad centre" an'