The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-03-05


full in order TO get large slice of the
government funds for his district, but i
do not understand, how others who co
not get their share and especially the
senators, who do not represent a single
district, but the whole state, should give
their consent, aid and influence to such
gross partiality, inequality to enrich an
already rich city by dumping another
two millions into it.
The Sentinel designates the pr-sent
Milwaukee post Office rat hole IN which
the officials were coAfned these many
years. Well, should like to know what
We should call oar post office here, ard
how much sympathy we Ought to bestow
on It's officials. who have been confined
therein for . years?
The Milwaukee post office is a solid cut
stone edifce, of no mean proportions,
built IN the usual government plain
architectural style, and compares very
favorably with other Milwaukee build
ings, is in harmony with its surroundings
and in :,iany cases superior TO hem,
and in no way can be considered dis
grace to the city or nation.
Our post Office can be justly termed a
rat h0Ic. because it does not compare with
other buildings in this city, and really IS
the most insignificant, dilapidated out Of
joint structure Imaginable, and q dis
grace to the city and nation.
/ admit that ours is the poorest post
Office building in the state, but the most
OF those I have seen in other cities are
not much better.
It's question whether for practical
purposes Milwaukee needs building at
ali; for an ornament it may. OF course
Milwaukee will laugh at such an IDEA
since it has succeeded in what it de-
manded.
I have never seen the Milwaukee post
Office SO crowded as ours, and this is
quite natural, as the free delivery system
is now in vogue there, iu consequence of
which visitors are very few. 1t may be
compared to a wholesale establishment
needing little room for visitors and to be
less attractive.
There is no question that the present
Milwaukee post office building fulfills its
requirements better than most any other
building for similar purposes in the state.
Just let US consider what two million
dollars mean: 1t would build about 1870
buildings such as Woods block.
In case Milwaukee needs building it
would have received under general gov
eminent building act, giving $1,000 for
each 900 population, on its 2l5,000 pop
ulation S645,000; this would have been
sufficient, especially under the free deliv-
cry system.
Ii my memory serves me right, the post
Office committee in congress first report
ed in favor of 81 100000 for the Milwau-
kee building, but no; this was altogether
insufficient, and it must be 100000.
Thereupon one and one-half millions was
agreed upon but no; this would not do;
So sharp sticks were used, to bring con
gross to time. Committees were sent
from Milwaukee to Washington to give
the impression that Milwaukee had rat
hole and nothing less than two million
would answer the requirements, and
finally, by moving heaven and earth, and
struggling nearly year in their en-
deavors, success was their reward, and
Milwaukee is iubilant over having cap
tured such large amount of the public
funds far in excess of its needs.
1t is incomprehensible why more OF the
many government building bills intro
duced, having in view some sort of equal
distribution Of government funds in pro-
portion to population or postal receipts,
co1ld not have been passed.
Congress has now adjourned, aud most
likely the old rut will be followed ins tie
future, dumping a million Or millions
here and there where there is the most
pressure brought to bear, which if judi
ciously distributed would serve 80 local.
ties for the enc now. It seems to be be-
low the dignity of congress to bother
with thousands; it must be millions
Now let us see what could have been
accomplished viii two millions dollars
distributed under a general government
building act IN this state.
This state has about 53 cities and vii
| llges having population of over 5000.
The total population of these % cities
and villages is 100000, this includes Mil
waukee and also Madison, Lacrosse Osh-
kosh, Racine and Sheboygan. These last
cities have already post Office build
| ing or an appropriation for same, and a
population of 10000; deducting these
10000 from the total 100000, VIII leave
| 100000 to be provided for.
At $4,000 for eveIy 1000 population
would bring up the total to S1,S9O,OOO,
being less than the appropriation for
| Milwaukee alone.
Milwaukee would have received on its
215,0O0 population, 5000 for every ,OCO
population total of 645,0O0 dollars.
Port Washington, $4,000, Sheboygan,
SOL 900, which is about the same as now
appropriated $4,000, Manitowoc s24, 900,
Two Rivers $4,000, Kaukauna $4,000,
Appleton $4,000, &c. Who will say that
these amounts would not be sufficient
for all requirements, and especially If the
sites were donated by the cities as pro.
v.ded by some of the bills introduced.
Just imagine, in Manitowoc with S24.-
0J0 we could have building the size of
Woods block and 5000 left for orna-
| mentals. This would not only accommodate
all government business but in addition
would accommodate all the city's business.