The Critic and record., 1891-04-04
THE CITY posrorrTCE.
ITS Sew Building May become the
United states Patent Oiice.

Its Sew Building Nay BeCOme the !
United states rntcnt Omce.
Lditoi critic: Although our postotii1e
officials expect in five years TO move into
anew building Oh the south side of the
Avenue, between Eleventh and Twelfth
streets, it is by no means certain The
city postonicc is i'm hard luck. Origin
ally it was i'm the General postonice Build.
ing and 10 has often been limited that It's
unnecessary removal therclrom was owing
to a deal Without giving credence tu
this, however, the change has proven un-
fortunate. Had it been permitted tl re-
main where II was there would not only
have been none of the present trOubleand
uncertainty, but by this timea new build
ing would have been constructed for its
use on the squire west Ofthe General Post
office building.
ii any question was ever thoroughly
and cNhaustvely considered and discussed
i'm all its bearings by the United States
Senate. it was this location for the City
pustonice. That body twice passed bill
for the purchase or condemnation of said
square Both Republicans and Demo-
Gratis agreed that this was the wises. de
cisun that could possibly hc made SEN
ator Vest, particularly, lamented that the
House would not consent on account of
the cost, remarking that had this been
done at that time the property could have
been acquired for One.half of its present
price. He further said that rather than
De accused of being obstructionists and
have no CITY pOstoilice at all the Senats
reluctantly and against its own Judgment
agreed to the location at Eleventh and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue II would not have
done so however. had il known the
methods rcsOrtcd to for its accomplish
/ ment, and It may not be amiss to state
/ why that unfortunate selection was made.
l.. 4 q H.. 2
| on Public buildings and Grounds, al
/ though very clever gentleman, had a
| hobby to line the south side of Penusyl-
vana avenue with public buildings from
I the Capitol to the Treasury. He ignored
the fact that onc-half the distance is sub
iect to overflow in times of freshcs At
first he chose the corner of Ninth street
| and Pennsylvania avenue as a starter but
as il was clearly shown that the Marble
Saloon was repeatedly under water he
could not force his ideas in the face of
facts and finally he induced the members
of his committee, by Il distribution of
pork" TO agree to the proposed site two
| squares above. II is significant that this
agreement was unanimous. This unfOr-
tunate location was made in orderto carry
out an idea to animate a hobby, by
Congressman who does not live in the
Distrit, and whose individual notions out
weighed the convenience accommodation
and safety of our citizens.
The proposed location on the south side
of Pennsylvania avenue is not only incon-
venient but it is extremely dangerous.
There are the hotel 'busses running to and
from the two deputs; the two lines of Her
dies and CarettcS the public cabs; the pri-
VatC carriages; the 5000 business and 200
grocers' wagons, and there will soon he
swift cable ears every two minutes. Con-
slider these public and private conveyances,
the carriages, wagons, horses and rapid
transit cable cars, all rushing at different
rates of speed in opposite directions, ON
both sides of the wide avenue, and you
will appreciate the perils surrounding
elderly persons women and children in
crossing over to the new postotlice.
But this is only une.h half of the ordeal
tEey will be forced to undergo They
must again face all these dangers to life
and limb and n second time expose them.
selves to fright and shock in reCrOssing
the Avenue on their return to civilization.
All this jeopardy to the safety of our
citizens is the result Of a Congressman's
hobby, but this whole matter will be
opened anew when Congress reassembles
i'm December next. The Senate is ayerse
to having the City Postollice anywhere,
except ON the safe, convenient aud
Centrally-located square west of the Gen
eral POstoilice, and the next House Of
Representatives is certain tn vote on u
proposition, having in view a mOdilica-
tiOn of the plans for the new building, in
order that it may be used exclusively for
the United States Patent Office for its
growing necessities.
1t Justly claims that its contracted
quarters in the Interior Department are
proportionaly more inadequate than the
present City POsto1ce that it has earned
new building of its own, having already
turned over to the Government several
millions of dollars which it received rs
fees; that IL deserves special consideration,
not only on its own intrinsic merits, but
for the additional reason that the other
bureaus in the Interior Department will
thereby receive more breathing space and
accommodation. The present delay III Sc
curing title to the site and the consequent
postponement of building operations, will
prove in the end to be advantageous and
in theinterest of economy. Any mistaken
effort to rush the construction as a post
} office will only result in an unnecessary
waste of the appropriation.
As this whole matter, so vitality import
ant to the convenience and safety of ON
citizens, will positively be brought up f0l
: additional legislation in willing Senate
and the next House of Representative
which will favor home rule, our best ef
forts should he exerted TO have the ac
amended so as To secure patent otiict
building instead of postoflice death-trSp
In view of the above it would seem prl
dent for the Postollice officials to consider
the advisability of making more perma
nent instead of temporary arrangements
for the present city pOstollice.
w. II, CoNKLE