The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-01-22
Government Building at staunton.

passed the bill approprlating S'o,ooO fof
a public building at Staunton. it is now |
before the President for final action.
We feel confident that will be favorable, !
because there is not q single valid rea-
son why the signature should not be
given and any number of good and sub
stantial reasons why it should meet his
approval. We know President Harrison
is exceedingly careful as to how and to
what he puts his signature, and espe
cially when it calls for an appropriation
flom the public treasury. He is. to a
great degree, responsible for appropria
tions, and it is right and proper that all
prudential considerations should be
taken into account when affixing his
signature to a measure that makes it
law. There are many of them that can
be urged in behalf of the Stannton bill.
First, we want to see the stars and
stripes perpetually floating from flag
staff in our midst, as an inspiration and
incentive to more hearty appreciation
of the Incompatible government under
which we live, and whose laws it is our
duty to obey 1t brings the government
and the people closer together-is q con
slant reminder that the government
cares for the people who established it,
and that it is their duty to defend and
uphold it under all conditions and in all
emergencies.
Second, the growing Importance of
Staunton as the Queen City of the Val
ley; it's central location; its prominence
as great educational centre, with %
States represented in the 500 students
who attend our various schools; its pop
ulation of $4,000 people who come in
daily contact, either directly or indi-
rectly, with the postal department; its
residential location for the United States
District Attorney, the offices of the Dep
uty Collector and Stamp Deputy of the
! Internal Revenue Department, and the
| place where is centered more diversified
business interests than any city in the
State, outside of Richmond and Nor.
folk. The receipts of the postoffice at
Staunton for last year were fraction less
than SEQ, 000-an increase of 90 per cent.
over the year previous-not including
the stamps received by the four life in
surance companies at this place and can
celled at the Staunton of1ice-amount-
ing at least to 81 900 annually. This in
crease in the business of the Staunton
postoffice has been during a period of
comparative business quiet. Agencies
are at work now which will largely in
crease the population of StauntOn with
in the next twelve months. The build
ngs for three or four large industries
have been contracted for, and as soon as
money and men can do it, they will be
completed and operated, employing be-
tween 400 and 500 workmen, represent
ing population of at least 1900, which
will be in addition to what we now have.
| Then strangers are coming in every day,
looking for residences to rent or pur
chase, and arrangements are being made
to meet this demand by the erection CT
a large number of houses tl.;s Spring
We very confidently count CT, Il large
increase in the population du:i = the
year, and a much larger propol Il late
increase in the postoffice receipts, ~ he
large industries in process of establish
ment will result in larger correspondence
than would be the case were the in
creased population merely accidental.
Even if the rule that is observed at
the department, not to favor an appro-
priation for given point greater than
three times the amount of the postof1ice
receipts, were applied in this case, the
bill ought to be signed The receipts at
the Staunton postoffice for the year 1890
were $4,000 in round numbers. Take
the estimated amount of the postage
stamps received in remittances by the
four life insurance companies and used
and cancelled here, say $4,000, and the
business transacted through the post
Office by the officers of the Internal
Revenue department and the United
States District Attorney, and it would
easily run it up to $4,000. This does
not take into account the rapidly in
creasing business of the city, by reason
of the development companies which
are now in operation, and whose activity
will be increased ten fold as Spring ap>
proaches
The collections of Internal Revenue
year 1890, amounted to 800, S56-Augusta
county and the city of Staunton paying
of this amount $54 1854 80. There has
been paid into the treasury of the Uni
ted States from Augusta county alone
within the last twenty years between
$1,5OO,OOo and $2,0OO,OOO, and not one
cent returned by way of appropriation
of any kind, except to salaries of officers
and rent of offices.
Taking the postoffice returns at Staun-
ton for the last quarter of 1S90-$5, 500. 40
and this by no means would represent
the average increase of receipts for 1891
as basis of calculation, and we
would have $21, 1886 for the current
year. Add to this the $4,000 in
stamps received as reInittances by the
four life insurance companies, used and
cancelled at the StauntOn office. and we
would have an excess of $4,000 for the
year, or enough to justify the depart
ment in favoring the appropriation on
the rule it has adopted for its govern
ment in such matters.
These facts, supplemented by the fur
ther consideration that Stanton is an
important educational centre, where all
the Southern States are represented by
the students at our schools; that the
State is represented by two of it's great
charitable institutions-the Deaf and
Dumb and Blind Institution and the
Western Lunatic Asylum-and where
business and population are increasing
at rapid rate, and we can see no good
reason why the appropriation of 1915. 900
should not become law, and the Uni
/ ted States government have representa-
ton here in the unfurled flag of the ma
tion floating from government build
/ ing to inspire the love and admiration of
this people.
There is another consideration of a
nj.