Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-13

Mr.. Wanamaker Thinks the Time for Great
Central Structures Has Gone BY.


Mr.. Wanamaker Thinks the Time for Great
Central Structures Has Gone By.
"A revolution has taken place in the con-
struction of large buildings," says Postmaster
General wanamaker in his annual report,
that 10 well worth the study of government
officials" This observation was made in con-
nection with what he has to say relative to the
needs Of the post Office in Chicago. He adds:
The use Of steel beams and steel pillars not
only lessons the danger of settling, but obvi-
ates the necessity Of immense piles that destroy
the value of Easements. 1t is great waste to
take so much Of the ground floor Of valuable
real estate in the business heart OF a city fo-
foundation piers when easements are SO much
in use for postal purposes The plot of land in
the busiest part Of Chicago, occupied by FIVE
story building. with grass farm fifty feet wide
around it, is immensely valuable. II IT should
be worth $4,000, 000 and there are those who
estimate it to be worth more, the rental Of one
building, at an in terest of per cent costs
$500 900 per annum. II is question whether
S300, 900 is not too much rent for the govern
ment to paw for any post Office when COM
modious stations, located Announcement points
throughout q city, to issue money orders.
register packages and receive mail, with the
present system of deliveries going to every
house door and Office and the added convent
ence of house collections would answer all pur-
poses.
WHAT MIGHT BE DONE.
One Of the worlds fair buildings with
tracks running into it connecting with all the
railroads would answer every purpose, after
the exposition closes, for assembling and dis
patching mails Jackson Park seems now
rather out of town, but it Ia already the nucleus
OF a large population, and the town will grow
In that direction: but. if the locality should be
deemed too far out, one of the buildings could
be taken down and rebuilt in a more central
quarter upon less valuable property and upon
the line OF a railroad. Enough money could be
saved In three years from the sale Of the old
structure and from interest account to Join all
substations by means of a belt line Of pneu-
matte tubes with the great receiving station no
matter where located in the city, To assert
mails on trains for these city districts and trans
NIT them from the central station in tubes
would make an even greater Chicago and set
the pattern of an ideal city postal service.
Ii 1t Is deemed wise to keep the Old location,
the preser building should be taken down stone
by stone and a new one built, covering the
square to the curb line. The fact would
main, though, that there is no longer any need
In large cities for such costly, cumbersome
buildings In the most valuable part Of the BUSH
ness quarter. The physical work required by
the old system Is no longer done in city build
ings, but in the railway post Office cars in tran
up its great establishment in the business CEN
ter when that portion of the work to be per-
formed in it could all be done as well in a bust
ness structure anywhere near bv the line OF a
trunk railroad, and the messengers of the serv-
ice covering the city could start from that less
point as wellas from State and Adams
streets. A commodious station. equipped to
receive mail and as place of call for letters
and for the money order and registry business,
IS sufficient for any locality. no matter how i'm
portant.
THE EXPOSITION PROBLEM.
But the need is present. What is to be
done? tforesaw the postal disaster inevitable
to the worlds fair visitors in 1893 unless
prompt provision should be made and l called
Your attention 10 this subject in nv last report.
Later urged action by the House committee
on post offices and post roads and subsequently
called two conferences of the Senators Of
Illinois and the members of Congress from the
district In which Chicago is situated TO prepare
necessary legislation. There were different
bills submitted to Congress by the various
members and then the whole subject ap-
parentlv dropped. The Secretary of the
Treasury has frequently been urged by me to
remove The Offices occupying the second floor
OF the present post Office building. but nothing
has been done. The exposition opens in five
months and the present room in the post Office
building is not over half the size that will be
first of April next. II would lead to endless
confusion and greatly increased expense to
separate the various bureaus by the removal of
part of them to another structure, even if such
structure could be had. which is held to be
impossible at this time.
There are but two things that cnn be done to
extricate the post Office from its present I'M
fortunate position, and one or the other must
be done quickly Chicago's mails will, on
many days Of 1898. lie for hours unrouted for
want of space in the present quarters to work
in. The first plan would be TO displace the
tenants on the second floor and use it for
postal purposes, and. if not this, the second
suggestion is to erect on three sides Of the old
building temporary ope-story structure of
iron and glass TO occupy all the space from
the building line to the curb line. The cost of
the latter plan would be not more than $780,
600 and the work could be done in forty days.
l cannot too strongly urge action on the part
of Congress. The Postmaster General is with
out authority to use any part of the building
not granted to the department and without
authority or funds to erect n temporary struc-
ture. If Congress does not act promptly the
credit of the great city is at stake. as well as
that OF the department. ANY Postmaster Cen
eral is powerless under existing conditions.