Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-06-20

Government Building Bill and Report
Congressman Barwig has forwarded
to several of his constituents here
copies of the bill introduced by him
September II, 1898, for the erection of
a government building in our city.
The full text of the bill is as follows:
A BILL.
For the erection of q public building in Wa
tertOWn, Wisconsin.
Be it enacted by the senate and house of
representatives of the United States of Amer
lea in congress assembled. That the secre-
tary of the treasury be, and he is hereby di-
rected to purchase or otherwise provide
site and cause to be erected thereon sub
stantial and cOmmodiOus building, with fire.
proof vaults for the use and accommodation
of the pOstOffice, and for other government
uses, at Watertown in the state of Wisconsin
The site and building thereon, when COM
pleted upon plans and specifications to be
previously made and approved by the secre-
tary of the treasury, shall not exceed in cost
the sum of fifty thousand dollars; nor shall
any site be purchased until estimates for the
erection of building, which will furnish
sufficient accommodations for the transac
ton of the public business, and which shall
not exceed in cost the balance Of the sum
herein limited after the site shall have been
purchased and paid for, shall have been ap-
proved by the secretary Of the treasury; and
no purchase of site nor plan for said building
shall be approved by the secretary of the
treasury involving an expenditure exceeding
the said sum of fifty thousand dollars for site
and building; and the site purchased shall
leave the building uneXpOSed to danger from
fire by an open space of at least forty feet,
including streets and alleys; Provided, That
no part of said sum shall be expended until a
valid title to the said site shall be vested in
the United States, nor until the state of Wis
cOnSln shall cede to the United States eXcluS-
i've jurisdiction over the same, during the
time the United States shall be or remain the
owner thereof, for all purposes except the
Administrations of the criminal laws of said
state and the service of civil process therein.
The following is the report made by
the committee on public buildings and
grounds when the passage of the bill
was recommended, and the bill placed
in it's order upon the house calendar:
REPORT
The committee on public buildings and
grounds, to whom was referred the bill (H. X.
2332) for the erection of d public building at
WatertOwn, Wis, have had the same under
consideration and respectfully submit the
following report
WatertOwn is one of the most prosperous
and thriving cities in Wisconsin, and, as will
be shown by the statistical data given below,
a business center of considerable magnitude,
from which the, government derives an an
nual revenue which is far above the average
of cities of the same size.
The population is now 10000, and as the city
| is situated in the heart of the richest farm
| ing district of the state, and has excellent
shipping facilities and a very strong water
| power, her steady growth and future indus
| trial Importance are assured.
The total receipts of the government dur
| ing the last year amounted to over S54, 600, Of
which S43 roo were internal revenue receipts,
| and $40 446 pOstOffice receipts. The latter
| have steadily increased during the last five
years from SS,S41 for the year ending June
30. 1889. to $40, 446 for the year ending June30
| 1893. The receipts of last year would have
| reached the sum of $l1,G00 but for the fact
| that the free delivery system was introduced
during the year, causing considerable fall
| ing off OF the box rent receipts.
The city is entered by the Chicago, MilWau-
| kee q st. Paul railroad, and the Chicago &
! Northwestern railroad two of the principal
| lines Of the Northwest, and the receipts Of
| these two roads for freight and passenger
service amount to over S350,000 annually i,
which certainly speaks well for the volume
| of business transacted in WatertOWn and for
| her CONNER cial Importance.
AS to industrial establishments the follow
ing may be said: WatertOwn has three large
| Touring mills with daily capacity of 900 bar
rels, and gives employment to about 60 men: :
| two machine and boiler shops employing rs
men; one shoe factory, employing 100 hands j;
two large malt houses with an annual capa-
city of 100000 bushels, and two large brewe-
ries with an annual capacity Of 10000 barrels,
employing 80 men; six cigar factories, en-
pOying 200 men; one furniture factory one
| box factory, one cracker factory, and other
establishments employing about 300 hands,
| and four brick yards, turning out 15,0000 900
| DrlCK per season ana giving employment TO
300 hands. The pay roll of the Chicago, Mil
waukee St. Paul railroad in the city
| amounts to $4,000 annually.
The present postOffice building is not adapt
ed for its purpose, and is incommodious for
the public as well as the employees of the
postoffice There is no possibility to secure
a more suitable building.
| Your committee recommend that the bill
be amended by inserting the word forty af
ter the word ''least' in line %, on page 2, and
when so amended the committee recommend
that the bill do pass.