The San Francisco call., 1896-04-15
SUBMITTED TO AIKEN
The Architect Is Responsible for
the Delay in Beginning
Work.
WILL NOW FORCE THE ISSUE.
Pressure Will Be Brought to Bsar On
the Department by the ca ifornia
Delegation.

Postmaster McCoppin yesterday gave
out the CORES pondence between himsel1
and Supervising Architect Aiken at Wash
ington in regard to the changes in the
plans for the new Postoffice building in
this City. The letters of the Postmaster
go to show that he did everything in his
power 10 hasten matters rather than tC
cheek the progress of the enterprise.
II was given out by the Architects Office
at Washington that the delay in the com
mencement Of work on the building was
because of the delay which the San Fran
cisco Postmaster and the Feceral Judges
had caused in not changing and returning
the Architects plans as requested. This
letter of Mr.. McCoppin to Mr.. Aiken
clearly defines the position of the Post
master:
SAN FRANCISCO, March 16, 1896.
Hon. William ". Aiken, Supervising architect,
Treasury Department, Washington, d. C.-DEAR
SIR; Through the courtesy OF hon.John Z. Irish,
recently returned from Washington, | have
been permitted TO inspect the alternative
sketch plans for United States Courthouse,
Postofice, ETC., San Francisco, CAL" as pre-
pared under your supervision and at his SlIg-
gestion venture to offer q few ideas concern
ing the same. In doing so l am, of course,
proceeding upon the suDpoSition that you will
L.,
by the represen tations OF those who know from
practical experience what is required
The modern postOftce requires special facili-
ties Tor It's accommodation and itsequipment,
ior the best service IS as particular IN its way
as that required III any factory or industrial
establishment. Its arrangement should be
such as 10 facilitate every movement, provide
security and subserve the convenience aud
comfort OF both the public and the postal force
employed.
III my judgment the plan submitted fails to
naf ,f-a,p
lars, and l take the liberty OF pointing out 10
you in detail such alterations as / think
should be made. Here the Postmaster sug-
geSts that all closets, etc. be placed in the
basement OF the building instead of uDon thp
main DOR as provided in the plans.l A second
defect IN the plan submitted is that the pro-
posed stamp department is removed from and
OUT OF toucn with the cashiers department.
IL Is most essential that these two divisions OF
the office should be in easy communication
Under the plan submitted ali cash taken in for
stamps would have 10 be carried through tire
puDllc lobby Ior delivery to the Shier This
would not only be lnconvenient but danger
Gus.
/ think further that provision should he
made Tor the three stamp windows opening
upon the puolc lobby, one for wholesale
transactions and two for retail purposes. The
retail divisions do not require much space an
allotment OF 100 square IeeL being sufficient:
but the wholesale division should have room
enough 10 accommodate securely the i'm
mens- stock OF valuable supplies carried bv an
once OF this size. Tne space allotted upon the
plan before me, viz, lSx36, is no. sufficient
Tor tins office unless provision be made for
storeroomS beneath, communicating by ele-
vator with the salerooms above | would suC-
gest, therefore, that the wholesale STAMP
division be made to communicate directly
with the cashiers office: that such division no
given al least 1000 square feet of floor snace
and that two retail stamp apartments lead
from the wholesale department. In this CON
neclon again l notice that no provision is
made Tor vault in the cashiers division.
Ihls Is an absolute necessity, and | presume
Its omission Is due to an oversight
Inc room sci aside 1or the assistant Post
master, W., 1oX30, is larger than it need be
An apartment 22x20 is sufficient. / wonld
suggest that space be saved here and given to
the anteroom leading TO the Postmaster's quar-
ters- Inc anteroom Is an important feature of
the san Francisco Postofice. Here the nuhIic
Is received and the inquiry clerk and messen-
ger nave desks 1t is constantly througed
lated and comfortable.
Another and very serious objection which
] hnd TO the plan submitted consists in the
TACT that the registry and money order divi-
siOns are placed at opposite extremes Of the
building The relations OF these branches ~
the service 10 each other are such that this
separation should be avoided if possible 7 he
neVe II can De avoided in the plan under con
Money order remittances amounting to up
ward OF four million dollars are aDnnsiiv re
celyed at THIS olhce through the Registry De-
partmenL Two-thirdS of these remitlances
come in coin and have 10 be transferred from
one division TO the other.
The same objection already noted in tho
stamp department holds good here only moro
so. Communication under the plan nronoSed
would nave to be had either through the pub
Ilc corrldors or across the working floor sDece
OF the interior floor ] would obyIste this nv
putting the money order department at the
corner OF Seventh and Mission streets instead
OF at the corner OF Seventh and Stevenson
Under such an arrangement it Would he noSsi
bic To provide means OF Communication between
the TWO DIVISIONS which would be both safe
anu am convenient. 10 do this would necessitate
the transfer OF III The Offices now placed to the
rlght OF the main entrance / know of no
oblectlon 10 such transfer. There is still another
deiect IN the proposed plans for the money
oruer ulVlslon No provision is made for q
money order lobby. Such an apartment is in
dlspensaole IN properly equipped postofice
as otherwlse desks ard writing materials for
the accommodation OF the public in flling ont
applications, etc, would have to be placed in
the main corridors. "
would further invite attention to the fact
that no place Is designated upon the rlan
under consideration for lock boxes These
might be placed in the partition which sens
rates the interior floor space from the public
lobby, on the Stevenson-street side of the hula
ing.
Ine. general plan of the rear driveway, mail
lng-platiorm, location OF registry division and
Moriklng ig space OF main office floor under the
skylight think good. | would however
eliminate the toilet to the right OF the Mission
street entrance and include the space SO saved
IN roomy vault for the use OF the registry al
VISION, pushlng the registry lobby at the same
time over TO the other side
presume the plan is to give the central floor
space to the distribution forces OF the Office In
that case would place the city delivery divl-
sion on the Stevenson-street side and utilize
the space on the Miss ion-Street side OF the
central area for the mailing and foreign dfyi-
slons The superintendents OF these two di-
visions need Offices
10 meet this necessity suggest that the space
within the general area on the side of the ele-
Vetor De partltioned off as to provide four
eddlt1onal rooms. These wOuld he 1ItiIizad 70
specuVeIy for records, superintendent OF
mails, superintendent OF city delivery and di
rectory clerks. The two superintendents
"ouIo be eadVantageouslyl located Tor the super