Evening star., 1897-01-07
FOR A DEPARTMENT
Postmaster General May Go Into
New City Post Office.
CHAIRMAN CANNON URGES THE CHANGE
Geological Suveyto Be Put in New
Library BUILDING.
c Fl A NGE OF QUARTERS

The House committee on annronria ,io,,s
mas given an unexpected turn to Secre-
'ary FRANCIS appeal for more room for
.he interior Department. Yesterday Chair
man cannon sent letter to Postmaster
General Wilson asking him il he could
hot quarter his whole department I'm the
new city post office building. The Past
master General is today giving the idea
careful and thorough consideration ana
VIII doubtless reply to Mr. Cannon TO-
morrow.
of.a IN an interview with Star reporter this
afternoon Mr.. Wilson said: The post
Urhce department is very much crowded
we accommodate not only our own CLERKS
put give almost the whole first aoor of ne
UJ,iosns phioh 10 tie Treasury Department, OF
Mhich the sixth auditors office havins
charge of post Office accounts is a h,,raa9
Lefe Il, OF course, constant accumula-
o u documents which steadily en-
ciodches on available working srace
. IN TINS way the department has o,-ar-
ho"ea its own proper building and NOW o.,
eupies Ihe Busch building on f street
UGtm s',';Iii OF the department: the money order
building. on Sth street connected u.i,b ~.
nam building by bridge: the T, straat
k ilhk nuiiding part of the Union build
ing Whtre the city post office is pow a,1
,ng puliuLhg on 9th street occupied by the
toposrapher of the department All H.
clerks employed I'm these buildings and
those In this main building could be ac-
comlnodated comfortably in the new CITY
post ONCE building. and allow annie room,
Tor the city post office on the eround foor
Naturally there is a sentiment Involved IN
leaving building where this department
mas been domiclled ever since the Post
master General became a member of the
Presidents cabinet.
1T is not a choice between a modern
building and one of the old-fa shioned sort
The new building may be far more convent
eEt. cut Its archltepttre ba
pared certainly with that of this building.
nave not reached decision in the
matter yet and probably shall not for sey-
eral days. Ii will he several months be
fcre the change could lie made. as the city
post office building will not he completed
until July at best
4 Conference Today.
Mr.. Cannon and the Postmaster General
had consultation this morning IN regard
to the proposed transfer and the whole
plan was discussed. 1t is the idea to give
the present post office building TO the patent
office and general land Office, both of which
are in the interior building and are ver-vt
crowded quarters. Both these bureaus ac-
cumulate documents and archives rapidly
Carpenters are busy continually making
new ME cases 10 accommodate the papers
filed away in these two offices Ii IS main
ly on account of the patent office that Sec
retary Francis urged the erection of a new
building on the two squares north of the
The space that up to a few years ago
was occupied by the thousands of models
in the patent office is now crowded with
clerks. Judge Womach, chief clerk of tbs,
department, said today that every availa-
Bile foot of space in the building seemed
to be crowded with archives
We cannot. said he. put another clerk
into this building, and it is only a question
CT time when We shall have TO file docu-
n.ents. records and various archives out on
the sidewalks. We are now paying over
SO,Wn year in rentals for buildings out
side the main Interior building We rent
quarters for the Indian office, geological
survey, civil service commission, bureau of
education and census office"
General Rearrangement.
The Post-Office Department pays out over
$35,WO a year for the various buildings
rented to accommodate its overflow of en-
ployes. The plan outlined by the ap-
preparations subcommittee is TO place the
geological survey, which up to this time Il
has been intended to locate I'm the new city
post office building, in the new Congress
slonal Library building. The bureau OF ed
ucatlon a'so might very properly be placed
IN that building, and 1t is the intention 10
make that transfer il the Postmaster Gem
eral accepts Mr.. Cannon's suggestion
Ifere Is abundant room in the library
building for the two bureaus mentioned,
ana even more. In this way the govern
ment would avoid renting ten buildings
and make an annual saving of upward
of sln,Nn, besides. at the same time meet
Ing Secretary Francis demand for more
room for the patent Office. The members
or the committee. recognizing the full force
OF the Secretary's sugres ton, could not at
the same time recommend to the House
the large appropriation that would be re-
quired TO purchase the two blocks north
or the interior building, and set I'm opera
ton the construction Of a new building.
the cost of which would not be in all prob
abtlity less than a million dollars.
plnn 10 ne AIAns,.l
It is believed that Postmaster General
Wilson is favorable to Mr.. Cannons sug-
gestion and that his reply will indorse the
plan offered.
The transfer of the Post Office Depart
ment to the city post office building would
consolidate all of the various bureaus of
tfat great depa tment in the building, and
undoubtedly thereby promote the general
convenience and expedition necessary to
the dispatch of business. The post o1fice
and interior buildings would be connected
with an iron bridge similar to that now
connecting the post office building and the
money order building, so that the transfer
would lead TO very convenient arrange
ment Tor that department as well as the
Post Oftice Department. Members of the
committee say that the scientists Of the
idea OF taking up quarters in the library
building.
In connection with the discussion of these
changes there Is also mention of the pro-
priety Of placing the general land office.
the Indian office and the geological survey
under the Department of Agriculture,
department which now has very little ex.
ecutive work to perform and is regarded
simply as grand clearing house for infor.
nation about agriculture.