The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-24
THENEWYORK pOSTOFFICE
POSTMASTER TAN COLT SUGGESTS 4
UMB OF IMPROVEMENTS.

Nav IDfONu Station, nnu inc htemoNnl OF
s,,tious A and % TO Better Qunrters-rost-
ur,ter-Genern Gary ON Consolidation.
WASHINGTON. Aug. 23~.-Postmaster Van Colt
v,s In Washington to-day and saw postmaster
osnorol Gary and Assistant Postmasters.Gen-
srol Heath and Shcllonbcrgor. Mr.. Van Colt
no. mapped out a number OF improvements In
,ho service In Now York, and among thom is the
nOt,.rmept OF tho stations or branch Post Offices.
NJ. discussed to-day the conditions OF stations
and u. station A Is at present located at
r,,nco street aad South Fifth avenue. Mr..
W., Colt SAYS that the floor space and
accumulation for this important station
+, entirely inadequate. He recommended
That IL be removed to either Howard and
broadway or Grand and Broadway. either
location being superior to the present one. Mr..
v0r Colt said that Station d, on Third avenue,
r.ar ST. Marks place, was dark, dingy, and
.Ioomy. The accommodations are also very
haa. Tho owner of the P%lynpton building, In
a, Marks place, where the station was formerly
situated, Is very anxious to have 1t brought back
.ssin. and there Is an arrangement on hand by
hitch he will acquire, in addition to his own
huildins. the adjoining building. thus giving
much moro room than the station had before.
This is looked upon as a superior location for
the station.
Mr.. Van Colt made q modest request for some
tcrty clerks ard carriers for his new station at
los,h street and Third avenue. The building
for this station is now being erected, and tho
station will be known as Station U. 1t will
s,rye about one square mile of territory, from
about Ninety-ffth street to 115th street, and from
the East River to Fifth avenue. 1t will require
the services Of about thirty carriers, one super
intendent, one chief clerk, one register and
money order clerk. two stamp clerks, five or six
distributors, q porter, and q ~janitor. The salary
list will be over $4,000 a year. Mr.. Van
Colt wishes the department, instead of
taking clerks from other stations or the main
office, to give him additional clerks for station
u. Mr.. Heath took all the recommendations
under sdvisement. He has already been over
the ground and investigated these stations, and
he said he would go to New York on Thursday
and look into them again. He will defer action
until his return.
The consolidation plans were not talked over
to-day, by the Postmaster and the department
officials. Postmaster.General Gary returned to
"Thave not yet had time to take up this con,
solidstion matter and fully investigate 1t. The
department has been engaged ON it in q quiet
way for some time past, but as the con solidation
Of the two cities is some time of yet. it has not
been regarded as of pressing Importance. 1t Ia
cur intention to go over the matter very fully.
% as to determine Just what is the best thing &c
DO for the service in Greater. New York. Our
people than any other branch Of the Govern
nent, and having nothing but the interests OF the
he best service possible. While / have
many ideas regarding the proposal to CONSOLE
York. l have not formulated them, and will moi
Do 90 until more information is gathered. an
Of s. The opinion Pd n ion h that th os 60, consolidation anIr,Uan would una b .
he local service. In the near future 1t is prob
able that a commission will be appointed to &c
haustive report. After this investigation tn,
department will prepare the details Of what Il
regards, ,fsn a sd, as the = ,1 be-. plan as 1t - IL that At Il . o oo9EsFies
First Assistant Postmaster-General Heath Ii
sSeiienbereer viii 60 to New York on Thursda!
70 make Q personal Investigation. The report o
The late c of mis- os,ow which dc tnvestisatsd III .
Malls q New York has proven to be Of muel
mare Importance than was expected: tn
; Az %s..ss s.'' are DEALT +na With S'n very 'R faRIly
Heath on his return. Mr.. Heath went oyer
Eg SS! sesse m1 sGd tS,T9 gspy. 1T w !. e be Lao &c
nnwise 70 make public the report at present, a
y might defeat some pm, Of , the more Important rec !,
Vi. M e 2 nun y5. e changes in the service il
While the commission was not special!
aon. 1t Is said that it did some preliminar.
work in this line, and the recommendations re
garding the changes of the mails were mad,
toward this end. In speaking OF this to-day Al
official Of the Post Office Department said tina
the consolidation would mean much for thu
service In New York. The mails could be han
died more readily. the pneumatic tube servic'
extended. and many other important change
made: Practically the only change in the ad
ministration Of the office would be that tn,
Brooklyn Office would make its reports directl,
70 the office In New York instead OF to the de
partment. This would tend to keep the inter
ests OF the two cities closer together and woul,
relieve the department Of a great deal OF work
1t would make New York the greatest Pos
Otice In the world" said another. With il
foreign and domestic mail. the office wouI,
handle much more mail than any other Pos
Once in the world, and it would have more en-
ployees.'
II Is the impression here that the Greater Ney
York Post Office would be In q position to sc
cure more favors from the Post Office Depart
nent and better service in carriers and clerks
as well as the carrying of the mails, than tn
two offices OF New York and Brooklyn could d
Independently.