The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-25
P0STOFFICE LOCATION.
A Cuisines Mans" View of the Pos
taI-Card Proposition.

To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal:
There is something so exceedingly funny
in the card we business men, have
ceived, asking us to petition that the new
postoffice building be located on the half
block now occupied in part by the postoffice,
that 1 want TO say word about it First,
there is the funny assumption that only
those who buy and sell for a living are
business men," mechanics and laboring
people and professional men constituting a
distinct class, whose interest i'm the post
office is entirely distinct from ours and in
ferior TO it. Then, there is this other funny
assumption: that, because more places of
business are huddled together on Wash
ington street and south of it TO the rail-
roads, therefore our supreme interest" in
the location relates TO our places of bust
ness" whereas not one-fourth, if one-tenth,
of the business houses of the city are in
that district. A corner grocery on Twen-
tieth, or Thrty-eighth, or McCarty, or
Morris. or Raymond street is as truly
business house as wholesale house on
South Meridian street is, and its proprietor
is as much entitled to government favor
these are. But the benefit to either does not
amount to a bauble. None of us ever goes
to the postoffice on postal business; our
mail is delivered and taken up at our own
doors. and we buy stamps at a drug
store never three blocks away. If the
wholesaler wants few thousand for cir
culars. or wants to send out more circulars
than the postman can carry, he sends by
boy and never goes himself; and the boy
would have TO go no further from South
Meridian street to Ohio than to the corner
of Pennsylvania and Market, neither would
any business man" west of Meridian, and
those east would have only a block further
10 go. Isn't ii funny that any business
man would appeal to us business men,
on the ground of convenience? But the
slider that four-fifths of those who do
business" in the par excellence business
district live north of Ohio street and are
compelled to pass the locality against which
business men, are solicited to protest every
time they go to or from business. AS TO
any other use of the building than as a
a thousand of the business men of the
city ever have any use for IL, and If they
had the walking Of block farther at the
furthest would be no great matter: and
this could occur only to those who live or
"do business south of Ohio street.
But the funniest part OF the circular and
petition is found in the appeal for economy,
whereas the entire block against which il
seems to be aimed can be bought for less
money than the quarter block they propose
10 buy and what the present government
property will sell for at auction Besides,
the churches and the school house and the
Parry corner, and possibly some other build
ings, If necessary. could be used for post
Office, court and revenue purposes while the
new building is going up In the center Of the
block, so as to give immediate possession of
the old building IL that should be desired .
otherwise there need be no disturbance of
these, offices until all are moved into the
OF course, the commission is not expected
TO make the ornamentation of the city any
controlling factor in making its choice cold
sinpGSp convenience hpinR chief
but 1t is hardly thinkable that they will go
to any extra expense to conceal such a
building as is contemplated just TO have 1t
near the courthouse, with which it has
no more official connection than IL has with
the Woman's Reformatory or the Hospital
for the Insane. Imagine foreigner. or
even a Bostonian, or any other intelligent
man, stopping off few hours or few days,
inquiring for the government building and
being answered: you will find 1t just in
the rear of those twelve-storied houses,
north side OF Washington. between Penn
sylvania and Delaware. and separated from
only one way and that towards another
block of twelve-storied buildings. 1t was
With an IN eve te Business and to
its being thing Of beauty and Joy 10
visitors. as well as to home folks. though
one Of two or three available blocks and
having four fronts.
The circular and petition are very right
In assuming that Ii would be naughty TO
disturb values. boosting some real estate
and depreciating some by the change or
locality. Perish the thought that the pro-
moters of the scheme to buy that expensive
quarter block and retaining the present site
at greater cost than would buy any Of
three or four whole blocks, equally con-
Venient for government purposes, have any
real estate anywhere In the world that
would be unfavorably affected by re-
moxal. After all 90 not the circular ,h rr, ana
consideration? L. IL. SEE.
IndiananoIis March "a