The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-17
ARE AFTER A SITE NOW
The Montana Delegation Is Put
ting Up Good Fight.
BUTTE PUBLIC BUILDING
Senator Mantle Makes a Fetching Argu-
ment-A Favorable Report From
the Senate Committee.
Butte's Rapid Growth.
Washington Bureau of the Standard,
No. 1145 G Street N. w.

with the success thus far attending the
bill making appropriation for the con-
struction of the Butte public building,
the Montana delegation is making ev-
cry effort to secure an amendment to
the sundry civil bill carrying $4,000 for
the purchase of an appropriate site for
the building. Senator Mantle is par
ticularly. active in his efforts to secure
this result. and has made a notable
contribution to congressional literature
in support of the proposition. He has
secured favorable report from the
senate committee on public buildings
and grounds upon this amendment. 1t.
was prepared by himself and is a pc
culiarly complete and fetching ar
gument for the adoption of the Butte
appropriation. This report says: "Ev-
cry argument which has heretofore
been made showing the necessity for
public building at Butte applies with
added force and emphasis at the pres
ent time, and in support of this state
ment your committee desires to say
that full examination of all the con-
ditions and circumstances surrounding
the subject embraced in this amend
ment warrant them in expressing the
unqualified opinion that the amend
ment ought to be adopted.
The population Of Butte is now very
close to 10000, and that it is constantly
and steadily increasing and all
indications point to a population of
100000 within the next three or four
years. The registered vote Of Silver
Bow county, which is the smallest in
area Of any county in the state, and
of which Butte is the county seat, was
nearly 1450O at the last election of
November, 1898, being more than one
fourth of the entire registered vote of
the state. The Butte postoffice prac-
tically attends to the postal business
of the entire county, and more
than 80 per cent. of the population of
Silver Bow county is either within or
directly contiguous to the city of Butte.
In addition to the regular business
of permanent residents there is always
very large transient population at
tracted to this great mining section
because of it's wonderful activity and
it's exceedingly prosperous condition.
and the transient population naturally
imposes a greatly enlarged demand
upon the postoffice conveniences and
facilities unaccompanied by a CORE
spending increase in it's revenues. .9,rs.
THE city of is more prosperous
than at any time in its history. mining
operations never having been so, active
as at present and never before CEN
Quoted on such an enormous scale and
more men are now employed than at
any previous time.
There were three times more build
ing improvements made during the past
year than in any other year since the
city was founded, these improvements
being of a permanent character, one
handsome six-story brick and iron store
building having been erected ats cost
of 100000 by single firm, while the
city itself has had granite block
pavement upon many of the principal
thoroughfares at very great ex-
pense.
About four years ago the building
then occupied had become inadequate
to the needs of the postoffice, and bys
an arrangement made with some of the
citizens of Butte new building was
erected with view of meeting the re-
quirements of the situation, and the
postoffice moved therein. but so rapid
has been the growth s-of the city and
population and of the, business of the
postoffice that the new building has
long since proven too small for the
accommodation of the increased bust
ness and the greater number of clerks
employed, SO that even now temporary
quarters of greatly enlarged capacity,
if possible, must be secured pending the
construction of a permanent building.
for postoffices purposes from. private
parties is a very difficult undertaking
because of the many onerous conditions
imposed by the government, including
it's refusal to pay current rates OF
rent, it's reservation of the option to
cancel its leases on short notice, and be-
cause of the fact that all of the eX-
pense necessary for putting in boxes
and fixtures must be borne by the own
erS of the premises.
THE present quarters occupied by
the United States court and it's officers
at Butte are wholly inadequate to its
necessities, not to speak of its COM
fort and convenience, although a high |
rate of rent is paid for them, and the
internal revenue officers have no per-
manent or suitable quarters, although |
the business of that branch of the gov
eminent is very large and steadily |
growing. ....
I'm a former report your committee
have referred to the magnificent nee |
public library erected by the citizens
of Butte at cost of more than $l00,Oo0, |
and which now has more than $4,000 |
volumes on its shelves, representing d |
cost of nearly 100000. as showing the
advanced and intelligent character Ct
the community and its confidence III the |
future of the city.
But perhaps nothing that you" ccm-
mittee can say would present more
clearly or forcibly the necessity for
the appropriation herein. asked than |
a statement of the business of the Butte |
postoffice, showing the steady and nhe
nomenal growth which has taken place |
as the years have passed, and we ac-
cordingly submit the following state
ments of gross, receipts of she Butte
postoffice taken from the records nf the |
department. as well as a Letter from |
the first assistant postmaster general, |
showing the increase in the NUMBER of |
employees.
I'VE call attention to the fact that |
for the last quarter of the year 1898
the receipts Were $17,0S2.25, at which |
rate the gross receipts for the current |
year will be $685. assuming even that |
there will be no further increase, which |
is highly improba BILE"
Accompanying this report the sena-
tor submitted a large number of official |
documents, including "a a statement |
from the first assistant postmaster |
general showing the rapid increase in |
carriers and clerks at the Butte office, |
q Of # p,,tt