The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-12-08
Congressman Bartholdt's Bill Con-
templates the Expenditure Of
100000 on Structure.
SITE IS NOT YET SELECTED.
Building to Be Used for Mail
Alone and Will Be Erected
Convenient to Trains at
Union Station.

st. Louis will have a new post office
building, IL the plans of Postmaster F. ".
and Congressman Richard Bar
tholdt are carried out as they expect.
Congressman Bartholdt introduced a bill
last Friday providing for the purchase of
q site and the erection of a building near
Union Station for the exclusive use OF the
post office. He asked that $500 900 be ap-
propriated for this purpose.
II can save the Post office Department
$4,000 a year. and save from thirty min
utes to a day in the distribution Of mail to
the people in st. Louis. IL only this new
building Is provided" said MIR. Baumhofr
yesterday.
I have been at work for two years per-
1ectins plans for bringing the necessary
pressure to bear on the department. 1 ex-
pect 10 lay the matter before all the COM
1nercial bodies OF the city and ask for their
support. I am sure that 1t will be granted.
l doubt whether the amount named In Con-
gresham Bartholdt's bill is nearly suf-
Iicient to provide such a building as the
service really requires.
IT Is not my idea that anything should
De moved from the present post office ex-
cept the workrooms. The general delivery
anu JOCK boxes, the stamp. registry and
money order divisions would remain just as
they now are for the benefit of the people
ii'lnS IN THIS part OF the city.
But with the workrooms close to the
postal cars. where the mail would not nave
10 De loaded into wagons. the cost Of haul
ing large quantities OF matter from Union
station to the post Office and back again
would be saved. Then We receive a carload
Of postal supplies once a week or oftener.
The car IS unloaded in East St. Louis and
the supplies are hauled across the bridge
on wagons. to he stored in the basement of
tNH building hero Than ubap tbar - !, III,
trlouted to other cities in the West they
must be hauled to Union Station for ship
ment. This post office Is also a repository
for mail bags and We ship a carload every
day or SO to Eastern cities. The bags are
hauled across the river on wagons to be
placed on the cars.
Much Expense Could BE Saved,
All this expense Of hauling by wagons
could be saved II the cars could be brought
close to the post Office door. A tunnel or
bridge to the train shed at Union Station
or switches direct from the erminal yards
to the post office building would effect the
desired result.
But a still greater advantage Of the plan
would be the better and speedier distribu-
ton of mail to st. Louisans. Twenty-Five
minutes Is allowed a wagon from the time
a train arrives to get to the post Office
with the mail. Part of this time is neces-
sarily used in placing the bags on the
A0S - "ASA AAkASA ALL IS lust.
The two or three minutes lost there may
make thermal Just too late to go out with
the carriers on the last delivery for the
day. If it happens to be a Saturday the
letter may not reach the person for whom
it was intended until Monday morning. In
any case. it would not get to its destination
until the morning following its arrival.
L have not formed any detailed plans for
the new building. for they must be gov
erned by the buildings location. But, in
general. the structure should be only one
story in height, with high ceiling, perfect
ventilation and plenty of natural light, and
should be as roomy as possible.
There Is space enough In our present
quarters for all our needs. and will be for
two years. But after that We will be
crowded for elbow room. 1 hope to see the
new building completed before the Worlds
Fair rush begins"
The Present Post ONCE Building.
The Federal building. in which the post
office occupies the ground floor, was com
pleted in 1854. Its construction required ten
years.
The Federal courts. the Subtreasury, the
Office OF the Internal Revenue Collector,
the United States Marshal and District At
torney. the post Office inspectors and the
Bureau are domiciled in the build
ing. Several other Federal offices are in
the old Custom-house at Third and Olive
streets. while the offices Of the Missouri
and Mississippi river commissions are
located in other buildings where the Gov
rnmen is obliged to pay rent.