The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-04-27
WHAT HOUSTON NEEDS.
Present POstOffice Building Iuad-
equate for Existing Necessities.
THE OPINION OF POSTMASTER STRONG
He Could Use to Advantage as Much
More Space as Is Now at His
Command.

Yesterdays Post published special tel
egrnm from Washington to the effect that
the congressman from this district, Hon. T.
Fl. Ball, had introduced a bill to appropri-
ate $1,000 to buy site for building In
Houston. To those uniformed this might
have indicated that this city is without a
Fedrral building but such is not the case,
In the language of Judge Waller Burns,
Houston Is the only city in Texas that
has Federal building that has no govern
ment service to be accommodated other
than the postofhce department" This
fact, OF course, Is to he appreciated, never.
thcloss it has been recognized for several
years that the present building, though 1t
consists Of a basement upon which stand
Two stories, Is altogether inadequate to
accommodate the poStofhce business OF
Houston, and the result is that recently the
creation Of a new building has been agi.
tated. The creation of the Southern IN.
dtclal district Of Texas, and the location of
a branch court Of that district In this city.
Eas greatly increased the necessity for an
appropriate public building here. and the
matter has been so forcibly called to Con
gresham Bali attention that he has Intro
duced a bill in congress to buy a.site for the
purpose, He appreciates the growing i'm
portance Of Houston and the rapid manner
IN which property Is growing In value He
he erected and 10 accommodate the npceS-
sary structure an extensive site viii have
to be secured. If 1t is to be centrally 10
Gated n large sum will be necessary and
/ for that purpose he has asked for an appro
priston of Sl50000 OF course, the mat
ter aroused considerable interest In the city
this morning and, as the best informed man
on the necessities of the situation, Post
master Strong was interviewed by Post
man
He said substantially: "Of course we
/ M LA
| stiles and 1t Is only along that line | viii
| discuss the subject at NIL II would be
| mere speculation 10 tell what we will need
even i've years hence viii verify this
| office show that there has been an Increase
| Of 26 per cent In the postal business Of
! Houston since June 80, 1901 Increases OF
| mat character more than compound. so you
| will see at once that II would be folly al
| most 10 estimate what we will need in the
| way OF public building a few years hence.
! WI say ms, however the present
| building is badly located and that II at
| present covers all the ground owned by the
! government, permissible under the regula-
| lions 1t follows then that It can only be
enlarged, unless purchases Of surrounding
property is possible, by adding stories, and
1t Is my opinion that the walls were not
built with the idea Of adding further
| weight 10 them. Necessarily a new site
viii have 10 be secured aud a larger and
taller building erected The present local
postofhce needs would easily cover the
| basement ana nrst noor or building loo
feet square while the second floor would
only be sufficient for the railway mail
service, the third door would scarcely be
sufficient for the prospective internal reve-
nue. headquarters that will he located here
and the customs officials who must sooner
later be stationed here. This leaves the
fourth floor of o fourrstory building for the
Federal court that has been ordered for
this place. and which viii hold Its first sit.
ting here next July. Now, these are the
absolutely existing needs. and what have
said looks not day into the future II
! Uncle Sam wants his business located IN
| Il building prepared for It's prompt dispatch
he viii not hesitate TO buy sufficient terri
tory TO accommodate his needs aud erect
thereon a structure commensurate with the
present, as well as the prospective needs OF
Houston.
"The present building IS occupied entirely
by the postoffce, and there Is no room for
! the admission OF any other public service.
| For this reason unhcsltatlngly say that
\ Houston absolutely needs newer and a
4 larger Federal building"