The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-06
WARS OYER "SIIES"
Amusing Experiences of Some Of
the Public Building Officials
ct Washington.
About 40 New Sites to Be Selected
Rivalry Of Sections in
Small Towns.
From The Journal Bureau, Room As, Post Build.
ing, Washington, ss1.Y

From The Journal Bureau, Room 45, Post Build
ing, Washington.
Washington, Feb. Gin selecting sites
for public buildings" said Horace A. Tay-
Tor, the assistant secretary of the treas
ury, who has charge of this branch Of
work. I'VE have some amusing expert
ences. The delegations that come here.
TO urge different sites all say they rep
resent very large percentage Of the peo-
pie OF the community. A few days ago
a good sized delegation from western
city came in here, escorted by their mem
| Der of congress, who vouched for them as
responsible and representative men in
their community. They were asked if
! they had been sent here to voice the
| wishes OF Its people; to this they replied:
Certainly; we represent at least 80 per
cent Of the people of the CITY,. This
looked encouraging for an easy settlement
l In that case. But the very next day the
/ same congressman escorted in another
delegation OF about equal size,;, whose
members he vouched for in the same en-
thusiast1c way. In answer to a similar
question, they replied: we represent at
least>95 per cent Of the people Of our city
While this Is a somewhat extreme case,
such conflicts Of testimony are presented
all the time 1t is not uncommon for US
! to hear from two or three hundred per
cent OF the people Of a community in re-
gard to the choice Of sites.
| Never in the history Of the govern
ment has there been so many locations
for public buildings to be selected as now.
! Congress-, at its last session, appropriated
money for 40 new buildings, covering
4 every state and territory in the union with
the exception, as remember, Of Delaware
and Idaho. The department, in selecting
the sites, first advertises for proposals in
the various towns where buildings are to
be erected. After the, answers to these
advertisements have been received and
lopened, giving descriptions, as these let
tiers do, of the lots offered and the prices,
an agent is sent to look the different prop
lerties over. He Is expected to take into
account all the conditions that expert
ence has shown should be considered in
the selection Of a site for a postoffice or
other public building After his return
the residents OF the cities and towns re-
ported on are given thirty days to notify
the department of their desires in the
matter. The preference OF the agent is
not made public. But everybody Is in
vited+ to communicate; delegations visit
washington, and whatever they have tc
{ say is .attentively listened to.
4 Hard to Get at the Facts.
There is probably no subject upor
which it is more difficult to- get at the
facts than this. While very many OF the
3 persons who visit the department declare
q stoutly that they have no personal o.
n pecuniary interest in the selection, expe
< Irfence proves that very rarely does any
n body go to the trouble toscome to Wash
O. |ington to influence the selection of a sit
= unless he has some direct concern In tn
! result. Pretenses pf Observation-Disclosures ar
= as a rule the worst sort of sham. In man!
e cases petitions purporting to represen
g residents and taxpayers are found to D
filled out by inducing everybody who ca
! write to sign, soIne times men, women an
children. The department recently re
: ceived letter5from fanSOfficial in an in
sane asylum wac a1sertEd that peti
ltion III favor dfNa1 certain site had bee
Z eirculated through that institution, osten
"a sibfy 10 secureSthe names Sof its official
I and employees, but that in reality:a goo
~ Inany OF the inmates had been asked
Z sign They did SO cheerfully.
IS (. IAN amusing instance of what some
s. times happens with visiting delegation
~ occurred a few Gays u ne. ueiesae 49,,
~ was vouched for in the usual way as re!
y resentative and reputable; Its member
u had a good word to sayf*for 5themselVe
le The department, however, made a Quiz
ne inquiry of an official here who happene
Ut to know these men, as to whether the
rs statements could be trusted absolutel
&c No was his prompt reply, one Of thos
II. fellows was indicted a year or two az
a. for horse stealing; another was arreste
ru for illegal voting. 80
sh '"rhe whole trouble in selecting sites
the element of selfshness that enters IN
rn it. The people in: every community see
ng to be benefited by selling the governme
he property or by having a public bulldl1
st located near their own holdings, or VINE
d. the building will prove an attraction
lily their place Of business, or because OF
pit thousand and one other conditions IL
lid possible to enumerate. The objects OF t
government are simple; it wants Its bull
ell ings where they can have proper arcf
Use tectlral effects, where they Will accoI
modate the public offices and the busine
ct interest of the community which tn
list serve. It is common for persons who
ng designs have been upset In the selectl
Is of site to claim that there has be
lat some corruption Of agents, or some pref
ing dice on the part of the department off
ials. In all Of this there Is no truth. L
: government officials merely want the bt
Q thing. The building will stand for yea
as a monument to their wisdom or tn
-. folly, according as they place it where
"y' ought to be or not. Occasionally we ma
a. mistake Perhaps the development
city may not be in a direction VIII
seemed likely at the time the site "
- selected and our agents are always {
lle uected to bear this consideration in mil
W W But as rule, after a site is once
, .sl selected there Is little fault found. I
lie files of the department are singularly Il
IA, ial from letters of protest after decision
lns once been formally made
or
ord A Bard Bursts Into Song.
or At this point Secretary Taylor pulled
nm Of his pocket a piece Of "poetry" which
~. had just received in commentator of !
ry- selectioh q stte III Az co. D.. 81
ath Dltter nsne, q. 'ne nv. o ,.,,,,,,s )
~ ended his canto with these stirring lin
e., Them hip hurrah, for Taylor of Uncle sanu
t is Long nav he stcnd with pen in hand to
en- his mandate free,
as Fof he is a man of good sound sense and
IL, right hOnestce.