New-York tribune., 1903-02-14
NO PROYLSION FOR 1T.
Upto1cn PostoGce Question IN q
DeadlOch.
Try TELEGRAPH re THE TRIBUNE. !


Washington. Feb. 13.-An absolute deadlock
describes the condition of the New-York post
office question There are only two weeks or the
present session of Congress remaining. NO re-
port has been made by the commission author
lied ito select and acquire" site and Congress
will do nothing in the way of appropriating for
the site and building until this report is made
An Omnibus Public Building bill was placed on
the ways to-day in the House Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds. 1t will probably
be finished by the first of the week, and the
moment it is completed it will be railroaded
through the lower body and sent flying to the
Senate The last chance for anything to be
done for the New York postofice will be when
this bill gets TO the Senate
The situation, so far as the House is con-
cerned, was summed up by Chairman Meyer or
the Public Buildings and Grounds Committee to
The Tribune correspondent this afternoon, as
follows
At it's last session Congress authorized the
Secretary Of the Treasury. the Attorney General
and the Postmaster General to select and ac-
quire site for postoffice in New York. This
authorization was exactly in the same form as
the laws passed by Congress for the acquire
ment of all sites for public buildings. To be
sure money appropriated. but until tne
cost is known this could not well be done the
law authorizing the requirement of the sites
binds the government to back up any actlon tne
commission may take in the matter NO site
has been acquired, and the commission has NOT
made a report to Congress of any character III
is too late to take the matter up in the Dill
which the committee is framing, and II anything
is done it will have to be done In the Senate
So far as the commission is concerned, noth-
ing definite of any character can be learned
from any of its members. 1t was announced
by Secretary Shaw and Postmaster General
Payne soon after their arrival from New-York,
where all three memebers went the last week
of January that the conclusion had been
reached that the site to be selected and ac-
CURED could not be purchased, because no
money had been appropriated. and any contract
the commission might make would be worthless
unless Congress should make the appropriation
afterward The commission felt that the better
way was to have the money appropriated hrst'
and the further statement was made that a re-
port setting forth these facts and suggesting
that an appropriation be made would be sub
mtted to Congress in time for It's actlon at the
present session. This was nearly thrte weeks
ago and as vet no report has been made.
The onlv recent news which has emanated
from the commission was that option on a
certain site had been sought, but that the price
wanted by the owners was at least twice 100
high and second offer was being mace Ior
the same site in the nature of an ultlmatum TO
the owners The result of this second effort Is
not yet forthcoming. and the report to Con-
gress so far indications point, IS as far OIL
This condition of affairs is not relished ny
members of Congress from New-York Ihere
was serious talk of bringing the matter forward
and airing the situation the floor of the
House in the consideration of the Sundry civil
bill to-day. The delay is ascribed in congress
to differences between the New-York Central
and the pennsylvania railroads as to Where the
office shall be lcated. Each road is SAID 10 De
anxious to have the postoff1ce near its ter
r1inaI There is no doubt that II the matter is
allowed to drag much longer the question win
be taken up by Congress. and a report from the
commission requested. .
President Cassatt of the Pennsylvania Ra1i-
road had a brief conference with Postmaster
General Payne to-day regarding the proposed
postoffice building. Mr.. Cassatt went into De
tails regarding his companys relations to the
ground involved in the proposed site near the
Pennsylvania Railroad terminal, and explained
the extent Of the roads holdings and It's plans.
After the conference Mr.. Payne said tnat no
definite proposition had been submitted ana
there was no change in the situation