New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-02-22
FOR NEW POST0FFICE.
THE COMMISSION'S PLAN
Congress Nay Vote the Money at
This Session.
[RY rELEGRAPn no rHE rRIRrNE. ]

BY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNE-J
Washington, Feb. 21.-The conclusion practi-
cally reached by the New-York Postoff1ce Com
mission to place the new main postofice west of
the Pennsylvania terminal, facing Eighth
ave- and running five hundred feet west in
Thrty-first and Thirty second SITS. awaits only
the approval of ,egal points by the Attorney
General to be formally communicated to Con-
gresS, with the request for immediate ap-
preparation of So 600. 900. There is every as
surance that Congress will promptly grant the
money required, especially if the recommends
tion arrives at the Capitol before the Sundry
Civil bill the Deficiency bill has final action
in the Senate. If later than that the appropria-
ton could not be obtained before next year, as
the futility of passing special bill for New
York alone after that date. with the present
congested condition of general legislation, is
we'll understood.
Under the proposition made by the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad to excavate the site at once
without extra cost to the government, unless
grave legal objections discovered by Attor-
ney General Knox, the work will not suffer ap-
preciable delay, as the commission has full au-
thority to acquire the site, which, however, ac-
cordng to the proposition under consideration,
the railroad company will not put in the gov
ernments possession until June l. 1904 By that
time the next Congress will have had ample
time to make an appropriation. the architects
plans will be completed, and contracts be
awarded soon the excavation is ready for
the n1asons.
TO COST NEARLY S30ooOo0
While none Of the members of the commission
will discuss the proposition. it is pretty well
known that the price of the site is approx
mately 100000, and that the building will
cost nearly half as much mora. The price asked
by the Pennsylvania company higher than
the commission had been willing to pay, but
there will be difficulty about the terms If the
legal questions satisfactorily settled. as 1t
is expected they will be. within the coming
week
The New-York Central has not made definite
or satisfactory proposition to the commission.
but site may be acquired from that road in
the neighborhood of the present Station H. ad-
joining the Grand Central Station. for a branch
building that is needed there, which probably
will cost about the same as the other building.
Some idea of the Importance of this Grand
Central branch postoff1Ce is gained from the vol
ume of mail that passes through Station H.
Much of the second class mail matter dumped
into the present heavily congested General Post
office Building is hurried away to Station H
to be worked up" there. The outgoing mail
carried on the New-York and Chicago railway
postofice cars over the New York Central ag-
portion of this mail is handled through Station
H The New-Haven road carries daily aver
age of 100000 pounds, making total of $4,000
pounds of mail matter of all classes, large
proportion of which has 70 go through Station
H When the whole project is finally carried
through it is probable that the postal clerks
running into Ncw-York will make up the mails
by districts. according to the respective juris
dicton of the three postofice buildings, and
that the mail will be made up for and divided
in the city of New York for these separate dis
tricts as distinctly for separate cities This
would be in line with the postal district system
in operation in London.
Superintendent Beavers of the Bureau OF
Salaries and Allowances of the Postoffice De-
rartment went to New York to-day to investi-
gate a proposed change in the location of Sta
ton B. now at No. $50 Grand-st. The depart
ment has had under consideration PROPOSE
ton to move the station three blocks east of the
present site into a new building to be erected
there The change would double the space and
provide more convenient quarters. Station
is in one of the most crowded quarters of the
city and supplies approximately half million
teople. Mr. Beavers will look into the advisa-
biIity of the action with the authorities and
persons interested at New York on Monday.