Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-05
FOR A NEW BUILDING
MR.. CoRTELYoU WANTS TO Exc
CUTE TEN-YEAR LEASE.
Capitalists win Put Up Structure If
Assured Of SIS, 900 An
nual Rent.

Postmaster General Cortelyou has sent to
| the Senate committee post Offices and
post roads request for an amendment to
the postal service bill which will authorize
the Postmaster General to execute leases
/, for term OF ten years for buildings for
| the use OF the division OF supplies and the
mail bag and mail lock repair shops at an
annual rental not to exceed $35, GOO
The Postmaster General In his annual re-
port called attention to the condition Of the
premises at 479 c street northwest. leased
for the mail bag and mail lock repair shops,
| In which 253 men and women were en-
ployed In the manufacture and repair Of
mail equipment. stating that the building
| is utterly unsuitable and unsafe for the
| purpose for which 1t is used. The building
was inspected by the officers Of the District
| last November, at the request of the Post
master General. and their reports reinforced
| In the strongest terms the departments re-
peated and urgent recommendations that
| new quarters be provided for the shops.
Mail Lock Shop Moved.
Several months prior to that time a re-
| newed effort made to find suitable
| quarters. but without success Immediately
upon receipt of the reports OF the District
| officials. the Postmaster General appointed
committee 70 make investigation In the
| hope CT obtaining some other building and
| falling In this he caused the removal of the
mail lock repair shop to temporary quarters
| at 1922 LIST street northeast. This was done
to meet the emergency in which lives and
property were thought to be in peril and in
the belief that the removal Of the heavy
machinery from the fifth floor, which large
~ caused the vibration in the building,
would reduce the danger temporarily.
Efforts were also made last year to Sc
cure adequate quarters for the division or
he Ri - ,tzl~f
had been seriously hampered by the cramp-
ed condition Of its quarters. without sue
cess Prior to the reorganization of the
department under Postmaster General Cor
telyous order last December, several bu-
reaus of the department were handling the
supplies pertaining to their special work
In the reorganization this was all consoii-
dated and all the clerks engaged In hand
ling supplies and in the work incident
thereto were transferred to the supply d.
vision The quarters under lease were too
small to house all the clerks and supplies
and large portion Of the division now oc-
cuptes another rented building There is
no vacant building in the city Of sufficient
moor space to accommodate this division.
The Proposed Quarters,
BY direction of the postmaster general the
committee took up the question of renting
buildings. to be erected. capable of accom-
modating the mail bag and mail lock repair
shops and the division of supplies. prefer
ence being expressed for buildings in the
vicinity ofthe railroad tracks and thus ca
paoie OF being equipped with siding
Inc plans prepared by the committee call
Tor four stories and basement for the shops.
with moor space of approximately 1900
square feet, and for the division of sup
plies four-story building with floor
space OF approximately 60OO0 square feet.
Seven proposals were received. the rental
price ranging from $4,000 to $4,000 per
afnum Two of the proposals provide for
furnishing railroad tracks by the side of
the buildings, where cars could be loaded
and unloaded On account of the distance
of these sites from the department the
question as to whether the advantage of
of time and added expense of drayage as
compared with the more central sites where
sidings cannot be furnished, Is being con-
sidered.
The request for authority to execute a
ten-year lease is made necessary by reason
of the reluctance of property owners to
make the large investment required under
the provisions of the present statute, which
limits lease to one year.
1t Is thought the buildings can be ready
for occupancy by January l, 1907, and an
appropriation of $1T,5O0 is asked to pay
rent from that date to June so, 1907.
The Postmaster General states in his let
ter that the department is now paying rent
seven leased buildings at the rate of
So, $3.50 per annum. The proposed buildings
could house the clerks in six of the
seven buildings, thus saving 2.69G now
paid for rent of the six buildings. which
could be applied to rental of the new build
ings.