Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-09

preliminary step. the purchase of ground
for the site of the proposed new post office
close to the union station, may not be
taken. and that the proposition to take the
city post Office out of the business section
Of town may be vigorously vetoed by public
sentiment.
1.-The establishment of a new substation
near the union station is another matter.
and q new substation in that vicinity might
be found available. but the idea Of making
the present city post office a mere substa-
ton cannot be viewed otherwise than with
disapproval.
1T have just returned from a trip to San
Francisco. and the location Of the post
ohice In that city comes to me now as
case In point.
1.-THE city post Office building in the ILL
fated city Is situated in the immediate vi
cinity of the city hall. in the heart of the
city, and. as we all know. 1t withstood the
ravages of the earthquake and fire. Pro-
ceeding upon the departments theory as to
the location Of post offices in cities, San
Francisco, as city, wouldn't get any post
Office at all-all of the places for the han
ding Of mail In that city would be merely
Substadons.
A City Without Post Office.
'The principal railroad termini Of San
Francisco are not in San Francisco. but on
the mainland. In Oakland, six miles across
the bay, and at the end Of long pier, or
mole. as 1t is there called, mile from the
shore. Still, proceeding upon the depart
ment's theory, it is here that the city post
Office for the city of San Francisco should
be located, to the end that quick transfer
might be made from train to post Office.
1.-The principle is identical-if the theory
holds in Washington 1t holds with equal
force in San Francisco; yet it would not re-
quire very great stretch Of the magma
ton to picture what would follow in San
Francisco If the quick transfer from train
to post Office theory were to be proposed
IN 70 n
the Golden Gate.
Theoretically ideas like this one work
out all right where they stand alone; but.
where there are very many contributing
elements, from public convenience to box
service, their many weaknesses become at
once apparent.
Many Other Means Available.
Elm any event. 1t may be stated with POSI-
tiveness, that the business element OF
Washington is unequivocally opposed to
the contemplated movement Of the depart
ment to shift the location of the city post
office to one other than In the center of the
business section Of town.
"If 1t Is desired to lessen the time In the
transportation Of the mails from the city
post Office to the train centers here. the old
style and slow method Of horse and wagon
transportation might give way to the mod
ern one Of gasoline propulsion. With an
automobile transportation service. which
ought to have been inaugurated In the
larger cities long ago, the problem. from a
business mans eyes. which would seem to
cause the department much concern. would
disappear of itself The time would be less
ened at least one-half, perhaps even
more so.
ION the other hand. if the department
finds itself cramped for room, there Is
abundant land upon three sides which is
available for annex purposes. There are, In
short, dozen ways open to the department
for relief. rather than resorting to the
single one of shifting the site of the city
post office to obtain room for expansion"