Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-12
NEW CITY POSTOFrICE
PROPOSED TO LOCATE IT NEAR
THE NEW UNION STATION.
Present Stone Structure Would De
Used Only for Work Of the Depart
ment-Mr. Hitchcock's Views.

A-model postal service, the chief feature
of which will be the location of now
post Office building near the new union
railroad station and close enough to the
tracks for the unloading of mail from the
cars directly into the building. is being
planned for this city, and unless all signs
fail Congress will give It Endorsement at
the coming session and appropriate the
money necessary to carry 1t out. Frank
H. Hitchcock. first assistant postmaster
general is much interested in the project.
regarding the general plan of locating post
office buildings near to the railroad rermi-
mails in large cities as of more importance
to the improvement in the postal service
OF the country than any other one thing.
A great saving in time will be brought
about by the elimination Of the carrying OF
mails to and from the general post Office
in wagons. At present this wagon service
on account of storms. and the obstruction
OF streets by accidents and fires. The cost
of maintaining the wagons Is also ccnsid-
cradle. Much time Is lost under the pres
ent system. for instance. in the delivery of
mail to the northeastern section Of this city
arriving over the Baltimore and Ohio
tracks. 1t has to be loaded on the wagons,
taken to the central post office at 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue northwest,
unloaded. assorted and then carried all the
way back over the route by which it came.
Mr.. Hitchcock Enthusiastic.
: Mr.. Hitchcock is enthusiastic over the
proposed Improvement, and hopes to see
similar action taken in other cities. An
other thing which he believes should be
done Is the changing OF present methods
in the choosing Of sites for post Office
buildings in general and in their construc-
ton. He thinks the Post Office Depart
ment should always choose the site and
prescribe the style, of building, instead OF
the entire job being left to. the supervising
architect Of the treasury, as is the GUS
tom today 1t Is obvious. according to the
first assistant postmaster general. that the
department officials know better where
post Office should be located to serve the
best interests Of the service, and also how
it should be built, than any one else.
About a year ago the attention OF Con-
gress was called to the plan to erect new
city post office near the union station, In
this CITY. but the item was omitted. The
Post Office Department authorities. now
ever have received an intimatton that the
project is likely to be treated favorably
this winter.
For Departmental Work.
In the event of the erection OF new
city post Office the first floor OF the POST
Office Department building, now used FOR
city work. would be used to meet the ever
increasing needs of the departmental work,
with the possible exception Of small por-
ton to be occupied by a branch office. Ulti-
mately Mr.. Hitchcock would like TO see
new building erected for substation IN
that vicinity so that the department might
have the use of the entire building.
Several other cities are mentioned as IN
line for postal improvements incident to
the changing of their railroad terminals
among them being New York and Pitts
burg In New York 1t IS planned to Dulio
a city post office over the tracks, so that
the mail may be raised directly to the dis
tributing room by elevators, and an enor-
nous amount of time saved.
"a post Office building" said Mr.. Hitch
cock to Star reporter today. rs Tor the
use of the postal service and should be To-
Gated where it will best serve that pur-
pose. OF course. many city officials hke
to see a decorative building erected IN a
fine advantage and add to the general
beauty Of the scene. but this, may not al
ways be the best, thing FROM business
point of view. Business shoiafd come be-
fore art in our postal service"