The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-11-13
TO MEET POSTAL NETDSHERE
COMMITTEE or CONGRESS IN
TOWN LOOKING AROUND.

Consrcssnan BarehoIdt Has an Idea mat
Onc Main wOrkshOp wSuHd Servo the
city BETTER Than seVerAl-Day o. Orna-
mental Pest ONhoos over, He says.
Senator N. b. SCOTT. chairman Of the
Senate Committee on Public Buildings.
and Congressman Richard Bartholdt Of
Missouri. chairman Of the corresponding
committee of the House Of Representatives.
arrived here last night as members OF n
commission appointed by the last Congress
10 examine into the needs OF more postal
facilities in this city. The commission
il made up Of three members. the Post
master-General having be0n designated
In the bill a. the third member. 1t 10 likely
that no viii send some one to represent
him.
Congressman BarthoIdt said last night
at the WaldorK-Astoria that the commission
meant 20 20 over the situation very
thoroughly with experts here and have a
report by the time Congress- meets.
He advanced the idea that possibly New
YOrk's postal needs in the future might
be met better by having one immense
building which would act as q sort Of clear
ing house for the mail for all boroughs.
"The situation is Just this" said Mr..
Bartholdt. AT the last session there we're
demands from many OF the boroughs OF
this city for post Office buildings. Con-
gressrnan Gulden. who represents The
Bronx, put in a plea for n separate post
Office for that section. As I tax it he
wants the Government 10 put up a fine
building in The Bronx. Brooklyn has
asked for a large addition to tho present
post office in Brooklyn. There was another
request for a Government building in
Queens.
Now the question is whether H. would
not be better for the Government TO put
mp a large building near the two railroad
terminals. which would be a vast FORK
chop rather than an ornament, and have
II used rs a clearing house FOR the mails
for these places. With the rapid develop
ment OF tunnels and bridges connecting
the boroughs puch a plan would seem tn
be feasible, though Of course IL will be q
matter upon which we b need TO consult
AThe day Of the ornamental pQst office,
in my opinion, lie passed. Such buildings
used to be put in the centre OF large cities.
To-day the call is for not an ornamental
building but for a great big Workshop as
near az possible TO the railroad terminals.
Such a building II put up in New York
should be near both the big terminals and
connected With them by tubes or tunnels
by which the mail arriving at each could
quickly reach this distributing centre, TO
be sent from there to the various sections.
At present the Government is building "A
post Office near the Pennsylvania Railroad
terminal, 1 believe, but there Is some doubt
as to whether II will AFFORD the proper
facilities. nat is a matter we intend to
talk over with the Department heads.
The folly OF putting up large ornamental
buildings, / believe. IL best shown by the
Chicago Post Once. which cost the Cow
m GS.OOO, OOO. Before II was finished
the post Office employees had 60 work IL
"a building resembling a large harn; A. a
matter Of fact. 80 far as the handling OF
the mail il concerned they would rather
be back in the barn now. In pursuance of
the new policy TO put up workshops that
shall nave the proper supply Of light and
air to facilitate tho handling Of the mails
n new post Office was authorized and Ia DOW
being built in st. Louis near tho Union Sta
ton. This building will cost over 81 900, 900,
but one reason for this Is because OF the
cost of the land near the station there. Of
course this building IL 20 no made as pleas
ing 70 the eye "a possible under the. cir
cumstanOes, but IL IL very different rom
the ornamental type of post ONCE which
has been put up heretofore. IL ~ 70 be q
Workshop pure and simple.
"Of course there might be Opposition
made again against doing away with the
separate post offices. The matter came
up in Congress once before some years
ago and tho Brooklyn Representative -
made a plea that Brooklyn still be allowed
10 preserve its identity in the postal sys-
tenn in spite OF the consolidation. But per
haps that need is no longer felt.
Con grsssman Barthold said that to-day
he and Senator Scott would start looking
over the ground and would have talks with
Postmaster Morgan and others at the Post
Once. They are 70 spend two days on
the lob.