The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-28
DOWNTOWN Sl1E
FOR P0ST-0FF|CE
The Treasury Officials
Seem to be so
Inclined.
DAY is SPENT IN
LOOKING OVER FIELD
Assistant Secretary Edwards
Says Before Leaving That
His Decision Will Be
Announced in Few
Days-saw En-
tire City.

After spending a day in looking over
the city, Assistant Secretary OF the
Treasury Edwards and Supervising
Architect Taylor. who came down from
Washington Tuesday night with refer
ence to a site for the proposed new
Federal building, left for the national.
capital yesterday afternoon, and de-
carcd that the matter would be finally
settled in n few days.
I'VE have two hundred public build
ings to locate said Mr.. Edwards to
a gentleman who was with him ot,l-
cially during most OF his stay here,
"and you can rpadlly sec that we
Haven't a great deal of time to spend
on any one OF them. You will hear
from us In q few days, and then the
matter will be settled once for all.
While no ono IS in a position to
definitely state what will be the deci-
rion of the Federal officers with refer
cncc to the matter, the prevailing
opinion unqucstionably is that the new
Federal building will be finally located
on the present downtown site, and
that in the meanwhile temporary quar-
ters for the post-oiiicc viii be secured
on Broad Street. j,
Mcssrs. Edwards and Taylor were
warmly received In Richmond. Con-
sressman Lamb and Postmaster Cabcll
Took them practically all over the city
in an automobile, and they were thcn
met by a large number of the most
prominent business men here. who con-
ferred With them as to tho various
sites proposed.
Wants It Downtown.
Postmaster Cabcli expressed views in
the conference favorable to a. DOWN
+ town site. Architect Taylor appeared
to favor locating the building on Broad
street He suggested the block on
Broad between Ninth and Tenth Streets
as a. proper and convenient place. He
Thought the Shafer Building could be
disposed OF for about $25O,OOO, and ne.
suggcsted that 100000 of this amount
Lo taken to i'Eprovc and rnodcrnize the
present Federal building for the courts
and custom house.
rnis would leave s150,ooo to be added
to the 100000 appropriated. and would
make q very comfortable sum for the
construction of new building.
Judge Edmund Waddill was present
and while lie primarily favors Broad,
IL, III
that the new building should so on
thc souti, side OF Main Street. between
Ninth and Tenth. Mr.. Cabell at once
agreed to this view, and MI. towards
seemed much impressed with II. Nlr.
Charles 3. Cooke, OF the Evening jour
nal, spoke earnestly FOR q. BROAD ,, ,,trees
site. and he was followed by, Mayor
Mccarthy.
Make Clean Sweep.
tl<ltp y,cJ
bv this present post-otiice, the shater
Building and Others" said His Honor
~ want wiped off the face OF the earth,
md In its stead would sec green
sward, with an unbroken approach from
Main Street to the State Capitol IN our
central park.
Gentlemen. one of you is an arch'-
tect, and both are presumably. Judges
or beauty And I say to you that not in
The confines Of this great republic will you
find a purcr picture of architectural
beauty than the front Of the State Capitol
OF Virginia.
"But, gentlemen, you have not seen It
TO advantage, nor have seen 1t to ad-
vantage, nor will 1t ever be seen IN It's
classic and clear-cut lovelness until this
present pile Of chiscled granite in which
we stand is lcvelcd to its base, and the
Capitol may he viewed through an un-
obstructed vista from Main Street. ell
throned on Its grassy hill and melloWcd
BY the light of the moon.
".ro place the new post-oflice down
here, gentlemen, would be to bury mon
umcnt in n hole in the ground; to adopt
my suggestion would be to place the cd
flee on a hill Which proposition appears
the more practical?"
Many Others Heard.
4 Representatives. of the Central
Trades and Labor Council spoke for
Broad Street and In the afternoon
Messrs Joseph Bryan, John r. Branch.
Coleman Wortham. r.. A. Dunlop and
other prominent business men appear
cd in the interest of the Main Street
location.
Nlcssrs. Edwards and Taylor took 1
4 the 5:05 p. NJ. Seaboard Air Line train
for Washlnston.T They are expected to-
,rtach their decision in n few days. and
IT is believed that 1t will be favor
able to downtown site. In this event 4
temporary quarters will be secured
on Broad Street, and work will be
started on the neW building in a few
months. 4ss
The appropriation available for the
new building is 100000, and that for
temporary quarters is $4,000. Con-
glessmnn Lamb has worked earnestly
throughout the struggle to secuIof
1lichmond n neW- Federal building and
was with Messrs. Edwards and Tay-
lor during their entire stay hero.