Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-08
GROWTH Of CITY
OUTSKIRTS PLAN
1y -----------------
Government Building Too Small
For Even Federal
offices.
WILL THEY MOVE PosToFFIcE.
Suggestion Comes hpacc VIII, Great
Increase of Busncss---A
Few Comparisons.

An interesting question which carries
Il big moral for government architects
and engineers in charge OF building
government buildings. IS at present
looming up through the Salt Lake post
office situation.
once the postoffice could have OBJ
tanned all the ground lying south OF it
10 Fourth South for less money than
they now have been asked to pay, by
decision Of federal court jurors, for 40
feet in the buildings rear.
What is more the money was appro-
fprated to much more than pay for the
ground and was avaialablc. A CHIEF
&of bureau or some equal remote OF
flcial{fn Washington refused TO sane
ticn it, The result is that the post
office in 1908, after being in the federal
building only three years has COM
petelS outsroWn 1t s and is handling
the record breaking Christmas rush,
that is already .bsing felt, with cramped
facilities. When Satntt outlet Is sought
none has beenaproYided for the gov
eminent took 3noschances on the fu-|
ture when sightsyeArs ago the Federal
building was pla nned, and at that time.
the city's future Was as u matter Of.
fact the most certain thing connected
with il.
BUILDING TOO SMALL.
That the Salt Lake Federal building
has failed to do its work of housing
the federal officers is hardly a secret.
housed IN 1t is contented with the
4 quarters and rooms provided.
$ Thesclerk of the United Statesscourts
4 complains OF being crafnped. The u
4 S. marshal does the same, as does also
the district attorney. and those in
charge of tho general land office. Most
of these officials called the architects
attention to their needs. and received
only portion OF what even at that
& date was considered essential. A rap
idly expanding business has since made
the demand for room general, while
many federal officers never did find
rooms in the building meant to accom-
MEDIATE them. &
Renting rooms outside Of the
building are the geological sur
vey, the weather bureau, the
surveyor DC the port, the bureau or
4antnlal Industry, the field agent of the
land Office and the officers of the re-
clamation service.
With Salt Lake growing at a rapid
pace. the question now comes up
whether the postoffice had not better
move out fEthe Federal building to
new postotfice to be erected, OH a.
4 plan that can cope with the needs of
Il Salt Lake In the Immediate future.
Ten years ago. when asfederal build
ing was first talked Of the postoffice
employed Is clerks and rs carriers.
After 10 years, during which time the
postnffice has moved from the Dooly
building into its new home, and out
grown 1t in three years, 1t now employs
SO carriers and "a inside clerks.
LAND GOES UP.
& The time when the government could
q have bought all the land between the
& postoffice and Fourth South street. was
when the present site WAS obtained AS
3 the Walkers sold the site to the gov
4 eminent for 81. 1t left a balance IN
{ the appropriation to purchase q site OF
S $I4,999. Local officials, knowing the
certainty Of the future demands. and
the inadequateness of the building to be
provided, urged that so much OF the
money as necessary be. used to secure
4 the lnnd through to tfe9corner. 1t was
then on the market anG could have.
8Ieen secured at less than $4,000 for
q lhewhole section. THE trouble in Wash
i ington seemed to be that bureau chiefs
Were familiar with conditions in thu
south and east, where the cities Were
q not growing fast. and where to over
build for present needs was to take
Il large chance of building foolishly.
AS a thermometer indicating the
growth of Salt Lake, the steady In
crease of pnstofiice business since 1898
may be of interest. With the Christ
mas season Just beginning. the figures
L for. 1908 areswell over those of 1907 for
the same period, and 1t is estimated
e that the total business ofsthe year. will
reach the unprecedented total Of $780,
900. For last year tho total was $3lS.
1854, which Is over three times as
large as the total of 10 years ago.
when s99,677.1a was the total for the
year.