St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-01-08

saturday, January s, 1910.
FOR A GOVERNMENT p,,u n,Nc
IN CONVICTION

IN CONVICTION.
:. wiz De remembered that at the preced-
,;9 s session OF Congress Hon. Robt. C. Wick
-. e. introduced bill appropriating $50, 600
~. q !, government building in Covington.
DE-. D'i1 was referred to the committee on
uDilc Buildings and Grounds. It NAV be
.au: as no appropriations for public buildings
Wr n ne made at the present session But Mr..
~, "ickll11e IS not the man to stand idle and
g. opportunity slip beneath his feet He
nni oe prepared to show a necessity for his
eelnanos and be ready at the proper time to
furnish good and substantial reasons whv
we are entitled to the building.
lhere is probably not a town in the State
OF nve thousand inhabitants that transacts a
greater amount of postal business than Gov
ihgeon' and had we conformed to the REQUIRE
menus as to street crossings and pavements
several years ago, we would to-day have a
free delivery system.
Mr. Wlckliffe is supported in his request
Tor government building for Covington by
the absolute necessity for such building.
Covlngton's reputation as health resort
brings to the town large number Of sum-
mer visitors. A population of five thousand
is estimated, and the postofice is called upon
20 serve between eight and twelve thousand
people, according to the estimate of Post
master Theriot, the variation being due to
tne difference in number of summer and
winter residents. This, of course, includes
the service to residents residing outside the
corporate limits and the postal route service.
The receipts Of the office for the past year
We're $S665, and these receipts could have
been increased 1925 if there had been room
Tor more boxes. The unsupplied demand
Tor boxes is so great that frequently offers
are made to owners of box privileges to take
them at doubly increased rate. For lack
OF room, records are tied in bundles and
packed in boxes underneath the shelves.
Every available space is utilized and there
is insufficient room for employees to transact
business. The stuffy little office has to be
artiicially lighted in the daytime and is in
every way inadequate to the needs of this
community, and there is not building in
town available for the purpose.
No stronger appeal can be made to the
officials at Washington than a representa-
ton Of the unsanitary conditions existing in
our postofice. The government is expend
ing thousands Of dollars in protecting the
health and promoting the comfort of it's en-
ployees in Washington. Members of both
the House and Senate would protest with in
dignation if the health of its members was
imperiled by such unsanitary conditions.
The government has shown solicitude for the
protection Of the people from adulterated
or unwholsome food and from contagious
diseases; therefore, there should be no hest
fancy in appropriating $780, 600 for the erec-
ton of government building in Covington,
viewed alone as necessary expenditure, |
unconsidered from an economic standpoint. |
Invalids and sick people of all kinds min |
Gle with the crowds that flock to the post |
Office during the distribution Of the mail, and
the delivery windows and lock-boxes in the
lobby are surrounded by mass of humanity
that inhales over and over again the vitiated
atmosphere of the poorly ventilated hail.
The employees behind the bars of their re-
stricted cage have no resource but to
grin and bear it. The condition is not only
uncomfortable, but absolutely dangerous to
health.
: There is very large business done in the
money order department of the office, which
makes no showing in the records. This bust
ness amounts to between thirty and forty
thousand dollars year. AS precedent for
building postofice here, it may be stated
that other towns not doing as much postal
business have secured appropriations; as an
instance, Franklin.
Mr.. MERRY ADVISES ATTENTION
TO AGRICULTURE.
Tn matters of public moment or of interest
~ A... ,f Co1,;, crto, thoro ic M ocooo;o