The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-07
Congressman Underwood
Presents Facts Before
Committee
PRESENT OFFICE CROWDED
Old Building Is About Half as Large
as Necessary to Handle the EnOr-
nous Amount of Business
In Birmingham
By wArrERsoN sTEALEY

Washington, April 6.-(Special.)-
Twenty years ago when Congress
passed a bill appropriating several
hundred thousand dollars for post
office building at Birmingham it was
supposed that the building would cover
the needs of the postoffice for a half
century to come, but the growth of
Birmingham has so far outstripped the
most sanguine expectations of even tho
most enthusiastic of that day that
Congress is again facing the problem
of not only building for today but for
the future.
Representative Underwood of the Bir-
mingham district today appeared be-
fore a. subcommittee of the committee
on public buildings and grounds, COM
posed OF Mr.. Howell of New Jersey,
Mr.. Lafean of Pennsylvania, Mr.. Aus
tin of Tennessee, Mr.. Burnett of Ala
bama and Mr.. Clark of Florida, who
have the Alabama bills in charge. and
presented the facts in support of the
bill recently introduced by him for an
appropriation of 100000 to purchase a
new site for a government building in
Birmingham.
Mr.. Underwood called the commit
tees attention to the fact that six
years ago the treasury department rec
| commended an extension and improve
ment of the federal building at Bir-
mingham on the ground that the pres
ent postoffice was not large enough to
| transact the business Of the city He
said that since that time the busi-
ness of the office had been increas-
| ing by leaps and bounds at the time
of the completion of the present build
ing the population served by the Bir-
mingham postoffice amounted to about
$4,000 people. but a rcent census taken
by the postonice department of the
people served from the Birmingham
postoffice showed that more than 120,
900 people were supplied with mai
from that office. He also presented
an affidavit from the superintendent
of r. l.. Polk &c Co., who prepared
the city doctors in 1910, in which 1t
was stated that the estimated popu-
lation in Greater Birmingha am amount
ed to 10000 people,
OHQcIWOOu also called the at
| tention Of the committee to the fact
that 10 years ago the receipts Of the
Birmingham office amounted to only
$4,000, and that at the end of the
| last fiscal year the receipts amounted
| to $352,000, which did not include tn q
receipts of the Ensley and Pratt City
| offices that are now a part of Great
| er Birmingha ham He said that the pres
ent area of the old postoffice is H.
| o,,I
as estimated by the postmaster calls
for space of $4,000 square feet in
which to distribute the mail, that 1t
| Is estimated that within 10 years at
least $4,000 square feet will be re-
| quired to do the business of the town.
He also stated that there was urgent
need OF immediate action in this case
for the value of property in Birming-
ham was constantly increasing and a
delay in purch asing the site would un-
doubtedly increase the cost of the site
| to the government.
The committee expressed no conclu-
sions in reference to the matter and
| will not do SO until the report of the
SUBJ committee is laid before the full
committee on public buildings and
grounds.
Mr. Underwood believes that the out
| look for a favorable report on his bill
| lis exceedingly good.
The Indiana republican tariff plank
| finds no defense outside of few I'm
surgent republicans" and they think
1t does not go far enough.
Representative Champ Clark of Mis-
souri,, the democratic leader, had only
| this to say
"Once more the Indiana republicans
hope to bunko the American people on
| in lot,
English their recent platform should
have read as follows: In 1908 we de-
ceived the people and won the elec-
tion by promising to revise the tariff
downward. Being in we revised it up;
but 1t ought to be revised down, and
II you will give us another chance we
will revise 1t down. but as a burnt
child breads the fire and a scalded cat
breads cold water, so the people will
steer clear of another republican Con-
gress and another republican admins
tration.'