The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1911-01-27
WHY THE CONTINUED DELAY

virginians Wonder Whether or Not They
are Ever to Have a Proper Post.0tfice
Building.
While certain Virginians have for
a time back been more or less
wrought up over a possible post
mastership appointment for this
city, Virginians as a whole have
been and are more vitality interest
ed in the proposed erection OF
suitable building tor the accom-
mediation of the local office and the
proper handling OF the enormous
increase in the local postal busi-
ness.
Some three years or more ago one
J. Adam Bede, who at one time ably
represented the eighth congress
sional district of Minnesota in the
lower house, recognizing the needs
of Virginia and the prospective i'm
portance of the range metropolis,
secured for this city government
appropriation of $4,000 for the pur-
chase of suitable site and the
erection of suitable building for
the handling of the local postal
business. But owing to the fact
that Mr.. Bede did not have post
office appointments enough to 20
around he was not returned to the
national house-else this would not
of necessity be written, for the needs
of Virginia would have been prop
erly cared for months ago had the
Pine City statesman been on the
job; leastwise we will wager a
wooden nickel with hole in it that
such would have been the case.
But this q is not political article
or intended for political effect, for
J. Adam is of the past, and tits of
the present and the needs of the
present we would speak.
Since the passage of the appro.
priation cite has been selected
some two and one-half years ago,
final acquisition of which by the
government was completed some
twelve months past. But since then
uaught has been heard of the issue,
aside from an occasional remark by
an interested citizen that the ap.
preparation, ample at the time for
the purpose intended, is too small
to erect a building commensurate
with the present needs of the Office,
the business of which has nearly
doubled since the date the appro-
priation was made, as shown by the
fact that the postal receipts of the
Office for the year ending June 80,
1908, am mounted to $14,725.53, for the
year ending June 80, 1909, Sic, ,409.65,
for the year ending June 80, 1910,
$22,566.53, and for the year ending
December 81, 1910, upwards of $685.
10000.
AT about the time OF the making
of the appropriation free mail car
rier service was accorded Virginia,
three carriers being put on. These
three carriers still care for the re-
spective districts established at
that time, although the increase in
population in each district has
added materially to the work of
each, while the additional overflow
has been cared for so far as possible
in the same building, recognized
three years ago as cramped for the
business in hand, by additional box
and general delivery service, to
handle which increase an addition
al clerk was added on February l,
1908, and another in October, 1910.
1t is this increase in the general
delivery business which accounts
for the "jam"in the post-office lobby
at times-at all times when the
front door is open, the line of those
waiting for service reminding one
OF the reservation land office open
ings and the throng who camp in
the land Office lobbies on such oc-
casions.
What is everybody's business is
usually accorded as being nobody's
business, but this is matter OF
everybody's business which should
be made somebody's business with
a view to calling the attention of
the postal department to it's pro-
crastination of time and the neces-
sity of action. And matters of this
nature, which are everybody's bust
ness and should be made some
body's business, might with pro.
pr1ety be unloaded onto the broad
shoulders of the Commercial Club
with power to act. We move the
matter be taken up at the next meet
ing of that body and an effort made
to remedy the existing evils of the
case. 1t would be a move which
would be appreciated, and should
success crown the efforts none there
are who would not rise up and call
the Club blessed.
Bishop Morrison,