The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-31


by congress in this matter The gov
eminent cannot secure the appropria-
ton needed for the new government
building in New York until after thor
Ough discussion of the question and
good deal of agitation and until con-
gress fully realizes that the pOstof1ce
at New York is not a mere local in
stitution. but is really the clearing
house for the money orders of the
United StateS=including the lnterna-
tiOnal money orders-and, further
more, that the postoffice of New York
is vitality associated with the trade and
commerce of the entire United States
The present pOstOfice building
which also contains the quarters of the
federal court, and the various offices
incident to the judicial departm emit
was the first of the buildings of that
kind of construction erected in New
7 ork. 1t was, when finished, the mod
ell upon which Henry 3. Hyde based
his plans for the construction four
years later of the Equitable Life build
ing which was recently destroyed by
fire.
The postofice building has several
times been threatened by fire and once
it seemed likely that a confagration
would get such Roadway as to destroy
the building. Had it the destruction
would have b. as swift and complete
as was that of the Equitable building
The safety or immunity which the fed
eral building has possessed has been
chiefly due to the fact that 1t has been
occupied day and night. week in and
week out. by a large force of men
for the night service at the postotfice
is almost as large as the day service
These employees have at various times
discovered the beginnings of fire, and
they have therefore been able to ex-
tinguish the flames before any head
way was obtained.
The pOstOftce building, however, some
years ago was found to be wholly in
adequate for such service as the gov
eminent requires and especially made
quate for the federal courts. 1t is OF
the utmost Importance that the mer-
chants of the United States receive the
letters written to them by the mer-
chants and bankers of New York as
speedily as possible, and it is, of course
of equal Importance that the letters
sent to New York by the merchants
of the United States, of which there
are thousands every day representing.
as a whole, the entire United States,
should be received at the New York ad-
dresses at the earliest possible moment.
When the New York pOstoffice was
built and occupied, in 1879, the archi-
tect, Mr.. Mullet, and the postoffice de-
partment at Washington were confident
that it would be ADEQUATE for any in
crease in the postal service for at least
80 years. It really became inadequate
for that service before 20 years had
passed, and nothing but organization OF
a high character, thorough discipline
and certain esprit de corps when
have characterized the postal employees
of New York have made it possible TO
handle the enormous masses or daltS
mail which are received by the New
York postoffice or are sent out from
it. Like the postofices at Philadelphia,
Boston, Cincinnati, Chicago and, to a
rapidly growing extent, of Minneapolis,
the postofice of New York is not
mere local institution but as truly a
national center of activity as IS any
one of the departments at Washington.
The Civic Center.
In the course Of four or five years
a civic center is to be established in
New York city which in the extent of
superficial area, in the magnitude and
architectural dignity of the buildings,
will be unsurpassed by any other in the
world. 1t will be one Of the chief con
verging and diverging points of traffic
by bridges over the East river by
subw2ys and by tubes It will convert
what was once thought to be the wick
eldest place in the United States-the