The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-11-07
MAY ERECT PARCEL
POST BUILDING
Failure to Come to Terms With
Owners of Adjoining Property
Starts New Project.
P0sT-OFFlcE ovERcR0WDED
Congressman Montague Thinks
Appropriation Is Only Avail
able for Annex.

IL Treasury officials and owners Of
the property adjoining tho Federal
building fall TO come to terms, 1t is
highly probable that the government
plan to erect an annex to relieve the
congestion in the post office quarters.
IN that even the appropriation OF $780,
600 made by Congress carly last sum-
mer to purchase the site Will be UNI
available. and a movement must DO
started to secure funds with which to
acquire ground upon which 60 erect
another building somewhere disc.
IL is UnIucstionably true that the
present building Is too small to oi.re
for the business It is expected to
handle. This was recognized by 4 Con
grcssional committee. and It was recon-
nended that the money 10 purchase tho
lot adjoining tho building be nppro-
priated. With the view OF erecting an
anne! upon it. After hard fight I'm
both houses. Congress- finally appro-
priatcd the sum OF S4J0,000 for that
express purpose.
PRICE HAS JUMPED
FOU ADJOINING PROPERTY
Treasury. officials wcreI sent here TO
view the proposed site. and TO confer
with the owners. n price OF 100000
"bt SCI bpou tuC property, aHd WIS
has now jumped TO s612,50o which Is
considered prohibitivc. AZ told sew
eral weeks ago in the local press. Post
master Hay T. Thorpton accompanied
the officials on an inspection tour, when
tive other sites were inspected. What
recommendation the committee made
on its return to washington Is not
known to Mr.. Thornton, hut Il IL more
than probable that negotiations will bc
cailei OH, and the department Will
erected for the the exclusive use of
tho post office, and the present struc-
ture De used entirely for departmental
officers. SUCH recommendation, how
ever, will react against tho local sit
uation. as 1t will he necessary To again
carry the fight for an appropriation
through Congress.
Postmaster Thornton last night
stated that he WAS aware OF the hitch
In The plans, and that there was como
possibility OF another building being
t.rt-ttci III the tt4Ti future.
ALREADY RENTING
OFFICES ON OUTSIDE
"-'hc price pat or. the property adj
Joining. the present building" he said.
lis entirely TOO steep for our purposes.
but there seems no prospects, of tii.
owners meeting US aalf way. II is
recognized clearly BY everyone that
we are badly hanlpcred by lack az
cHose. anu IL nlcE DS nStcSStFN lOT In-
other building to he erected elsewhere
for the post-cfiicc alone. Tie building
is already ovcrcrowded. and Il nuulbe:'
OF Offices ara rented IN various acctionn
OF the city. for which we pay a",9S0
a year-rentai. we. worked hard TO get
tho appropriation, and hcliavc that
IL could DO used To get site else
whore"
on this latter point. Congressman q.
j. Montague, who engineered the bin
through Congress, seemed doubtful
when seen last night.
cit is lny impression that TIE uppro-
priation was for the specific purpose OF
purchasing the site adjoining tho pres
cnt building, and the money would not
be available for any other use. The
bill will. OF COURSE, show that. but I
believe that the money. can only he
used to acquire the specified site upon
which to erect an annex to tho present
structure"
WANT PARCEL. POs'r
BUILDING At STATION
Persons studying the local situation
are impressed with the fact that the
present post-ofiice, while suitably
located. from = business STANDPOINT, l."
not adapted tn It's present uses. I, is
poorly arranged for light and ventila-
ton. and Is too fay removed from rail-
way centres. Tho proper move. many
we'll informed business men believe, is
t0 have a parcel post building erected
elsewhere, In close proximity TO the
railroads, where tile bulky matter
could be handled. Richmond ia both q.
railway mail terminal and Il parcel post
terminal. and it is considered n waste
OF valuable time and g. needless cx-
pensc 10 haul this mail up to the pres
tnt building. only to be sorted and sent
away again.
Many other cities have already had
such arrangements made. Philadelphia.
only last week opened liz parcel post
building more than :. mile away from
tho central Office. OF course. parcels
can still be mailed 1T the main build
Ing, but the bulk Is handled In the
new one. New York has such an ar
rangeinent, ana the new Washington
post office IL close to The Union sta
ton.
The Federal Building is occupied by
the offices OF the Internal Revenue De
partment. the custom-house United
states Circuit Court, United States Dig
trict Court, and Il number OF other gov
crnIaent offices. Although only in use
two years, it is too small, and several
offices have been rented elsewhere.
\. Bierno Blair heads Il syndicate
which controls the property fronting or
Main Street adjoining tho Dost-o Office
The Carneai interests control the Rank
street frontage II has been frequent
ly asserted that tho owners intend 60
erect II y-two-stor skyscraper on
the site.