The Washington times., 1915-08-21
MERCHANTS URGE
BETTER DOWNTOWN
POSTAL SERVICE
Letter Demands Restoration
of Branch In Department
Building.

Making an emphatic demand" for
the restoration Of postal facilities IN the
Postoffice Department building al
Pennsylvania avenue and. Eleventh
street northwest. the citizens commit.
tee. organized several months ago by
the merchants and other business mer
Of the downtown section, have sent "a
Postmaster Praeger a strong letter set.
ting forth arguments in support Of thei,
contention.
The letter was drafted at a closed
meeting Of the committee yesterday
afternoon and dispatched last night
The attention of the postmaster. land
that Of authorities higher up" 10 called
to a petition filed early in the summer
bearing more than 1000 names Of bust.
ness men in the territory which would
he served by the proposed branch. and
Postmaster Praeser Is reminded that
he made promise to re-establish posta
| facilities in the Postoffice Department
building as soon as conditions war
ranted.
Convention Argument.
The committeeman point to the fac
that the proposed quarters FOR th'
branch would be rent free. In add
ton to the current needs. the petition
ers call attention to the prospective
gathering of visitors from all sectionI
Of the country sor the Grand Army en-
campment a majority of whom are ex
pected to be ruartered in the hotels IL
the business district. and to the larg'
| number Of other conventions and ma
tional meetings which assemble here.
Those signing the letter are 1sido
| Grosner. Alexander Muncaster, Loui
Jacobs, e. Allen Harris, Karl F. Brodt
and LeW Towers. jr.
The letter in full reads as follows:
,.'On behalf Of business men and Others
embraced in the territory from Seventh
to Fifteenth streets and b to F streets
northwest. we. a committee named b!
the business mem in the said territory
| In a public meeting assembled. 90 mos
cnphatically demand that postal factli'
ties be re-established In the Postofhc'
Depai tment building at Eleventh ont
Pennsylvania avenue northwest on OF
before September l6 next
your attention. and that OF the au'
thorities higher up. 70 again called t
1
inaster General from the many inter
every establishment in the said radius
anc to your promise in reply thereto
ranted postal facilities would be re-
established in the Postofice Depart
ment building.
Postal facilities ~ now operated II
the downtown section. work to the dis
advantage Of citizens senerally. The
public press has. in addition to ouI
! previous representation, teemed with
! objections from individuals to tho serv
ice now in operation.
Greater Business District.
TT was the contention Of your de
partment that the territory to the soutl
and west Of the Postoffice Depart
ment building especially constituted I
non. business district. and from q so
cial standpoint one that was no
worthy Of consideration. On the con
trary this territory has. through pro
| cess of law and a quite natural tend
ency for that section OF the city be
come an even greater business district
ut Is realised. that every executiv,
Is in duty bound to administer hi.
ONCE economically. but efficiently
and we submit anew. In the name o
downtown district is+not an efncien
service, as at present constituted, ant
We submit that right now 10 the logi
cal and necessary time that the Post
office Department should rt.establisl
service in its own building. where 1
will have the advantage Of free rem!
and the services Of employees skilled II
the postal business. and able to a.
sist the pablo in the use OF one o
the greatest b9ons that this greA
their rank or financial standing.
During the latter part Of Septembe
Washington will be invaded by a might!
host In attendance upon the Grant
lowed by other conventions and gather
ing Congress, and II postal service Il
not established In the postoffice bu.ldini
by that time the people OF all the ma
ton cannot help but contemplate with
amaxement a situation where u Trea
Government clogs the wheels Of progress
through a pars!mony both unwise m;
'n'Sslsus; hWs s.a,n ask your sooa office, :,
the re-establhhment Of postal facilities
In the Postoffice Department building 4
Eleventh street and Pennsylvania eve
nue.. and Impress upon you anew tn,
Importance Of service being had on o
before September IL to take care. no
only OF current needs. but Of the BIZ
gatherings a. set forth: and the in
citizens are striving for at this time.
Business cannot succeed without ade
nuate service. and surely the Adminis
traitors Of the Postoffice Department dc
sire that the postal service shall fulhl
at least its natural functions. and tn
e-estahlishment As set forth Is the es
sential means to that end