The Washington herald., 1915-08-25
MERCHANTS Plan
NEWP. 0. fight
.Praeger's Refusal to Re-es-
tablish Facilities Downtown
Arouses Business Men.
CALLS IT AGGRAVATING
Vigorous Activity Will Be Required,
CALLS IT AGGRAVATING
Vigorous Activity Will Be Required,
Declares Spokesman for the Citi-
zens' Committee.

That Postmaster Praeger has again
refused to re-esta blish postal facilities in
the postoff1ce building al Eleventh street
and Pennsylvania avenue naturally came
as a shock and a surprise to the men,
bers of the committee said Isador Gros-
ner, chairman of the citizens committee
on postal facilities. in discussing the
postmaster's letter last night.
But our people are not one whit re-
buffed by the action OF Mr.. Praeger.
The fact that he declined to grant our
request before. in the face of the appeal
of everybody in the territory bounded by
Seventh to Fifteenth streets and B to F
streets. demonstrated. in the opinion of
the executive committee. that Mr.. Prae-
ger is a most obstinate gentleman. and
that he is imbued with that very un-
democratic principle that the opinion of
one man is worth more than that of
three hundred.
Calls 1t Aggravnting.
This is particularly aggravating in
view of the fact that our postmaster is
comparatively young in this field of ac-
tivity. and that he is incapable of appre
ciatfng the needs of the people in the
downtown section.
1T would seem that more vigorous ac-
tivity will be required in the premises.
and il is certain the requirements of the
ample support.
The executive committee is undecided
at this time whether to follow a plan
of action that has been suggested, but
| think 1t is altogether likely that We
will call a mass meeting of business
men and others interested in the re-
establishment of postal facilities with
view of carrying this matter forward to
an ultimate success. The executive COM
mttee will hold A formal meeting the
latter part OF this week to decide on
the next step to be taken to obtain that
which we need and which the postal
arbiter is Withholding from us al this
time"
Text of Letter.
The postrna sters letter reads, in part.
as follows:
Il regret to say that the conditions
that would require the establishment of
a classified postal station on Pennsyl-
vania avenue. such as your committee
expects. do not now exist. l shall be
frank to state that If l were called upon
at this time to recommend site for the
establishment of full postal station in
the downtown business section. my duty
to the public and to the postal service
would require me to recommend a loca-
ton few blocks farther north and per-
maps a little west of the location of the
Postoffice Department Building in Penn
sylvania avenue. In my judgment. how
ever. the time is not ripe for such
move.
Il note what you say in regard to the
coming G. A r. encampment and other
large conventions. These large gather
lnss will be taken care of by special
postal facilities, as they have been in
the past.
1t is the policy OF considering the in
terests of the public as whole that
sometimes makes it necessary to disre-
gard the desires OF some restricted sec
ton with the results that citizens often
are led to confuse the Inconvenience or
injury to individual interests with in
Jury or inconvenience to the general
public"