Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-06-20
UPSTAIRS POST-OFFICE PLANNED
One OF ths Days Best Cartoon
JudsUn e. W

The government thinks OF trying. on
some convenient doe-big dog pre-
ferred-the idea OF post Office up
stairs; sort OF department store post
office; and Chicago begins 10 look like
the dog
II Chicago gets an upstairs post
Office and II proves 4 success. long
list OF other cities will be in line for
like csta blishments: notably Philadel-
phia. Pittsburgh Richmond, Norfolk
Boston. and several other hrst-class
towns that arc imminently in need Of
more facilities.
The reason is that ground is getting
so expensive in tho large cities that
the government feels the need Of econ.
omizinC lust because post ONCE bust
ness has always been conducted on the
ground floor Of the Federal Building"
In every town, is not conceded TO be
sound reason any longer why IL
must OF necessity always he done that
way.
Time was when stores had to be on
the ground floor: but now they are
piled up "A dozen or twenty floors
and IT is discovered that the people
VIII climb higher ii the prices on the
goods ara lower. Why not the same
with post Office business, especially as
post offices have no competittonp
This is the line OF reasoning tho
Post-office and Treasury officials are
bringing 10 bear on the Chicago case
Congress appropriated Sl.750ob0 10 buy
site for new post Office building
for that town. 1t was found that II
the postal business is to be kept on
the ground floor. at least two city
squares Of ground will be needed for
immediate necessities. and in few
years II may be necessary to add Il
a
The big cities are awful elephants
on the hands Of the building author
itics. Take Chicago: il is discovered
that about 50 per cent OF the parcel
post tonnage of the whole country
originates there. and il is growing at
an appalling rate because OF the eN-
pansion of the mail-order traffic. Con-
Ercss thought il was doing the clever
thing by Chicago: but it is found that
the $,75O.0o0 ii appropriated will. in
fact, cover about 20 or % per cent Of
the cost of buying an adequate site
for an all-ground- floor post ONCE II
is considered as good as impossible TO
get Congress to give S5,oo0000 or S.
100000 more for a site, and something
must be done about ii.
To Byron Newton. Assistant Score
tary of the Treasury. in charge among
other things. of public buildings oc-
Cured one day the revolutionary idea
of piling UP the post Office in LAYERS
like other Businesses The only reason
he could find against II was that |;
had never been done. and that doing
II would reduce the amount of realty
that could be unloaded on the govern
,nent. He talked to the post office Of
ucials. and they didn't see the objec-
lions. AS result n joint committee
representing the two departments was
named. The members were L. a.
Simon. architectural designer. and
Charles Morris, chief OF the drafting
department. on behalf of the Treasury,
and j. G. Rooms. chief inspector, and
g. d. Ellsworth, chief of the divi.Io On
of salaries and allowances, of the
told TO get all the expert advice they
could hnd, and discover whether a sec
ond-story postofIice would work.
These gentlemen went out to see
about it, and they tried new methods.
Some efficiency engineers told them
that no private business OH earth could
stand the strain of government bust
ness methods; the rental charges would
bankrupt it. They were assured that
the all aground floor scheme was
dream Then they went to health and
sanitation experts. and learned another
angle.
These specialists confded to them
that If the national government were
A common, everyday employer, it would
be indicted in half the towns in the
country TOT operating It's post offices in
violation of the factory and health
laws. 1t would be accused OF main
tanning wide and handsome corridors,
but of shutting off the light from the
people inside who did the work
it would be convicted of not provid-
ing enough fresh air. sunshine, or any
thing else except carbonic acid gas
When they came hack they were con-
verted to the idea of ost-office in
layers. with less real estate to buy
and more air and light for the people
who must do the work inside.
The report seems to have satisfied
the superiors of the two departments.
1t is not yet final and official; hut
enough is known about what is coming
to strengthen the disposition in favor
of trying the new idea. 1t begins to
be understood that there must be some
experimenting in the big cities. The
post office grows there at rate that
quite passes the ability of the gov
eminent to keep pace
The present government building in
Chicago was so long building that
when IL was finished the governments
demands had utterly outgrown the ca