The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-01-25
new POSTOFFICE
FOR MADISON
FIRST REAL TANGIBLE MOVE
MENT TOWARD con-
STRUCTION.
BIDS ADVERTISED TO-DAY
PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS MAY
BE SEEN AT THE MADISON
POSTOFFTCE.

AO1o tNN u
building for Madison seems a reality
is evinced by the fact that The Daily
Leader has received official notice
from the treasury department au-
thorizing the publication Of an ad-
vertisement calling for contractual
issue. These bids must be in the
hands of the supervising architect of
the treasury department not later
than March 6, all bids to be opened
on that date, the award of the con
tract to be made some days later.
Five years ago the site was pu1-
chased at the corner of Center street
and Harth avenue, the appropriation
for it being $4,000, the entire
amount of which was not used. Since
the original appropriation for the
building was made, amounting to
$4,000, there has been added by
congress a total of $4,000, or ST.
900 in all.
Last summe government engi-
neers were in the city securing sam
Piles of the soil on the site to deter
mine the necessities for the founda-
ton walls. A request was made to
the city that water mains be extend
ed to the site and this has been done
and now the entire way has been
paved toward the erection Of the
building.
Delay has been caused on account
of the rule requiring each city to
await its turn and until a sufficient
fund accumulated in the public
treasury for building construction.
Madison thus far has been one of the
cities compelled to be patient until
money could be expended for the
building.
For a town the size Of Madison
such a building is not only a matter
of civic pride, but is certain TO have
a public utility hardly approached by
the present building. 1t near ade-
quate facilities and in turn means ad-
equate service and adequate service
T. pardon the repetition ~
public benefit.
Real postal facilities are some of
the things which any growing com
munity must have to keep abreast of
the tide of progress. Now that we
are to have them, it is necessary that
We show u appreciation when the
new building is ready for use in our
cooperation with Postmaster William
Lowe in maintaining such service as
the lnew office will render.
Uncle Sam is not accustomed to
doing things by halves in the con
%struction of his service stations and
the new structure, as a consequence.
is certain to be modern in every de
tail from the basement to the roof.
The appropriation is not sufficient to
} give the city a wonderful piece of
architectural and engineering skill,
but it will afford facilities common
surate to the dignity and standing of
the city and be a substantial affair
that will meet the community needs
for some years TO come.
The appropriation has partially
been secured by the untiring efforts
and community pride of c. H. Dillon,
representative in congress from the
First district of South Dakota. That
he has been on the job every minute
has been demonstrated by the fact
that he notified this paper immedi-
ately of the opening of proposals for
the construction of the new building
as soon as he learned for certain that
such a nov a to be made.
Postoffice employees expressed
themselves as being highly gratified
over the proposed new building. In
adequate facilities have marred the
efficiency of the local office for some
years and the growth of the city de
mands that a better building be pro
vided to meet the increased demands
upon it.
Sometimes when there is a line of
persons at the money order window
and a man wishes to register a letter
he must wait his turn for several
minutes before he can be
dated. This is not the fault of the
men in charge, but is due entirely to
the crowding of the patrons and to
the cramped conditions within. EN-
ployes say that they have hardly
room enough to tur around in" at
periods of the year when the de-
mands placed upon the institution are
over the normal ratio. 1t is like try
ing to do a $4,000 business on so
cents capital. In the new building
some Of the unpleasant features of
the Christmas rush will be elm
mated.
The new building will be in the
center of the city within easy access
to the business district and to the
courthouse. While it will be off
Egan avenue, the distance to be trav-
ersed is so short as to be almost neg
ligible and the better accommoda-
tons offered will reimburse the pa
tcoo Pow Janarfipu fran tho main