Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1918-01-31
IN RE MINERAL POINTS FEDERAL
BUILDING

Ge Orge Crawford, postmaster at MIN :
erai Point. has received from Congress :
man Nelson a request that he furnish
the local papers the information con-
tained in the following letter received
by him, under date Of January 81,
from the U. S. Treasury department:
My dear Mr. Nelson: Because of the
pressing demands which are being
made upon the financial, industrial,
labor and transportation resources of
the nation for war purposes, l have di-
rected that the construction OF public
buildings be postponed, except where
the necessity is so urgent that the pub
lie interests would suffer by such post
ponement.
Among the buildings authorized is
the post office at Mineral Point, Wis,
which is in your district and which l
know you and the people Of that town
desire constructed at the earliest posi-
BILE date, but mere is the situation.
We are engaged in great war, a
war in which the very safety of Amer
lea is seriously imperilled. We cannot
win this war unless every resourse of
the nation is carefully husbanded and
used with the utmost intelligence. The
great financial operations Of the govern
ment, greater than any ever undertaken
by government in the history Of civil
ization, make it essential that every un-
necessary expenditure by the govern
ment, by the states and municipalities,
and by private corporations and indi
viduals shall be avoided while the war
is in progress. Unless this is done it
will be impossible for the people Of the
United States to furnish the money
which the government must have to
SUPPORT the soldiers and sail lors who are
shedding their blood for us upon the
bat ;lefields. In my Annual K port to
Congress, stated that it would be nee
essary for the government to absorb, II
needed, all the available capital and
savings of the country if the require
ments of the Army and Navy and OF
the other branches of the government
were to be met. [ am asking cities and
towns throughout the country not to
erect public buildings while the war is
in progress. | cannot, while giving
them this advice, consent to the con
struction by the government Of the
United States of public buildings which
are under the control of the Treasury
Department. In other words, we must
set an example for the country.
am certain there is not a patriot"
American citizen VINO is not willing to
submit to Inconvenience to help win
this war, and [ am sure that the peo.
pie of Mineral Point, when they know
the facts, will be more than willing to
have the construction Of their public
building deferred a short time, so that
the money which would otherwise be
put into it, may be used to purchase
food and clothing and ammunition for
the gallant sons of Wisconsin and
other states who are going out to fight,
and perhaps to die, for their country.
I am asking if you will be good
enough to let the people Of Mineral
Point understand the situation, and be
assured had the war not come to
America there would have been no un
necessary delay in the construction Of
the Mineral Point building. 1t will be
progressed as rapidly as possible after
the return of peace.
Sincerely yours,
W. G. MACADoo, Secretary