The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-09-02
GOING AFTER
FEDERAL BLDG
Facts Regarding Local POstof-
flee Convincing as to Need of
Government Ownership.
Lease Expires In 1925

The granting of free city delivery
to this city has awakened the desire
to have a Federal owned building in
the city for use as a post office. There
are so many reasons why this should
be. The lease on the present posi-
office will expire on September 9th
1925, and there is not too much time
in which to get the matter going right
have the appropriation granted and a
new location found and the building
erected. The present lease is for the
sum OF $1,000 a year, but it is well
known that this figure will be increas.
ed to possibly $4,000 or $4,000 if a re.
newal is smade with the government
The location is one that will demand
that price by the time the present
lease expires.
This fact leads up to what the pres
ent Postmaster General believes
should be done. In the Postal Bullet
in, just issued, he cites that now there
is being paid out by the government
for buildings leased for postal use the
sum OF $12,24S,977. He says, Con
fronted with this annual expenditure
for rental of real estate for postal use,
which will annually steadily increase,
two questions arise for answer First,
viewed solely from the financial side,
is the present plan of leasing in keep.
ing with the best business methods
and practices? Second, aside from
the financial point of view, is the pres
ent plan giving the best postal service
results?
my answer to the first question is
in the negative. | am decidedly of the
opinion and | believe that business
experience and observation will sup
port my view, that annually a great
saving in money will result ii a policy
of government ownership We're adopt
ed.
1.-THE lessor who builds a post office
for the government for lease for 10 or
30 years is obliged to figure on alb
sorbing either the whole or a large
percentage of the original cost of the
building. He is obliged to do this be-
cause he knows he may be compelled
at the end of the lease to reconvert it
into other uses. The result of such a
lease policy is that the government
not only pays about ten per zen of
the original investment distributed
over a term of years, so that al the
end of the lease the government has
nothing, but is obliged to start owe
again.
ut frequently Is impossible to lease
buildings having satisfactory working
conditions, such as natural light and
ventilation. In erecting government
owned buildings ideal working condi-
tions would be provided, insuring the
health and comfort of employees"
In the light of the above expression
of the Postmaster General, the depart
ment is in favor of Federal owned post
offices, and that part is already ac-
complished and will make it the much
easier to obtain an appropriation, If
the matter is diligently pressed. A
committee to work with United States
Senator Edge and Representative
Isaac Bacharach, could, 1t is believed.
now obtain action in the matter and
have a fine Federal building in Pleas
antville in the near future. If the post
office remains where it is, there will
have to be additions made to the pres
ent quarters. If 1t moves to some
other site at the expiration of the
lease, there will be the big rental to
be considered. The matter is believed
ripe for aggressive action to obtain
what is so badly needed, a post office
erected under government supervision
and owned by the United States.