The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1922-08-17
100000 g e,esessIss,sssss,
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES.
100000 OO0SS

Wake up, Riddles! wake up! we get
off here" Uncle Ted was having his
troubles getting Ruth and Jack awake
to the point of helping themselves off
the train at Philadelphia where they
were arriving on their return home
from the seashore.
Where are WEI" asked Ruth rub
bling tn sleep out Of her eyes. They
had been forced to take late evening
train and Uncle Ted hoped to get them
to a hotel without any loss of time so
that they could soon be asleep as all
little children should be at 10 o'clock
at night.
We're Just pulling into Philadel-
phia, Ruth. We can't get a train for
home tonight SO we shalt stay here
until morning and they we shall soon
be on our way back"
The three pals were soon out of the
train and on their way to the hotel. AS
they passed the postoffice Ruth ex-
claimed:
What a pretty building. Do they
have postoffice buildings like this in
all of the big cities?"
"All of the cites that were big four
or five years ago-before the war
have impressive buildings like this,
erected by the Government for the use
the postoffice, the customs and inter-
nal revenue offices, and other branches
of the Federal government" Uncle Ted
explained. But there are a lot of cit
les which grew very rapidly during
the war, and these places are badly in
need of adequate Federal buildings.
Here we are at the hotel, and now for
our rooms"
Thoy were soon registered and in
their rooms and when Uncle Ted said,
ito bed at once" our little friends, wide
awake from the experiences of the trip
insisted on a story. "All right, ten,
said Uncle Ted, who knew coaxing was
useless I'll continue with what we
| we're taking ABOUT.
"Why haven't these other cities built
postofiices?" inquired Jack.
Well" said Uncle Ted, lit took all
the money the Government could spare
to buy guns and ammunition and food
and clothing for the Army and Navy
when we went to war, and everybody
Iagreed that no more postoffice build
ings would be built until the Govern
ment's finances were in better con-
dition. Besides that, the cost of build
ing material and labor became so higl
during the war that it was much wiser
to wait until things could be done
more cheaply before starting any new
buildings. Just before the war, Con
gress made appropriations for the con
struction of a large number of new
postoffice buildings in SINE of the
smaller cities, but when Uncle San
looked around for someone to do the
work, he found that no one was willin!
to undertake it for the amunt which
Cngress had set aside for that purpose
!, Now that prices are getting back t.
normal, some of these projects are ha
I ing undertaken, and in another year o.
so it is probable that they can all b.
erected"
81 wonder how many postoffic,
buildings Uncle Sam owns?" salt
Ruth.
Uncle Ted took a notebook from hi
pocket.
Let me see," he said, as he began
looking through it; Somebody told NJ
the exact number only few days age
when we were discussing the need foI
postofice building at home. Here i
is - Uncle Sam owns LIPS buildings
of all sizes, which are used entirely fol
postoffices and other government of
fees in various parts of the country.
What an awful lot of buildings,
Ruth exclaimed.
ut is large number" agreed
Uncle Ted, but not nearly enough, ac-
cordingto Postmaster General Hubert
Work. Mr.. Work is the newest men,
Der of President Harding's cabinet, but
he has been a high official of the Post
Office Department ever since Mr.
Harding was inaugurated The Post
master General is a Yer yshrewd man
and he says that the government is
losing a great deal of money through
1t failure to build enough buildings to
take care of its needs and thus be re-
lieved of the payment of many millions
of dollars in rentals every year fol
buildings which are often unsuitable
and unsightly.
"He says that the gradual rise o
postoffice business since last Novem
Der shows that the country is rapid!
reaching period of unprecedented
commercial activity. or course, II thi
wonderful rise in business forgc
! ahead, the present buildings and sur
. roundings provided for the business o
tho postohices will result In serviC
Il