Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1922-02-16
Congressman Browne Explains the
Situation Regarding Public
Building Appropriations

Government activities that center here
has been cared for by our rep present-
ative to the best of any mans ability
is shown by the following letter from
Hon. Edward E. Browne to A. L. Fon-
tame, newly appointed Postmaster fo1
Wisconsin Rapids. The matters there
in contained are of public record and
the people Of this locality should take
cognizance of the facts alluded to by
him. Should the matter come up after
the next election, as he intimates,
there is no doubt that the needs of the
district along this line will be ade-
quately filled.
The letter follows:
February 10, 1922.
! Mr.. A. L. Fontaine,
Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.
Dear Friend Fontaine:-
Your letter of February 9Th re-
ceived by me today.
| made a personal examina ton of
| the post Office when l was last in Wis
consin Rapids and know the condition
very well and know that there is an
imperative need for a Post Office
Building.
When | first entered Congress | in
troduced bill for an appropriation
for post office building for Wiscen-
sin Rapids and have had bill before
Congress at each session since that
time. The Bill has been reported ia
vorably upon whenever the Commit
tee have passed upon such bills, but
no bills for post office buildings in the
United States have become laws for
the last ten years, except in four or
five cases where fire partially des-
troyed the building. There were a
few post offices built on appropriations
provided by the 62nd Congress, which
Congress expired March 4th, 1913.
The situation is briefly this: there
are at least three or four hundred
cases and probably many more in the
United States where the need of a
post office building is as bad as Wis
consin Rapids and it would be utterly
impossible to get action in Congress
on a single post Office bill. There has
not been an isolated post Office bill
that has passed Congress in it's hist
ory. These bills are all grouped to-
gether in what is known as All Omni-
bus Appropriation Bill for public
buildings. These Omnibus appropria-
ton Bills for Postoffice buildings were
usually passed about once in four
years. When President Wilson came
in on the platform pledge of economy
they gave out that there would be no
appropriations made for post office
buildings. In Wilson's second admin
istration there was quite a clamor for
post Office buildings and the Admin
istration agreed to allow an Omnibus
Appropriation Bill This bill was re-
ported out by the House Committee
and passed the House of Represent
atives. There was an appropriation
in this bill for Wisconsin Rapids and
five or six hundred other cities. The
war came and the Administration re-
versed it's policy and the Omnibus
Bill died in the Senate.
The Republican leaders including
the Steering Committee. have confer
red with President Harding ard have
decided not to have any appropriation
bills for post Offices this session of
Congress. The Administration is
pledged to economy. Taxes are very
high and the Administration is cut
ting down appropriations to the quick.
/ If the Administration should change
it's policy then | would want to have
you send me data and | think Wiscon-
sin Rapids I'd Marshfeld also, would
be entitled to post office buildings.
| am writing you fully about this
matter because a great many people
think that you can get an appropria-
ton for a post office building Just the
same as you get pension bill through
and that a Congressman who ,annot
! get a post Office building bill through
has no influence in Congress. If the
entire Wisconsin delegation including
the Senators and the congressman
and Senators from a dozen States in
the Middle West would all use their
influence in favor of a post office Ap-
preparation bill for Wisconsin Rap
ids they could not get it through un-
til the Administration decides in ia
vor of a general Omnibus Appropria-
ton Bill, and then Wisconsin Rapids
and all the rest of the cities of her
size and business would get postoffice
building with very little effort From
what | can learn this Administration
will favor such bill the second half
of this session which will probably be
after the next Congressional election.
Then any Congressman can procure
a post Office building for city within
his district that comes within the rule
and is entitled to such building.
It would do no good to agitate the
matter of post office building at