Evening star., 1932-08-28
HOOVER WILL LAY
CORNER STONE OF
POSTAL BUILDING
New Department EdifiCe Ex-
ercises Will Be Held on
September rs.
DATE is ANNIVERSARY
OF SYSTEMS FOUNDING
Brown and Smoot Also Will Give
Addresses-1,400 Invited
to Ceremonies.

Full details of the program for the
corner stone laying at the new Post
Office Department Building, on Penn
sylvania avenue between Twelfth and
Thirteenth streets, were announced
yesterday by the department.
President Hoover will off1ciate at the
formal ceremony, which will be held at
$3.50 pm, September 26, the 143rd all
niversary of the founding of the postal
system.
1t was on September 26. 1889, that
Samuel Osgood of Massachusetts,, first
Postmaster General, set up the crigi-
nal machinery authorized by Congress
for distribution of mail.
In addition to the address by the
President, the program for the corner
stone ceremony includes brief addresses
by Postmaster General Brown and Sen
ator Smoot, chairman of the Public
Buildings Commission. The United
States Marine Band will play.
1900 Are Invited.
More than 1900 invitations have
been issued. Members of Congress have
been asked to attend in body. William
M. Mooney, Postmaster Of Washing
ton. and representatives Of his force
of clerks and carriers, are expected to
be present.
The new structure will rise just west
of the present Post ONCE Department
Building. In general plan it consists of
two large semi-circles, one on Twelfth
street and one on Thirteenth, with two
courts connected to the streets by drive
ways, and straight wing along Penn
Sylvania avenue. On the south side the
edifice will abut the interstate Com
merce Commission Building, the latter
constituting one side of the south court.
There will be two entrances from
Twelfth street through arcades in the
north and south pavilions. On Thir-
teenth street there will be an entrance
in each pavilion f1anklng the semi
circle, and on Pennsylvania avenue one
in the end pavilion and two in the CEN
ter of the facade. A central arcade will
1un through from Twelfth street to
Thirteenth, with one entrance on either
side.
win Be Eight Stories High.
Limestone with granite base will be
rs in ccnstrJ Jc;ion. The building will
be eight stories high above the base
mint.
Space in the new structure has been
tentatively assigned as follows:
First floor-Entrance vestibules, lob
bies, postal station, library, telephone
switchboard and apparatus rooms, tele-
graph room, office space for postal saw
ings division. building superintendent,
disbursing clerk and chief clerk.
Second f1oor-Office space for Divi-
sion of Stamps, purchasing agent Re
tirement Division. Registered Mail Di-
vision, Topography Division, Photostat
and Blue Print Division. printing and
Photographic section and chief clerk.
T1nird Hnnr-nf1no fnr pncf-
master General, executive assistant,
special assistant, assistant attorney gen.
eral purchasing agent, solicitor, chief
inspector and controller.
Fourth foor-Offlce space for First
and Fourth Assistant Postmasters Gen
eral, Rural Mail Division, Postmasters'
Division, Post Office Service Division,
Post Office Quarters Division, Motor
Vehicle Service Division, Engineering
and Research Division and Scales Divi-
sion.
Finance Division Offices
Fifth fioor-Ofice space for Second
and Third Assistant Postmasters Gen
eral Cost Ascertainment Division, Clas-
siflcation Division, Money Order Divi
sion, Finance Division, Railway Mail
Service Division, Railway Adjustments
Division, International Postal Service
Division Airmail Service DIVISION and
special assistant to the attorney general.
Sixth, seventh and eighth floors
Filing space, mechanical equipment,
etc.
Throughout the building simplicity
of decoration will prevail. but the three
lower floors, accommodating the postal
station, library and principal executive
Offices, will be finished in harmony with
their purpose.
Will Be Air Conditioned.
There will be 16 passenger and 3
freight elevators.
The building will be heated by steam
supplied from central heating plant
1t will be air conditioned, so that an
even temperature may be maintained at
all seasons.
The congressional appropriation for
the structure was $4,000, 900, but it is
expected that the total cost will be
somewhat below this amount.
Work on the foundation has been
practically completed and the contrac-
tor Is ready to proceed with the super
structure. The building will be ready
for occupancy in the Spring Of 1884.