The post-office space is divided up as follows: Public lobby.. Room occupied by stamp clerks.. Room occupied by Inquiry Division.. Room occupied by cashier... Room occupied by Postmaster.... Room occupied as waiting room, adjoining postmaster's room. Space occupied by post-office inspector.... Square feet. 2, 156 264 196 210 260 217 64 Space occupied by assistant postmaster and supply cabinets. 412 130 Space occupied by registry division.. 323 Space occupied by money order and postal savings division.. 448 Space occupied by mailing, city, carrier, and all other departments of the office.... 5,400 Total...... 10, 080 On account of the rapid growth of the business of the office this space is now absolutely inadequate for the carrying on of the post-office work. The growth of the office is shown by the following statistics of postal receipts, money-order receipts, and clerks and carriers employed: 1913 (estimated on basis of receipts for eight months elapsed). It will be seen from these figures that the increase in postal receipts between the years 1900 and 1913 has been more than 150 per cent; that the increase in money-order receipts in the past seven years has been nearly 100 per cent, and that the number of regular employees has increased from 83 in the year of 1900 to 171 in the year 1913, or considerably more than 100 per cent. At the present rate of increase the postal receipts will be $1,000,000 inside of the next four years. It is imperative that a large amount of additional space be provided in the near future if the rapidly growing demands of the service are to be met. As indicated by previous interviews which I have had with you upon the subject, and in which opinion I believe you concur, it seems to me advisable and most economical that the additional space be provided by the erection of a new building to be used entirely for post-office purposes. In my opinion a site should be procured as soon as possible, and a structure of one story in height, giving plenty of room, light, and air be erected thereon. The bulk of the post-office work could then be carried on there, including that entailed by the parcel post, and the present quarters could continue to be used as a large central station. Thanking you for the opportunity of presenting this matter to you in detail, and with the earnest hope that you will be successful in having the needed relief provided here soon, I am, Very sincerely, yours, F. A. HAGARTY, Postmaster and Custodian. The report of the Treasury Department is as follows: WASHINGTON, January 25, 1915. CHAIRMAN COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. SIR: In reply to your request of the 20th instant, the following report is submitted on H. R. 18310, "To acquire a site for a public building at Hartford, Conn." While the bill provides for a site upon which to erect a building to be used for a post-office annex, and for other governmental offices, it is not believed from information in this department that any governmental activity is to be provided for other than the post office. In this connection you are advised that the Office of the Supervising Architect will be engaged upon the preparation of plans for buildings already authorized until about January 1, 1920. The public building act approved March 4, 1913, authorized the acquisition of 132 sites without authorizing buildings to be constructed upon them. The same act passed over a number of sites previously authorized, so that at present there exist authorizations for about 150 sites for which no buildings have been authorized. Should buildings be authorized on these sites shortly before the commencement of the year 1920, they would occupy the attention of the Office of the Supervising Architect until about January 1, 1922. In view of all the conditions stated above, the department is unable to report favorably upon the authorization for any new buildings on sites previously authorized until the present volume of public building construction has been sensibly reduced, and is unable to recommend that any new sites be authorized, either with or without buildings, until after buildings have been authorized upon the sites already provided for. In order that the committee may have the department's estimate in the usual form, there is inclosed a separate report on this building, which contains the information submitted by the Post Office Department relative to the post office at Hartford. Respectfully, W. G. McADOO, Secretary. Having given the foregoing very careful consideration, the committee begs to report the bill favorably. O CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK REVENUE FUND. FEBRUARY 8, 1915.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. SINNOTT, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany S. 2223.] The Committee on the Public Lands, to which was referred the bill (S. 2223) to create the Crater Lake National Park revenue fund, having had the same under consideration, beg leave to report it back to the House with the recommendation that it do pass. The bill was referred to the Department of the Interior, and the Assistant Secretary of that department furnished the committee with the following report thereon: Hon. SCOTT FERRIS, Chairman Committee on the Public Lands, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, House of Representatives. MY DEAR MR. FERRIS: Your letter of April 24, 1914, has been received, inclosing with request for report thereon Senate bill 2223, entitled "An act to authorize the use of the revenues in the Crater Lake National Park in the management of the same, and the construction, repair, and improvement of roads, trails, and bridges in the park." In response thereto I have to state that the bill in question is one prepared in this department and submitted to Hon. George E. Chamberlain under date of June 10, 1913, and a copy of the department's letter of that date to him is transmitted herewith for your information. I have to recommend that this bill receive the early and favorable consideration of your committee. Cordially, yours, MY DEAR SENATOR: Your letter of May 20 has been received, submitting for consideration and report thereon S. 2223, Sixty-third Congress, first session, entitled "A bill to create the Crater Lake National Park revenue fund." The bill in question is as follows: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized and directed to hold in his department all of the proceeds of all leases, licenses, franchises, and all permits of every kind in the Crater Lake National Park, and all other revenues that may be derived from any source connected with the park, to be known as the Crater Lake National Park revenue fund, and that such revenue fund shall be expended under his direction in the management of the same and the construction, repairs, and improvements of the roads, trails, and bridges in the reserve." The Crater Lake National Park, Oreg., and the Mesa Verde National Park, Colo., are the only national parks under the supervision of the Secretary of the Interior in which, under existing law, it is not practicable to use the revenues from leases, licenses, and privileges therein in connection with the management and improvement of these reservations. In submitting the estimates for the various national parks for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914 (H. Doc. 944, 62d Cong., 2d sess., p. 944), the following recommendation was made: "For protection and improvement of Crater Lake National Park and repairing and extension of roads, etc. All proceeds of leases and other revenues that may be derived from any source connected with said park, shall be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior in the administration and improvement of the park and the construction of roads, trails, bridges, etc., therein." No action thereon, however, was taken by Congress. The bill under consideration provides for the holding in the Department of the Interior of all proceeds of leases, licenses, franchises, and permits of every kind in the Crater Lake National Park, and all other revenues that may be derived from any source connected therewith, to be known as the Crater Lake National Park revenue fund, a very radical departure from existing law, which provides (sec. 3617, Rev. Stat.) that the gross amount of all moneys received from whatever source for the use of the United States, except as otherwise provided in the next section, shall be paid by the officer or agent receiving the same into the Treasury, at as early a day as practicable, without any abatement or deduction on account of salary, fees, costs, charges, expenses, or claim of any description whatever. The revenues of the other national parks under this department, with the exception of Crater Lake and Mesa Verde, are all paid into the Treasury in accordance with the requirements of this statute, and no good reason is known why there should be any departure in the case of the revenues of the Crater Lake National Park. I have therefore to suggest for your consideration the accompanying substitute for S. 2223. CONGRESS PUBLIC BUILDING AT BIDDEFORD, ME. FEBRUARY 9, 1915.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. GUDGER, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT. [To accompany H. R. 6124.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to which was referred the bill (H. R. 6134) increasing the limit of cost of the site of a Federal building at Biddeford, Me., having considered the same, beg to report thereon with the recommendation that the bill pass. The public building act of June 25, 1910, authorized a building and site for Biddeford, Me., at a cost not to exceed $95,000. The sum of $75,000 was allowed for a building, leaving $20,000 for a site. A site was secured within the appropriation with a frontage on two streets, leaving a narrow strip of land 30 feet wide on one side. It is desired that this site be enlarged in order to take in this narrow strip, which would give the site a frontage on three streets. This small strip of land would necessarily have nothing but shacks, probably wooden and inflammable and always unsightly. The Treasury Department's report on this case is as follows: Complying with your letter of the 15th ultimo, requesting a report on H. R. 6134, which provides for the amendment of the provision in the act of June 25, 1910, authorizing the construction of a Federal building at Biddeford, Me., at a limit of cost of $75.000, so as to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Treasury to acquire certain additional land adjoining the present site, and increasing the present limit of cost by the sum of $7,500, I have the honor to report as follows: The site which has been acquired is a corner lot, with a frontage on two streets, and is sufficient in area for the present purposes. The acquisition of the additional land mentioned in the bill would provide a frontage on another street, and would protect the inmediate vicinity from undesirable uses. Respectfully, S. HAMLIN, Acting Secretary. O |