The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, February 25, 1897, Page 1

R | to be This Paper not | the Library.++++ taken from VOLUME LXXXI—NO. 87. SAN FRANCISCO, THURSDAY MO RNING, FEBRUARY 25, 1897. PRICE FIVE CENTS. ‘SAN FRANCISCO WANTS A NEW POSTOFFICE. Supervising Architect Aiken Declares That the Begin- ning of the Work Is Yet Afar Off. 4MYSTERIOUS AGENCY DELAYS IT Supervisors, the Legislature, the Chamber of . Commerce, Board of Trade and Other Local Bodies Will Insist Upon Work Being Begun at Once. rancisco wants its new Postoffice. That point at which € ceases to be a virtue has been reached. If there is any means coming Governmental inertia without breaking the laws or the s at Washing e time has come to employ it. SAN FRAN- CISCO WANTS HER POSTOFFICE BUILDING! She wants it ily St needs it. Her business interests demand it, and by the 2 the right that is vested in the $100,000,000 that she has o the treasu at Washington within the past fourteen years, from her customs dues, she must see an end to the ineffici ; g that withholds it from her. e that this big City learned just what is the cause of the ; why th ing years move past and see no change in that t Mission and Seventh streets known to the wondering genera- youngsters that have grown up about there as the Postoffice Who is it that stands in the way est in Washington > Whatever the reason be it should be dis- ered and done away with. Construction of the new Postoffice ilding should be begun at once. en years there has been lying in the United States treasury $210,000 to the credit of the new Federal building, It is for immediate use, say the Commissioners, in the construc- building. The site was chosen and paid for four years ago. business stopped. Some drawings of plans were sent out here early last year. They are said to have been approved, with cations, and finally adopted. November 1 of last year was fixed as the date upon which the strange spell was to be broken—work was to be commenced. The patient people of San Francisco saw the day go by and the h fence around the Postoffice site remained fixed and unmoved. November has been followed by December and January and February, and still the supervising architect has made no sign. 5 THE CALL yesterday telegraphed to its correspondent in Washing- n to put the question to Mr. Aiken “Why ?’* and the amazing reply mes back that ‘‘the beginning of work seems as far distant as ever’’; that the engineers, after all these years, have still “‘certain problems ”’; that they only reported on the site in ‘‘a general way,” 1 over $1,000,000 was paid for the site upon their express commendations. He adds that the appropriation was not large enough plete the work, but this—seven years after the report was filed— the first that we have heard of it. The tests of the site are to be n, for, Mr. Aiken says, ‘‘until they are completed it will be npossible for him to know what kind of a building to put upon the site.”” Now, inasmuch as the tests were made and the report accepted, and Mr. Aiken himself has offered proof of that fact in completed plans of the building, which have been approved, his explanation of yesterday . must be taken as so much diplomatic lying, reason for the delay, and San Francisco ought to know what it is. No other city in the country has been subjected to such slights at the hands of the National Government. It is eight years since Con- gress made an appropriation of three millions for the construction of a Federal building in this City, independent of the site. For the site, $1,250,000 was appropriated. The site chosen cost $1,040,000, which \eft of the ready cash appropriated $210,000. This sum has been It is ti tc ) solve ng in the treasury ever since and is available for immediate use in istruction. Now think of it—with all these conditions, we have men dragging a w; about the street begging food for themselves and a thousand others who suffer for nothing but lack of work; the site chosen, the plans agreed upon and the money in the treasury, while honest men clamor and starve for want of work. " We must discover the mysterious cause of this delay. San Fran- cisco and the State must call upon her Senators and Representatives to lose no time in making the discovery and then removing every obstacle to the inception and completion of this work. The Board of Super- visors will appeal to them as a body and will ask the Legislature to do the same. The Manufacturers’ and Producers’ Association, Chamber of Commerce, the City and State Boards of Trade, the Merchants’ Association and every other body identified with the business interests of the City should be heard in the matter, so that this disappointing pause in the matter of the Federal building may be brought to an end. want the building and the unemployed want the work. - The present Postoffice and Federal building cannot be matched in this country as dismal, antiquated ruins. The time to begin the work i a speedy reform is now. MYSTERY AT WASHINGTON. | partment engineers had finished their computations. It will be rememte-ed that the engi- neers reported nearly two years ago that Officlals Evasive—California’s Rep- | resentatives Awakening to the Situation. WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 24.—The prospect for beginning actual construc- tion of the new San Francisco Postoffice building seems more remote than ever. Eeveral weeksago THE CALL correspondent was informed by the supervising archi- tect, Mr. Aiken, that bids for the excava- tion and fovndation of the building would be advertised for as soon as the War De- their examination of the site showed that it was firm enough to support such a structure as it was proposed to erect at Seventh ana Mission sireets. It was sup- posed that this report settled the marter of foundation, and that there would be no further reason offered for delay in com- mencing construction. The supervising architect afierward stated that although the engineers had ascertained the founda- tion to be substantial enouch, there were ‘‘certain engineering problems”’ to be ? Or is it merely a lack of | | WILL AMERICANS SUBMIT TO THIS MUCH LONGER? “ Indignities are heaped upzn my countrymen without cause. “ They trample upon our flag and hiss us in the streets.” —Letter from Consul-General Lee. solved before actual construction could commence. “We must determine the weight that can be supported by the foundation belore we can decide what sort of a building to erect” said Mr. Aiken. Several days ago TmE CALL correspondent was informed by a Treasury Department official that those engineering problems bad been set- tled and work would soon commence. But when a representative of Tue CALL inter- viewed the suvervising architect to-day ceed until the tests of the Seventh and Mission streets foundation were com- pleted. “But did the board of engineers not complete its labors and make its report nearly two years ago?’ asked the corre- spondent, and Mr. Aiken replied: “They made a general report to the ef- fect that the site was all right as a whole, | but that certain parts of it was not firm There must be some other | enough and piling would be necessary. They did not make a detailed report, however. 1t is necessary for our draughts. men to have before them the most careful computations before the plans of a public building could be determined on. We must know the weight that can be supported by each part of the lot.” “But why didn’t the engineers finish this examination and make the computa- tions two years ago?” ‘“Because the appropriation of $3000 made for that purpose was exhausted be- fore they could complete the work. The Comptroller of the Treasury has now he was informed that work could not pro- | | given us his opinion, however, that the engineers may detray their expenses out | of the general appropriation made for the | 8an Francisco building. We expect that | the examination of the lot will be resumed immediately.” | “Will new borings be made?” | *“Idon'tknow that they will be neces- | sary,” said Mr. Aiken, “but some of the | tests already commenced will be com- | pleted.” | “Will engineers be sent from Washing- | ton to San Francisco to make the exami- nation?"” | *No, I tnink not,” said the supervising | architeet, *tor there are now War Depart. | ment engineers in California who will | probably be called upon to do the work.” “Will there be any change in the design of the building other than diminishing | the heizht of the towers,” asked THE CALL correspondent. “Not many changes. The lower part of the building will be orndmented and em- bellished a little more. The towers will not be diminished to one half of their | present height as has been reported. The plain part of the towers will be de- creased eighteen or twenty feet, but the ensemble of the buiiding will remain the same as printed in TuE Carr. We are aware, of course, that many criticisms of the building have been made in California, and especiaily by the San Francisco newspapers, but the the design meets with the approval of architects. I submitted ten designs of public buildings to architects in Baltimore and New York a short time ago, | Of course, that determination has not been FORCING OLNEY T ACTION Three Cuban Resolutions Introduced in the Senate, DEMAND FOR GENERAL LEE’S REPORTS. The Secretary Called Upon to Transmit All O ficial Correspondence. SPAIN MUST RELEASE JULIO SANGUILLY. Foreign Relations Committee Reports in Favor of Submitting an Ultimatum WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 24. — In the Senate to-day, Allen (Pop.) of Ne- braska offerred the following resolution, and asked for its immediate considera- tion: Resolved, That it Is the sense of the Senate that the President should speedily and effects ually protect the lives and liberties of peace able American citizens residing or sojourning in Cuba, and that he should promptly insist that Spain in her war sgainst her colonists on the island should conduct the same on princi- ples of civilized warfare, eliminating all un- usnual and unnecessary cruelty pnd barbarity; and for the enforcement of the reasonable aid just requirements United States battle-ships should be sent without delay to Cuban waters, Objection to the immediate considera- tion of the resolution was made by Sena- tors Gray (D.) of Delaware and Quay (R.) of Pennsylyania and it went over until to- morrow. 2nd almost without exception they sgreed | op>nly announced. Delays have been ex that the San Francisco "building design | cused on various grounds, such as the de- | excelied any of the‘others. They pro- | termination of Mr. Aiken to adopt a dif- nounced it a s;lendid design. I feel sare that the San Franciscans will approve of the building after it is erected. As for the interior arrangement, I shall have a talk | with Judge McKenna when he comes to | Wasbington to take his place in the new | Cabinet, I shall consult him especially | about the arrangement of courtrooms, as | I have asked Judge Morrow and Postmas- ter McCoppin.” ““Will you give to the press photographs | of the moditied building 2" ! *No more pictures will be given out, for | the modifications in the design will not be | great enough to make much change in the " general appearance of the structure. The | supervising architect’s office has been | rushed with work, but we now hope io | proceed a little faster, as we have secured an additional appropriation of $210,000, | which will enable us to employ more men. | It is my wish to push ahead the work on the San Francisco. Portland and Denver buildings as rapidly as possible, but I | don’t think it probable that the excava- | tions for the foundation of the San Fran- cisco building can be commenced before | midsummer of the present year.” | Judge Maguire said to THE CALL cor- respondent to-night: “I am satisfied that the Treasury Department has been for a long time determined not to commence the construction of the 8an Francisco Post- office during the present administration. To the Editor of ¢ and inexcusable. On which we now possess, hesitate. are now located. Francisco through the Postoffice, Hagors Offic C11y avo COUNTY oF SanFRancisco. JAMES D. PHELAN. MAYOR. Sam Francisco.Ca. FPebruary 22, 1897, ‘The Call"—Dear Sir: tention that the delay in erecting the Postoffice is unpardonable | account of the large and the there is no reason why the Government should| The lot is and has been ready for several years. Not only the Postoffice, but the Federal Jjudiciary and other Federal officers should be rescued from the dismal San Francisco has contributed in customs dues alone over P100,000,000 in the last fourteen years to the Federal Government and is entitled to some consideration. begun forthwith it would give employment to our people, which is no small matter, in view of the times and the constant drain which the Federal Government makes upon our resources. I agree with your con- business done by San| inadequate facilities quarters in which they If the work were Respectfully, Mayor., ferent siyle of architecture from tbat of O'Rourke; second, changes In the portions of the building intended for the Federal courts and theil officers, and lastly, the faiture of the commission of army engi- neers detailed for the examination of the foundation to make their rzport to the Secretary. ““Senators White and Perkins, Mr. Loud and myself and other members of the del- ecation have repeatedly urged the com- menceraent and speedy prosecuuon of constrnction. We were at last met with the statement that the engineers had ex- hausted the $3000 appropriated for the examination of the lot; that their exami- nation was not either complete or satis- factory, and that they could not make the requisite report. We then sought to have the necessary funds provided in the gen- eral appropriation bill, ‘but before that was accomplished and within the last few days the department has decidea to use for that purpose so much of ‘tke appropri- ation made two years ago for construction as may be necessary. I presume the en- gineers will immediateiy proceed to com- plite their examination and make their Teport, but of course the report must be made to the new Secretary of the Treas- ary. Itis true that the department could not proceed with the construction under the law until the engineers had made a full report on the foundation, but the Sec- | retary’s course in preventing the com- mencement of work on other public build- ings throughout the country seems to indicate a studied purpose to delay all such work, including the San Francisco Postoffice. “Twoyears ago Mr. Carlisle was strongly disposed to commence the construction of the San Francisco Postoffice and told me if T could secure an appropriation of $50,000 in addition to $135,000 then on band with the right to make contracts for construction payable in future years he could proceed almost immediately to build. That information was telegraphed to San Francisco. One week later Secre- tarv Carlisie drew from his desk a letter containing clippings from two San Fran- cisco papers in which the site was posi- tively declared in one of them to be a bog and in 1he other a swamp. One heading read: “Tobuild on the bog at last.”” Mr. Carlisle then positively declared that he would not iake the responsibility of build- ing on the site until it had been exam- ined and reported upon by competent en- gineers,saying that the Chicago Postoffice experience must not be repeated. The provision for the examination by army engineers was then put in the appropria- tion bill, and the report has not yet been made.” Representative Loud said: “I do not know the reason for delay, but I think my colleague, Judge Maguire, isright in his surmise that the Treasury Department is procrastinating and is not really anxious to pay money out of the Treasury. Irealize that it is hopeless to attempt to et the present administration T Sen 5 R i Continued on Fifth Page. Hill (D.)of New York offered another resolution and it was agreed to withoat objection. it was as follows: Resolved, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is requested to transmit to the Sen- ste, either in open or secret session, #s he may prefer, all the correspondence and reports of the Consul-General of tne United States at Ha- vana relatiug to ail American citizens now in prison in the Island of Cuba, not previously reported on. The third and most important proposi- tion on the snbject of the war in Cuba was presented by Morgan (D.) of Alabama, who said that he had been instructed by the-Committee on Foreign Relations to report a joint resolution ‘‘demanding the release of Julio Sanguilly, an American imprisoned in Cuba.”” As it was in bis his own handwriting he read it to the Senate, as follows: Resolved, by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives, that ihe Government of the United States demands the immediate and uncondi- tional release of Jutio Sauguilly, a citizen of the United States, imprisoned under charges pending sgainst him in the military and civil courts of Cuba on alleged charges of rebellion and kidnsping, contrary to the treaty rights of each of the said Governments and in viola- tion of the law of nations. And the President of the United States is requested to communi- cate this resolution o the Government of Spain, and io demané of that Government such compensation as he shall deem just for the imprisonment and sufferings of Julio Sanguilly. ““The committee thought,” Mr. Morgan continued, “:hat 1t was its duty to request the earliest action on this joint resolution, and inasmuch as some members of the committee were absent at the time, the resolution was ordered to be reported. I give notice and call the attention of the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations to it, that I will move to-morrow morning to take up the joint resolution for action.” Sherman (R.) of Ohio, chairman of the Forign Relations Committee, said: “The resolution was agreed to unanimously by the committee. I have no objection what- ever to letting it go over until to-morrow, and I hope that the Senate will then act tpon it.” The joint resolution accordingly went over until to-morrow. el S CRIT10AL SI1UATION AT HAVANA. Wildest Rumors Afloat and War With This Country Expreted. NEW YORK, N. Y., Feb. 24.—A dis- patch to the Herald from Havana via Key West says: The situation here is critical. Every soldier and every camp in Havana knows of the threatened breaking off of relations between the United States and Spain, and they are preparing for it. The work upon defenses is being pusbed with great en- ergy, and it is rumored every five minutes of the day that General Lee has received his passports and that war is declared. The position of our citizens is most crit- |ical. The rumor, whether true or false, has gone abroad that the American Gov= ernment would not intervene, that Amer- icans can be murdered with perfect im- punity so long as the trade interests of the country are not interfered with. Unless something firm and decisive and strongly American is done by our Government in ‘Washington, Americans are in great dan- ger of their lives. The murder of Ruiz and the demand for the release of Scott are the sole topics of conversation. The amusement and the great hilarity which were to be observed at the palace Tuesday have changed. Minister de Lome has cabled the Captain- Genera! that Lee will not be recealled, that his resignation is not accepted and that he may be sustained. General Les views the question from a calm, dispassionate standpoint, and he authorizes me to express the hope that the situation created by the murder of Ruiz and his own determination not to submit to another similar atrocity should not be exploited by partisan advocates af