2d Session. No. 3298. PUBLIC BUILDING AT STAUNTON, VA. DECEMBER 15, 1890.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed. Mr. DARLINGTON, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT: [To accompany S. 2082.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was referred the bill (S. 2082) entitled "A bill for the erection of a public building at Staunton, Va.," which passed the Senate of the United States December 2, 1890, respectfully report the same with the recommendation that it do pass. The city of Staunton is the center of the great industrial development in the upper Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where large business enterprises converge and radiate in different directions for 100 miles. It is the largest and most important city in the Valley of Virginia. Your committee beg leave to adopt as a part of their report, the report and exhibits filed therewith of the Senate committee, and ask that the House bill No. 923, which is entirely similar to the Senate bill be laid upon the table. Senate Report No. 1770, Fifty-first Congress, first session. Mr. DANIEL, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT: [To accompany S. 2032.] The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was referred Senate bill 2082, entitled "A bill for the erection of a public building at Staunton, Va.," respectfully report the same with the recommendation that it do pass. The city of Staunton is in Augusta County, Va. There are located the asylum of the State for the deaf, dumb, and blind, and the Western Lunatic Asylum for the Insane. It is an educational center and there are many hundred students at its female schools. In the internal-revenue office at Staunton there are employed two deputy collectors. There are sixteen distillers, eighteen cigar manufacturers, and three wholesale dealers who procure stamps and do business at that office. The amount of internal-revenue tax collected at that office is about $120,000 per annum. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad and the Valley Railroad meet at Staunton, and it is the capital of a large agricultural, mineral, and mining section of the State. The gross receipts of the post-office for the year ending December 31, 1889, were $16,362. Staunton is a prosperous and growing city. The appropriation asked for a public building there of $75,000 is deemed reasonable, the present and prospective importance of the city considered, and will consume about half of one year's revenue there collected. Exhibits 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are herewith filed for detailed information. Hon. LELAND STANFORD, EXHIBIT 1. TREASURY Department, OFFICE OF THE SUPERVISING ARCHITECT, Chairman Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, United States Senate: SIR: The letter from your committee dated January 28, 1890, requested an official report from this office in regard to Senate bill 2082, introduced January 16, 1890, by Hon. John S. Barbour, to provide for the acquisition of a site and the erection thereon of a public building for the accommodation of the "post-office, internal-revenue office, and other Government uses" in Staunton, Va., at a cost not to exceed $75,000, and in reply I have the honor to submit the following: Copy of a report dated January 22, 1890, addressed to this office from the honorable the Postmaster-General. Copy of a report dated January 10, 1890, addressed to this office by the postmaster of Staunton, Va. Copy of a report dated January 10, 1890, by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Copy of a report dated January 9, 1890, addressed to this office by the collector of internal revenue at Staunton, Va. From computations made in this office, based upon the information and data received, it is found that a suitable site can be procured, and a public building about 50 feet by 80 feet in dimensions, two stories high, with basement, of fire-proof construction, including heating apparatus, vaults, and approaches, and excluding elevator service, which is not deemed necessary, can be erected thereon for $100,000, or $25,000 in excess of the limit of cost of site and building proposed by said bill. After duly considering the subject, I am of the opinion that such a building will afford proper accommodations for the present and prospective needs of the Government offices to be located therein, and that said bill should become a law after being modified so as to fix the limit of cost of site and building at $100,000 instead of $75,000, and to facilitate a speedy compliance with its provisions, should it become a law, the appropriation clause should be added to it. Respectfully, yours, EXHIBIT 2. JAS. H. WINDRIM, UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE, DEPUTY COLLECTOR'S OFFICE, SIXTH DISTRICT, VIRGINIA, DEAR SIR: Replying to your letter of January 7, 1890, "S. B. D." "McL.," I have the honor to reply: (1) There being no internal-revenue office here prior to 1883, data for collections for 1878 cannot be given. The estimated collections of revenue for the past twentyfour years from the products of grain and fruit distilleries, tobacco and cigars, and special taxes has been estimated to be at least $90,000 per annum from Augusta County, Staunton being the county seat. (2) Collections internal revenue for 1888, $90,058.83. (3) Number of persons employed in internal-revenue office, 2. (4) Number of square feet used for stamp and division deputy, 800. (5) Number of estimated square feet for present and future growth of business, 800. (6) Rent now paid for internal-revenue office, $120. (7) Information in relation to post-office is furnished by W. A. Burke, postmaster. Other Government offices.-District attorney's office is located in this city; two persons employed-district attorney and clerk. Number of square feet now used for district attorney's office, 400; estimated square feet for district attorney's office with future growth, 400; rent now paid for district attorney's office, $200. Population of city in 1878, 7,000. Population of city in 1889, 10,000, with a suburban population of 3,000 to 4,000. Prospective commercial growth of city. Taking the improvement of the city for the past two years, there have been electric lights, fire-alarm telegraph, increase of water-works, $300,000 spent in buildings, a street railway in process of construction, shoe, furniture, and ice factories, bark-extract works established, employing in all about one hundred and fifty hands. A very large increase in the wholesale liquor, grocery and shoe trade, with a fine agricultural and mineral country to draw from, the prospective cities of Iron Gate, Buena Vista, Ingalls, and Basic City, and the Roseland Iron and Coal Company, all within 50 miles of Staunton, with her live and enterprising business men, justify the conclusion that Staunton's commercial prosperity for the next ten years will be unprece dented. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, JOHN A. NOON, Deputy Collector Internal Revenue. JAMES H. WINDRIM, EXHIBIT 3. UNITED STATES POST-OFFICE, Staunton, Augusta County, Va., January 10, 1890. Supervising Architect, Washington, D. C.: DEAR SIR: In reply to your letter of January 7, the postal business at this office for the calendar year of 1878 was $9,488.71; for 1888 $15,062.95; an increase of $5,574.24. Last year (1889) shows a large gain on 1888, it amounting to $16,480.85. This sum does not show the actual business of the office for this reason: We have in our city four large assessment life-insurance companies, who have a large list of members in all the Southern States. Their postage accounts combined, as we learn from them, aggregate over $4,000. The stamps necessary for this large business come to them in remittances from members who live in small places where they can't obtain moneyorder or bank-check, and remit stamps. If these were purchased of this office it would show our real business, and the receipts would amount to fully $20,000 per annum. Floor room now occupied 1,900 feet, with a basement room same size for storage purposes, fuel, etc. We have barely room enough for the business now, and with a like increase as is shown in 1889, in two or at most, larger accommodations will have to be provided. The indications are that the increase of business will be large this year, and for the next ten years if business continues to increase as now it will be nearly double what it is now. The rent paid is $400 per annum. For information in regard to other Government offices, I refer you to Mr. J. A. Noon, deputy collector of internal revenue. A site for public building here will cost from $6,000 to $25,000, according to location; if a site off Main street is taken, good lots can be had for from $7,000 to $10,0.0. The population of the city proper in 1878, I estimate at about 6,500. I have no means of knowing exactly what is now our population, but it is fully 10,000, with a large suburban population, who send through this office, I suppose, fully 6,000 more. The commercial growth of our city is rapid, and in the next ten years will show a large increase. Yours, respectfully, JAMES H. WINDRIM, Esq., OFFICE OF THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL, Supervising Architect, Treasury Department, Washington, D. C.: SIR: In answer to your request of the 7th instant, relative to the post-office at Staunton, Va., which was acknowledged under date of the 8th instant, I furnish the following information, namely: Relative to the number of square feet floor area needed to provide for the present and prospective postal business, I beg to state that you should correspond with the postmaster. Very respectfully, JNO. WANAMAKER, Respectfully returned: EXHIBIT 5 TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., January 10, 1890. Staunton, Va., is and has been an important point, being headquarters of a stamp and division deputy. Collections about $120,000 per annum, and, under existing laws, not liable to decrease. At least two rooms, about 20 by 20 feet each, with a vault, should be set apart for internal revenue. No rent now paid by this bureau at Staunton. JOHN W. MASON, Commissioner. |