Mr. Swanson, from the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, submitted the following REPORT.
[To accompany S. 5668.]
The above-mentioned bill provides for a site and suitable building for the accommodation of the post office and other Government offices at Cape Charles, Va., at a cost of not exceeding $50,000. Those branches of the Federal service requiring accommodations and the annual rental now paid for their respective quarters are: Post office, $448; officer documenting vessels, $198.85; quarantine officer.
The Auditor for the Post Office Department reports that the postal receipts for the last fiscal year were $7,455.57, and for the corresponding period 10 years previous, $2,662.02, and that the annual cost of the present post-office quarters is $448.
The last census reports state the population as 1,948, and the postmaster reports that the population (including suburbs) now served from the post office is 2,700.
It is estimated that a one-story and basement building of 4,000 square feet ground area will be sufficient; that such a building of fireproof construction will cost $55,000, exclusive of site; nonfireproof construction, $48,000 and that a suitable site, allowing for the usual 40-foot fire limit and sufficient land for a possible 30-foot extension of such building hereafter, can be secured for $10,000 additional. Total (fireproof construction), $65,000.
In this connection, would state that Cape Charles is situated at the lower end of and on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the terminus of the New York, Philadelphia & Norfolk Railroad, which spent during the years 1910 and 1911 at this point $610,000 for new shops, docks, etc., and will spend during the next two years for extraordinary improvements from three to four hundred thousand dollars.
The assessed valuation of all property in 1908 was $362,770 and in 1911 it was $514,130. And this on an exceedingly low
assessment. (These figures do not include railroad property.)
There were shipped from this port last year 547,471 packages of perishable freight, all grown in the adjoining district. There are two banks, with a paid-up capital of $145,000; deposits $481,754.66 The retail merchants did a business last year of more than $700,000. There has recently been erected at Cape Charles a school building at a cost of $28,000.
The post office handled last year 5,000 registered packages, including transit; packages of all classes about 8,000 per quarter. Money orders issued and paid, 7,409; rural delivery about 2,100 per month. Patrons of this office about 2,700, of which 800 are served from boxes; balance general delivery. Size of the building in which all of this mail was handled is 16 by 43 feet, very poorly lighted, and for which the Government pays $448 rental per annum.
Documents issued in this customs district to vessels during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, were 340.
It is recommended that on page 1, line 12, the words "fifty thousand dollars" be struck out, and insert in lieu thereof "sixty-five thousand dollars."