The intention was to erect a steel-framed post office, not more than three stories high, with wide court, so the light would be abundant, install a system of pneumatic or electric carriers, with tubes extending to all the depots and substations of the city. This, I submit, is exactly what any business concern would have done. But it was not satisfactory. A perfect furore was raised, every bit of which had its root either in a hope of profit through the location of the building, or in a desire for a big and imposing public building with an enormous dome. The people thought it a shame that Pittsburgh should be asked to put up with the expenditure of a fraction of the money that had been thrown away in Chicago, and the fact that one hour would be saved in the distribution and delivery of every piece of mail, did not palliate the offense. A post office erected solely for the purpose of efficient mail service will satisfy no community. There are quite a large number of ports of entry where the entire revenue collected is not enough to pay the expenses of the office. In my annual reports I recommend that several of these be abolished, but no congressman from those states would support such a recommendation and no congressman from any other state would favor it lest economies applicable to his own locality would be thus invited. Everyone insists upon economy in government matters, but all demand that it be exercised in a distant state, and preferably in some territory or in the District of Columbia where the franchise is denied. Many will remember William S. Holman of Indiana, for many years chairman of the Committee on Appropriations. He was not only an able man but a wise and economical statesman, and merited the appellation by which he was internationally known, “The Watchdog of the Treasury.” The Committee on Rivers and Harbors, desiring his support, inserted an item for dredging a creek extending into Holman’s district, so ships could come to central Indiana. Of course Mr. Holman wanted to be returned and was therefore compelled to support the bill. He even made a short speech in favor of this particular item. When he closed, Tom Reed arose to remark in his inimitable drawl, “’Tis sweet to hear the honest watchdog’s bark, Bay deep-mouthed welcome as he draws near home.” A SELF-EVIDENT FACT No government subordinate or bureau chief ever got into difficulty except when he did something. No one ever knew a refusal to act, or a delay in acting, to be the subject of judicial or legislative investigation. Pigeonholes all filled is infinitely safer than a few signed documents. This is fully recognized throughout the whole realm of public service and the result is logical—everything of a decisive nature is deferred as long as possible.