There is always a large "swing room" for carriers when off duty, where they provide themselves with games, boxing gloves, and occa sionally a billiard table for recreation.
In the larger Postoffice buildings are the most perfect of mechani cal equipments, engines, boilers, electric generators, elevators, mail carrying and handling devices, sweeping machinery, etc.
From the above it is evident that there are few lines in the build ing industries which should not be interested in the erection and furnishing of these many buildings.
Building Conditions. It is a matter of interest to a very large body of contractors, sub-contractors, artisans of all callings, and material men and manufacturers, how the Department builds, and in what ways it differs from the average investor in its building opera tions and contracts.
There is a prevalent idea that mystery surrounds the getting the whole or any part of a government contract—that one must be on the inside and know how to pull the wires. This feeling arises prob ably from the facts that the Government as an Employer and Owner is a very different affair to deal with from a personal Owner; and, because of such difference, and because of the magnitude of the varied branches of work, rendering it necessary to have some fixed and unyielding rules and regulations to which all doing business with the Government must comply, the great mass of people who should be interested are apt to think that this is all "red tape" and that they cannot get near any of this work.
When the Owner and the Contractor in ordinary practice make an agreement, it is always modified by the personal conditions and qualities of each, so that the conditions and terms frequently differ materially in instances of work of the same character. With the De partment, however, this cannot be The Department has fixed policies and rules, and is hedged about by law in such a way that it must be unyielding at all points; it cannot adapt the work to the conditions of the Contractor; it can take no chances; and anyone seeking to do business with the Department must lay aside all personal ideas of methods, and must seek from the first to get into the line of the Depart ment's methods and requirements, even if these appear to be without reason. The Contractor who imagines that he can take a contract, and
can afterwards have its lines modified to suit his own methods, which he may honestly believe to be better than the requirements of the Department, is not only bound to be disappointed, but is certain to lose a round sum before final settlement.
When bids are asked for the construction of a building, the drawings and specifications are so prepared that the bidder is given notice relative to every requirement; nothing is taken for granted; it is fully set forth to what extent he is to be responsible for the com pletion of the work, and he is shown all details leading up to such completion. How and when each payment shall be made, is fully explained. Many of these requirements are unusual; he may not, and probably does not, understand why they are inserted; but that is really none of his business; the requirement is plainly stated; and if he wants to put in a bid, he has but to figure just what the cost of the apparently useless requirements will be, and to add such amount to his bid.
The conditions which govern Treasury contracts are the result of the experience of many years; and if a greater proportion of private Owners and Contractors for private work would adopt similarly exact methods in their operations, they would be attended with much fewer annoyances and much less friction. The Department is just as rigid in not permitting a Contractor to furnish something for nothing, as it is in not permitting him to substitute a poorer article than that required by the contract. Should the Contractor under any circumstances make a substitution, he is never safe. The Super intendent on the work may pass it; but the Contractor never knows when some traveling Inspector or other official may be put on the work and detect the change. In that case, the Superintendent, as well as the Contractor, receives severe censure, and the Contractor has either to rectify the trouble or to consent to a deduction of a good round sum, which usually represents several times the difference in value between the material furnished and that required.