The entire town within which Bar Harbor is situated contained in 1880 1,639 inhabitants, as appears by the census of that year.

There is no pretense that there is any need of a public building there except to accommodate the post-office.

This is a third-class office, and the Government does not pay the rent for offices of that class.  The gross receipts of the office for the year ended June 30, 1887, are reported by the Postmaster-General at $5,337.  The postmaster reports that he employs five clerks in the summer and three in the winter.  The fact that Bar Harbor is a place of very extensive summer resort makes its population exceedingly variable, and during a part of the year it is quite likely that the influx of pleasure seekers may make a more commodious post-office desirable, though there does not seem to be much complaint of present inconvenience.

The postmaster pays a rent of $500 per annum for his present quarters.

The amount appropriated by the bill is quite moderate, being only $25,000, but the postmaster expresses the opinion that a proper site alone would cost from twenty to thirty thousand dollars.

I am decidedly of the opinion that if a public building is to be erected at this place, of which at present there appears to be no necessity, it should be done under a system which will not give the post-office and the postmaster there an advantage over others of their class.

GROVER CLEVELAND.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, June 5, 1888.

To the House of Representatives: 

I return without approval House bill No. 1394, entitled “An act authorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to purchase additional ground for the accommodation of Government offices in Council Bluffs, Iowa.”

A new public building at Council Bluffs will be completed in a short time.  The ground upon which it is located has a frontage of 192 feet and a depth of 106 feet and 10 inches.  The proposition is to add 30 feet to its depth.  The act under which this building has been thus far constructed provides that the ground purchased therefor shall be of such dimensions as to leave the building unexposed to fire by an open space of at least 40 feet, including streets and alleys.  The building is located on land now belonging to the Government sufficient in size to comply with this provision, and in point of fact more than the open space required is left on all sides of the same.  There is no pretense that any enlargement of the building is necessary or contemplated.

The report of the committee to which this bill was referred in the House simply states that “the grounds on which said building is situated are inadequate for its proper accommodation and safety.”

If this is so, I can see no reason why additional ground should not be purchased for “the proper accommodation and safety” of a large proportion of the public buildings completed and in process of erection, since the provision that there shall exist 40 feet of open space on all sides is, I think, contained in all the bills authorizing their construction.  In this view the proposed legislation would establish a very bad precedent.