Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-26
The Market HOUSE.

!
ofmsrketing. Since that time we have receiv-
ed a copy of a communication from Mayor
WooD, of New York, to the City Council, in
which he discusses the question, and recon-
mends an abandonment entirely of the Market
house system, which he deems wrong in the
CRY, and unsuited to the cities Of this country.
The system he says was derived from the
practice of the old cities of Europe, where it
was originally established Tor purposes of rev.
enue lie states the objections to it. We quote
some Of them as follows:
Our market system is obnoxious to great
republican princi lie. which is, that govern nent
shall not interfere with private enterprise; that
that is the best government which 20 serns the
least; that government should avoid becoming
a proprietor, or restrict the free exercise nf in-
diyidnal rights, SO long as no encroaehment
is made upon the rights of Others or OF the
community. We should no more build houses
for the transaction of the business Of butch
er or of a vegetable monger, than for the con-
Quoting of any other trade of life. Let there
be free trade 10 all things; the authorities to
stand off and see fair play, taking no part, ex-
cept 10 adopt and enforce the observance of
such rules and laws as may he necessary for
the pnbc welfare, ia the prevention Of abuses
and frauds. These are the simple requirements
of government, whether applied to public mar
kets or tn life, liberty and the pursuit of hap
piness."
Another serious objection is, its tendency to
monopoly 10 the necessaries of life. To the
great mass of our people, whose industry but
! ieds scauty pittance, this evil is paramount
10 all Others By having one mart to which
all must repair having articles Of food TO sell,
and who in most cases are temporary snjourn-
ers. the class of forestaers have been brought
into existence, who by the necessities of the
producer as well AS the consumer, are enabled
to reap a rich harvest. The farmer or garden
er gathers his vegetables and meats-lOads LIS
wagon, and comes to the City for its DISPOSE
ton. The law will not allow him to stand
any where in the street and sell it from bis
wagon. There is an ordinance fOrbiddng 1t.
He must 60 to one of the markets; where even
st peep of day be finds the favorably located
places occupied, or the rough mandatory tones
of the clerk announces 10 him he "cannOt have
that place" some other person has pre- emp
ton right to il; it is engaged, or if not engag-
ed, an exOrbitant fee must be submitted 10
first. He has his wagons well loaded with
meats or truck" These are perishable, and
be obtained. He must return home to prepare
tor the next days labor; besides, the expen-
siveness of living in the city prevents his con-
tinuancs here One of the class alluded TO,
hungry, sharp-visaged, keen-eyed forestaer
intercepts him. takes advantage Of his cOnster-
nation, disappointment and chagrin, and for a
trihe buys his load-whc is held for an hour
or two aud sold out from some choice stand,
(Which political influence or the payment OF
money has Obtained in small quantities 10 the
furnishing million at the profit of one thousand
per cent. This is no fancy picture. 1t has oc-
Cured daily at Washington Market during the
su,nmer mouths, for the last ten years, and is
among the many disgracefuI imposltions with
which our City abounds. l. il surprising that
SO many citizens doing business in New York
seek homes 10 contiguous towns where they
are not subjected to such burdensa
The positive location of markets is exceed
ingly announcement to a migratory population
like ours The object in locating and building
these houses was ostensibly to Accommodate
the public, and 10 this end they were placed in
the midst of resident population for convenient
access. When orr two great markets, the
Fulton and the Washington, were originally
huit, ey were surrounded by dwellings: not
so now. Their founders either supposed that
this generation would provide for its own sc-
commodatiOn, by removing these markets To
and where il removed, or that the City would
continue in its then limited condition. We
must suppose the former, or that IL was nre
sumed we would do a still wiser thing, viz: Ia
let the people take charge OF such matters for
themselves; or If we persist in error, place
these houses favoraby for the accommodation
oT the people who resort 10 them. All the
Ii bot hal, fha
dences of the priaoipal population; indeed
there is no public market, as such, above Tenth
Street, where three-fourths of the population
reside.
For these reasons, | recommend the aboli-
ton of the present system aud the sale of the
market property, and the adoption of the free
trade principle; permitting any individual to
open a shop for the sale OF meats and vegeta-
bles, the same as he is allowed to sell dry
goods or boots aud shoes The class known
ms shop butchers first established themselves
in this city twenty years ago, in defiance OF
law. ~ that time, and though the market
butchers and hucksters-then, as now, pow
erful political class made every effort 10 and
out OF the Common Council to break them up
and TO deprive the people of their advantages,
public opinion was too strong in their favor,
and they have been maintained TO the present
day The history Of their struggles, against. a
class who deemed themselves privileged, sus-
tanned alone by the great American principle
of the largest liberty for the masses, is enter
tanning as ilIustratingthe wholesome ruth that
in this country, public sentiment will settle
down right, when left to its own candid judg-
Inent. There are now over i've hundred shop
butchers IN this City, which in most cases are
with great propriety, without being
offensive 10 any respect, and exempt from each
Of the objections herein stated, as applicable
TO those under the control of the authorities.
The objections urged by Mayor WooD to the
New York Market House apply with equal
70 -ce TO the Nashville Market House, which Is
Inc 'nvenently situated, and decided "stum-
bling block" to the great msjority OF our citi-
zens We have no room TO present to-day
such reflections as occur tn Us. We hope the
City Council will examine Mayor Woo-'s views
and ponder them well.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
May "a 1855. (
A special meeting Of the members of the
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