Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-11-08
NO. 263
To thePublic.
THE WASHINGTON MARKH. COMPANY vs..
rus PEorLE.

1t i. due TO the public that the facts con-
cerning the pending attempt of the Washing
ton Market Company to resell the stalls and
stands in said market over the heads OF their
respective occupants be accurately and DIS
| tinctlv stated, in order that enlightened pub
! lie opinion may determine the issue between
| the company and the stall holders. and decide
which is in the right This course is render
dered not only desirable. but necessary, by
reason of the published statements of certain
officers Of the company, wherein mo pains or
expense" are spared Ia present their views,
without reference To the incontrovertihle and
impregnable truths upon which the stall-hold-
ers uniformly relied to sustain them in resist
| ins the unlaw full and unconscionahle exactions
| of this cooperation. Let il be known and un-
derstood at the outset that the stall-holders in
this market rs in all other public markets.
must regulate the prices of the articles they
sell in exact proportion to the burdens i'm
| posed upon them, and right here Is the point
where the people are directly concerned.
| Prior to 1870 the old centre market. which
occupied the site Of the present Washington
market, was public market under the con-
troll Of the city and the rents of stalls therein
were reasonable and proper. There was
no contest between the Stockholders and the
city government The one paid that which
was fair and equitable and the other received
| il in full satisfaction. The stall holders and
| their patrons. the people, were alike benefit
| ted bv the arrangement, and no complaint
WIS uttered by any one.
Very many of the present occupants OF
stalls in the Washington market had estab-
| lished their business in the old market and
acquired the good will thereof, which was in
| fintely OF more value than the mere stan ~
| which they severally stood.
The hu, mess Tins pstahlishpt mNnv IN
stances running through a series of years,
was, by the act of Congress Incorporating the
Washington Market Company, May 20, lS7O)
suborinated to the power and authority con-
ferred upon that company, under the lmita-
tons of the act referred to. And it is because
of the disregard of those limitations of law
that the Stockholders oppose the right of the
company to do what it proposes TO do and to
subject them and their patrons to the arbi-
trary rapacity of an unlicensed and unbridled
corporation.
The points are these:
First-The market company, by its char
ter. is limited TO a sale of the right to occupy
the several stalls for one or more years, sub
ject to the payment of an annual rent. the
amount of which to be fixed by the mayor
and common council of the city of Washing
ton and the directors of said company.
This never has been complied with by the
company. The rents we're fixed in 1872 by
the company alone and marked approved by
II. d. Cooke, then governor of the District
and one of the original incorporators of the
company. This was in plain violation of the
law. and, Notwithstanding the published state
ments of officers and directors of the com
pany, has never been sustained by the courts.
the extent of the decision being that the
stall-holdcrs were bound to pay the rate Of
rent they agreed with the company to pay.
The rate thus unlawfully prescribed by the
company ranges from Sl75 per square foot
of stall room to S3 80 per square foot per
annum. or nearly the full value of the land
each year in rent alone.
The land granted to the company by Con-
gress for ninety years was worth between
S4O0 900 and $500, 600. The charter required
the company to pay into the District treasury
$25 900 per annum for the privilege conferred
upon it, which sum was devoted TO the sup
port OF the poor of the District, and besides
this the property of the company must be
taxed like all other private property.
The rents above mentioned were prescribed
in reference to these burdens but for the past
eight years the company has paid to the Dis
trct only $4,000 per annum for both fran
chise, rental and taxes, a clear saving Of over
SIG, 900 per annum, which they have collect
ed from the stall holders and Withhold, not
withstanding the law under which they hold
the property. They now propose to resell
the stalls under the same unlawful rate Of