The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-13
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Markst-House and Afarketers.


To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journals
The new market-house will soon be finished
and ready for occupancy; and it is none too soon
to be adjusting our market ordinance to the new
condition Of things. Be it remembered that our
present ordinance 10 piece of patch work, very
much OF which are relics Of forty 60 fifty years
ago. when market opened, by ringing the bell, at
5 o'clock, and it was unlawful to buy or sell be-
fore the bell rang, and I believe that 1t is yet
unlawful to buy at or near the market-hou
from a wagon the night before the market 8
roasting ear, or chicken. or anything that
grows. am quite sure that is there yet If it
Is not 1t has been recently repealed.
lset US have new market ordinance eliminat-
ing all that belonged to the days of small things
and putting in it what belongs to to-day. Let
it embrace the whole subject-peddling of fruits
and vegetables and the like; and let the whole
be in one ordinance, SO that it can be found
when needed doubt whether the marketmas-
ter himself half dozen conncilmen know
what the law is, for some points of the law as
written ars violated every day. because they
ought to be-that is, common sense says they
ought not to be in the law.
Let the new ordinance recognize, first the IN
terest OF the city, as corporation. and then the
interest of every individual. These interests
will never clash. The Interest of the city will
tax every man who sells in the house or near it
suitable license fee--say ten cents for selling
out OF wagons. or fifteen for selling inside, with
bonus for choice stands to be determined by
auction or otherwise. If q wagon one inside
wishes to remain all day, or from day to day.
let them, charging additional rent, and let those
corner stands which are more valuable than or
binary grocery or restaurant stands be put up
annually at auction. The interests of the city
should be protected. and at the same time we
must avoid the attempt made so often to protect
the grocers of the city at the expense OF the
consumer. That is cruel
The ordinsnce should include ct least so
much of peddling as relates to fruits and gegeta
bles. Strike out at once and forever all the
harsh features of the present peddling ordinance
that are intended to prohibit small dealers from
turning an honest penny, 40 as TO compel con-
sutners to buy at groceries or of big wagons.
Protect the citizens by requiring every peddler
to have license. and have it with him, so as to
be a guaranty that his weights and measures
are approximately right; but ten cents day or
dollar month would do that and amply COM
pensate the city and protect the citizen, and al
low many IA honest poor man to make living
while reducing the cost of living to other poor
people.
One thing should not be neglected. The
sooner the fool ordinance which requires butch
ers ct market to weigh their meats on steelyarde
10 repealed the better. tits fraud, FIRST, last
and ell the time. Not one buyer in Q kuNdred
can tell from where he stands whether the steak
weighs two and half or three and q half
heavy" These steelyards should be substi-
tuted at once with the double-faced counter
scales, which will enable the buyer to guess
within pound or 50 of the weight of his pur-
chase. Not one purchase in dozen can now be
verified by the purchaser. Nothing but the
proverbial honesty of the butcher is a guaranty
of the truth. Let us have new ordinance as
early possible, If for no other reason than to
embody in one all the scraps that are now scat
tered through dozen or more, and some of
which died Of neglect long ago. u. L. SEE.