Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-30
DELEGATION PROTESTS
Market Men Want Louisiana Avenue
Cleared of Stands.
Retail Dealers State Their Cases to
the Comm sslOners-One Side of
the Question.

A delegation, made uD of Gen. N.
G. Ordway of the Washington Market Com
pany; Gen. William Birney, formerly at
torney for the District; and Messrs. ]. K.
Mangum, r. W. Bowdler, S. Swindells and
John r. Kelley, representing the Retail
Producers Organization, today called on
the Commissioners and entered vigorous
protest against the occupancy Of the side
walks in front of stores of Louisiana ave-
nue. near the Center market for the sale
of goods.
The delegation presented to the Commits
sioners a statement showing the various
acts of Congress for the protection of the
Center market, and the stall holders there
in. as well as the grant in the sixteenth
section of the market company's charter
to encourage the building of the Center
market by private enterprise according to
plans prepared under the direction of
committee of Congress- thus constituting.
1t Is said contract between the govern
ment, the stockholders and lessees OF the
Center market stalls.
Although the laws had been ample, 1t
was claimed by the delegation that the
occupants of stores on Louisiana avenue
between 9TH and 10th streets have been
spasmodically encroaching upon the side
walk, especially prohibited, and the occu-
pants Of stalls and stands have been con-
tinually protesting against this unlawful
occupation, end numerous orders have
large frame structures covering some
twenty feet in front of the building line,
which at the present time in many in
stances are rented out to parties having
nothing to do with the stores which
they are in front of, at a higher rate per
square foot than the same space under the
prices fixed under the charter, in the Cen
ter market.
Diagram Submitted.
A diagram was submitted. which Gen.
Birney stated was procured by parties who
followed the police officers while recently
making measurements and getting sta
tistics to aid in executing the plain pro-
visions of law, which, according to Gen.
Birney, fully justifies the recent orders of
the Commissioners, and showing conclu-
sively that large sums are being paid to
parties not owning the buildings for per-
hitting these structures between 9th and
10th streets, in direct violation of numerous
statutes, and the grant referred to IN the
10th section Of the market company
charter.
1--WE earnestly request concludes the
statement of the Retail Producers Organ
ization, that the memorial bearing the
names Of 16O of the principal market deal
ers, and now remaining upon the files or
the board of District Commissioners. be
taken up and enforced under the recent
order for clearing the streets and avenues,
especially around the Center market. We
make no issue with other trades. but with
so many enactments upon the statute
books for removing this unlawful and I'M
justifiable use of the streets and avenues
around this largest and most complete retail
market in the country, in which, under the
guarantees made by Congress for it's con-
struction. we have built legitimate, clean
and satisfactory business to the whole peo-
pie of the city, we feel we have right to
ask that faith and the guarantees named
when the market was built shall be kept
with those who have put their money into
the erection of this large enterprise. and
thus protect through them our rights as
tenants"
Each member of the delegation made a
few remarks upon the subject, and the
consideration.