Evening star., 1896-03-17
Commissioners Hear Advocates Of
the Two Bills.
INTEREST OF TEE MARKET COMPANY
Cost of the Erection Of a Building
for Wholesale Purposes.
CONFLICTING oPIN TONE
a"if ,IRp

4 The advocates of the two bills which seek
to establish a refan snarket in the Whble-
sale market square came together this
| morning in the beaFroom.
1t was a hearing given those interested in
House bill 1902 The hearing however
brought the ADVOCATES of House bill 6262 to
| the front in force. and: headed by Mr.. Henry
| E. Davis, they made a strong fight against
the former bill
Mr.. G. G. Curtis, REPRESENTING the farmers
| who drew the original bill, opened the hear
ing. He said the farmers drew the bill Of
| their own free will 4end the market COM
| pany had nothing to do with it. They
| deemed it expedisnt flor them to unite in
some action, believing their interests would
be better subserved They could appoint the
proper officials to- keep them posted as to
| the condition of the markets.
Mr.. Ordway's Views.
President N. G. Ordway of the Center
Market Company, after disclaiming any
connection with the market company as
far as this bearing was concerned, re-
! hearsed the history Of the market compa ~
with respect to the wholesale market
square. He said the bill which had been
charged to the market company was for
mulated by an association of curbstone
farmers and some wholesale dealers. The
| market company had no interest in the bill
beyond its interest in the welfare of the
dealers. To put 100000 Or $2M,O0O in 8
wholesale market would only benefit ore
Glass; those property owners whose land
abutted thereon. To build such market
would cripple and perhaps destroy the
Center Market.
The District is receiving between $1,000
ard $lS,U00 annually from the market COM
pany. If new market company were
started. 1t would destroy this revenue
Concluding. he said if the District govern
ment wanted the Center Market. 1t should
! take it, for the authority existed. The
stockholders would not object. The bill.
that is, House bill 6262, was a scheme. he
declared to increase the value of abuttiag
pl opsrty.
The Farmers' interest.
Thomas Burr. another advocate of House
bill 1902, related how the incorporators
were chosen. He read letter from
Messrs. Bonfant and Smith, two of the
lncorporators named in the bill, in which
they stated they had not taken their names
from the bill and were in favor of the bill.
General Wm Birney, in behalf of the
market company. made statement and
argued in favor of House bill 1902 This bill
ne said. was in the interests of the farmer
Whlle House bill 62t2 was not. He did not
krow who had drafted the latter bill. but
ne strongly suspected the gentleman at
whom he was looking Commissioner Ross)
mad something to do with it.
Commissioner Ross shook his head. and
Major Powell smiled.
When the opportunity presented itself
Commissioner Ross disclaimed anv knowj
edge of the bill
Mr.. Snowden Hill interposed that he had
drafted the bill at the Maryland Agricul-
tural College after consultation with q
number of farmers
Commissioner Powell suggested that per-
maps the Commissioners had hypnotized
him.
Cost of n BuiJslfnx
Commissioner TruesdeIl asked Gen. Bir-
ney If he knew how much 1t would cost to
erect such market as was proposed by
Hotse bill t262
Gen. Birney replied that a competent ar
chitect had made an estimate, which was
S14l,oO, to build the market But to this
must be added interest and sinking fund
Ihen there were a number of incidental
expenses which would run the cost away
up.
Then Commissioner Truesden threw a
bombshell winch brought FORTH after it I,
explosion. applause from the opponents OF
the 1862 bill.
He said the Commissioners had as was
their duty, made estimate of the cost
OF such market through their inspector
or buildings. and that the cost for the
building with concrete pavementS and all
other incidentals came inside of $75tAU
inis contemplated an iron structure.
Mr.: Henry F. Davis was the next speak
er. lie referred to the sixteenth section of
the market company's charter, which ex-
pressly reserved the Wholesale market
square to the citizens of Washington for a
wholesale market. For some reason this
company. he said had been allowed to oc-
cupy this space, until the matter was set
tied by the courts. He took the bill and
dissected it, claiming that it was in the in
terest of the market company, which could
under its terms Immediately after it's pas
sage repossess itself of the wholesale
square. which It held for twenty-five years
without any warrant of law The stock
could all be bought up by the market COM
pany. Concerning the other b:ll-6262-
there were, he was informed, 200 farmers
ready to subscribe $50 per year each for
stands. He hoped, the real farmers bill
NO 6262-would be favorably recommended
should 1t become a law, he said, the price
or products would be materially cheap
ened.
Mr.. Snowden Hill closed the hearing by
pointing out other defects in House bill
1902.
There seemed today to be little doubt
that the Commissioners would favorably
report House bill 6262
OLMSTEAD WILL CASE.
II was Postponed on Account of the