The morning times., 1896-01-30
FARMERS SCORE 4 POINT!
Capture Two Members Of the
Senate District Committee.
SENATORS TO 60 MARKETING
VIII Look Over the Ground Them
selves Saturday Morning-General
Birney Makes II Lengthy Statement
of the Rights of the Market Com
paDy ana the Farmers.

I'm for the farmers" whispered Mr..
| AlcMillan to Mr.. Martin at bearing of
| the market house case before a Senate
| District Committecsubcommitt yesterday.
"Wen, the Commissioners do seem to
have acted arbitrarily. l don't See any
| reason to break them up. It's a pity there
| Is no tribunal 10 act in such cases. said
| Mr.. Martin.
I'VE are the tribunal" responded Mr..
| Mcmillan. 1--WE must see that justice is
| done.'
This was said while the farmers were
telling three Senators of their many woes.
The hearing was We'll attended, there be-
ing a number Of farmers and gardeners
present. Among them were:
| Mr.. Smith, president of the Farmers
| Associations; Mr.. Sherman, secretary, and
Mcssrs. Bryant, Curtis aud Washington
| Barna ford, members of the committee;
Mr.. ordway, president OF the Market Com
pany, and Gen. BirDey, who appeared for
the Market Company and the farmers.
| Mr.. Barnaford has been attending the
market for seventy-five years aud came
| with the committee to make his protest.
| As u consequence of the hearing the sub
| committee is going n marketing Saturday
morning at $50 O'Clock. They want TO
| see for themselves.
| GEN. BIRNEY'S REMARKS.
The first and main speaker was Gen.
| Birncy.
He held that the regulation of the Com
| mssioners was very oppressive. He ridi-
10, nf hn "a tn
| the hucksters at the market ten years
| after Its passage. He claimed there was
plenty of room for carriages. If the pc
| ttioners against these removals were lis
| tened to there would be change. He
showed that the pavement had never been
obstructed by the swinging shelves the
| farmers used.
He claimed that the Commissioners took
| charge of the wholesale market 10 the
most amazing manner. They were honest
| in their desire TO operate it as whole
| sale market. They couldn't do it without
| d loss. So there was nothing else to do but
establish a new market, and this they
| have tried to do. He claimed that new
market could not be started except by
legislation. To start this market they
| laid off u street between Tenth and Twelfth
In spaces.
Mr.. Martin-Do they intend to have
wagons back up there? DO they intend TO
block the sidewalk just the same as now?
Mr.. Biruey-Yes, sir.
WILL GO TO MARKET.
At this point Mr.. Proctor made n sug-
ges;iou, and the subcommittee agreed TO
visit the market themselves. After some
discu sSiuu with the farmers present, they
agreed Ia. go at $50 O'Clock Saturday
morning.
MIR. Mar;in-Havc any farmers taken the
new stands?
Gen Birney and a chorus Of Voices
No, sir.
Gen. Birney closed his remarks by in
Producing a joint resolution, which he
thought would obviate the difficulty
Mr. Ganiuger-IIow many markets are
there?
Gen. Rirney-This is the only one In
curporated 10y act of Congress. The
other markets got the right under the laws
of the District, but the Commissioners
cannot start a new market as District
venture Commissioners have never at
tempted before to organize n new market
The Commissioners overcome this now,
he said, by claiming that market wagons
are vehicles ard can be placed by law
and the licensing of vendors.
Mr. Curtis, one Of the gardeners, then
made a statement of the situation. He
called on the Commissioners and asked
for n market with sheds. The Com
missiouers had removed the hard surface
from the street aud made 1T mud hole.
l. would be almost impossible to get
,hrnuch it, They provided nothing against
exposure.
"I was only when they found the whole
sale men, he continued, would not
take II. think they tried To
force us. called on them when
the order came and asked them TO let
us STAY urdcr our sheds. They peremp-
inrily refused. We have customers from
all classes In storm and sunshine we
can stand under our sheds and sell. We
can't do it if the sheds are taken away"
Mr.. McMillau-Have they turned you
away?
Mr.. Curtis-Not yet. At first we were
told we could go on the south side. But
then they changed their minds and deter
mined to send us above Tenth street. Be-
fore we got stand, l would have to
gather stuff Thur day, bring it in Friday,
to sell Saturday. Now l can leave in the
morning and get here.
MR.. SMITHS VIEWS.
Mfr. Smith, president of the association,
told why they got the folding stands.
1T was done for our benefit he said,
land we were willing to pay. In this way
we got ahead of the would-be farmers
who never raise n vegetable. These stands
were put up at our request. We needed it
because thereare so many bogus marketmen
| and Arabs. All the travel at b street is
| brought by the market. Itisnot thorough
| fare. 1t would be outrageous to remove US.
| have come twenty years, some seventy-fiye
| years.
| Mr.. McMillan-Farmers want to stay and
| the market company wants you.
Mr.. Smith-Yes.
| Mr. .McMiilan-Who wants you togo away?
Mr.. Smiti-No one but the Commissioners.
Mr.. Ordway, president of the Market
| Company, said he was present when the
board OF public works and company agreed
the sheds should be put up. The Market
| Company did what the District government
wanted and have kept doing so ever since.
Police have been furnished and pavcments
| kept clean. Never has been any complaint