Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-18
STREET VENDORS HEARD
Delegation Calls at District Building to
File Complaint.
Police Alleged to Have Greatly Ham.
pered Dealers In the Conduct
of Their business.

The District Commissioners today gave a
hearing to a large number of the Italian
and Greek fruit and flower vendors of the
city, who represented to the Commission
ers. through Mr.. Celso Caesar Moreno, that
they are greatly hampered and annoyed by
the police department in carrying on their
business. for engaging in which they pay
an annual license each of $25 to the Dis
trict
Mr.. Moreno explained to the Commission
ers that in many instances the men pay in
a year in fines Imposed upon them by the
Police Court more than they pay for their
license One man, he stated, paid $62 in
one year in fines The vendors, said Mr..
Moreno, are hard working people, who,
coming from countries of fruits and flowers,
naturally engage in the business of sell
ing such products. They have no wish to
become charge upon the community,
merely desiring an opportunity to support
themselves, subject to such reasonable
regulations as the Commissioners may see
proper to formulate. There are about 100
men and boys engaged in the business here,
stated Mr.. Moreno, and the only place they
are permitted to stand with their carts is
in front of the reservation on the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue between 9TH
and 9th streets. There only fifteen of them
can be accommodated, and on behalf or
the rest of the men he asked the Commits
soners to authorize them to occupy space
on the west side of 18th street between
Pennsylvania avenue and Market space, on
18th street along the Post Office Depart
ment at New York avenue and It'll street
and on 7th street adjacent to the o Street
market. He also asked that the men be
allowed to stand with their carts IN the
streets for at least fifteen minutes at
time, so as not to be kept continually on
the move, as 1T is claimed the police now
insist upon, and for failing to comply with
which order they are compelled to pay
fines
Major Sylvester's Statement.
Maj. Sylvester, the chief of police, who
was present at the hearing, said he re-
GREETED to say the vendors do not appear
to be willing to assist the policemen in
keeping the streets clear and clean. Even
on Pennsylvania avenue, where a certain
number of the men are permitted to re-
main with their carts, there IS much to
complain Of said Maj. Sylvester, and many
complaints have been made to him Of the
dirty condition Of the sidewalk there, re-
sulting from the throwing Of banana skins
on the sidewalk and in the street, the plac-
ing of large signs their carts, and the
congestion of the roadway. Maj. Sylves-
ter said he has no desire to interfere with
the mems commendable purpose to earn an
honest livelihood and no interference Is
made by the police department when they
content themselves with pushing their carts
about the city in the middle of the streets
Must obey the Law.
Speaking for the Commissioners, Mr.
Wight told the men that 1t is incumbent
upon them to obey the law, and the fact
that one of their number has been fined
S62 in one year indicates that he was guilty
Of continued wrongdoing, and did not take
the first imposition of the penalty as a
warning to desist. The men, said Mr. Wight,
undoubtedly have certain rights but SO has
the public, and 1t cannot well be said that
the carts Of the vendors amount to a pub
lie necessity. While the Commissioners
have no desire to interfere with the eff
forts of the men to earn living, they
must insist that the vendors shall obey the
law.
He promised the men that the Commits
sOners will carefully consider their COM
plant, stating they will do what they can
reasonably do to assist them and at the
same time protect public interests. But he
desired them to fully understand that the
streets and sidewalks cannot be congested
by their carts and that they must assist
the police department in preventing such
trouble and also in keeping the streets free
from banana skins and other refuse likely
TO result from pursuing their business in
the public thoroughfaTeS.