The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-20
GROCERS And MARKET SITE
SECHETARY G. p. slime RECEIVES
AN INTERESTING COMMUNICA-
TION ON THE SUBJECT
Emphatic Protest Entered Against
the Location offered by Mr.. Benz
and Several Reasons Given
Third Street Site Is Too Small.

The Retail Grocers' Association Of ST
Paul has addressed the following letter
to Mr.. c. P. Slime, secretary Of the Com
nerclaI club concerning the much dis
cussed question of market Site in this
city:
Dear Sir: 1 noticed by an item in this
mornings Pioneer Press that the CITY
development committee Of your club.
through Mr.. Paradis, stated to the spe-
c1al joint committee on market site that
the selection of a market site on West
Third street, anywhere between Wash
lngton street and Seven corners. would
meet with the hearty approval of your
committee, claiming that the site would
prove convenient to both commission
men and the gardeners.
If the market site, as offered by Mr..
Benz, is included in the recommendation
OF your committee, the Retail Grocers'
Association of st. Paul desire to enter
an emphatic protest against the selec-
ton of the Benz proposition for several
reasons. True, the commission men
should be considered in the selection Of
the market site as under consideration
But we claim that the necessities and
convenience of retail grOcers of this city
who buy anywhere from sc to Is per cent
of the garden truck offered on our mar
ket, should also be taken into cOnsidera-
ton. Our committee on market was
asked during the early part of the year
to confer with your committee on the
question of location of the public mar
ket. AT that meeting Mr.. Benz offered
plan similar to the one now offered by
him, but having at least double the street
frontage of the one now offered. Our
committee at that time objected to the
proposed site as being, in our estimation,
unSuited for a permanent public market.
Our association at another time was ask
ed to give our preference as to location.
That we did before the council, naming
the block bounded by Ninth, Minnesota,
Tenth and Cedar streets as the first
choice, and the Chestnut street as Sec
ond choice. We have not changed our
views as yet. Our objections to the pro-
posed Benz site. on Third street, as al
ready stated, are several First, the
site will be entirely too small to accom-
mOdate the gardeners. AS stated in the
Pioneer Press they will accommodate 161
teams 1t is a poor day for marketing
If 800 teams do not present themselves.
What does Mr.. Benz propose to do with
the overflow? Surely not ask them on
Eagle street and house them under the
oVerhanging portion of his Third street
market. Mr.. Benz believes that the space
on UlIu street To-, JOZ square Ie6IJ WOulQ
be ample, claiming that the gardeners
come and go from the market as rapidly
as they sell their produce, and never at
any time are there more teams on the
market than the space will accommo-
date. We do not agree with Mr.. Benz
on that question. We have city or
dinance that prohibits Offering for sale
OF any garden truck before the hour of
C a. m. The gardeners come and place
themselves on the market early for the
purpose of securing the most desirable
locations. At o'clock a. m. they begin
selling, and from that time until o'clock
a. M, during the space of one hour, the
wants of $50 grocers must be supplied.
ask your committee, in all candor, can
that be done on that small space on
Third street. between FRANKLIN and Ex-
change streets: One block of space, $50
grocery wagons, the driver of each one
anxious to secure his supply of garden
truck and get out and away before
o'clock a. m. Today, with the market
taking in all of West Third street, from
the Wabasha street bridge up to Wash
ington, and occasionally teams up as far
as Franklin street. the chief of police
has found it necessary to detail five and
six policemen to prevent congestion of
traffic during the hour mentioned. The
retail grocers of this city are anxious
for permanent market, but if one is
secured they desire above all things that
1t shall be an improvement on the pres
ent one"