The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-08
A VERY BAD CHOICE.


The agreement of the joint council COM
mittee on the Eagle street site for the
city market will occasion disappointment
as we'll as disapproval among the people
Of this city. Among all the sites men
toned the one chosen has seemed TO the
G b e to be the least desirable. 1t is
so-situated as to be virtually inaccessible
to the householders of the city. 1t can
only have been chosen on the assumption
that resort to the city market by the
female heads of city homes is not a prac-
tice INDUCED in to any extent, and that
the market is intended only for facilitat-
ing traffic between the sellers Of produce
and the retail dealers Of the city.
According to the committee this last
mentioned consideration has had much
influence. These gentlemen have reached
their decision largely on that basis They
have also been affected favorably by
the fact that the market site chosen
is some distance away from the very OBJ
jectionable locality into which no decent
woman will venture. Credit may be given
to the members of the committee reach
Ing this decision for a purpose to dis
charge their duty to the best advantage.
There is nothing in the circumstances
which Justif1es any other view, so far as
the G g is aware. But their choice
Is none the less most undesirable one
and its effect will inevitably be to keep
individual purchasers for family use awav
from the market, If 1t ever is established
at the point chosen.
NO true understanding Of the uses of a
public market can ignore the right Of
the individual citizen to have the loca-
ton chosen with direct reference to his
or her convenience. 1t is quite as con-
Venlent for retail grocers to go with their
teams to one locality as to another. That
consideration does not affect them much.
one way or the other. The main trouble
with the selection made by the joint COM
mittee is that it excludes private citizens,
except at a great sacrifice of personal
feeling, from having recourse to the
market. The fact that the proposed site
40 AS4hO'OO SOLIo SHOTC. distance from
certain vicious locality Is Of little moment.
1t Is In a neighborhood which has been
reserved for a class Of the residents of
our city to which no one desires to make
any reference that can be avoided The
other consideration urged by the commit
tee, that the market is frequented usually
during the morning hours when the To-
cality referred to is Invested Of much Of
its undesirability. is really not worthy of
serious consideration.
1t is earnestly to be hoped that the
council will not ratify the choice of its
committee. There is nothing whatever to
commend that choice. The considerations
urged in good faith by the committee in
sustafnment of their action are without
substantial force. Other sites, at prices
which will not exceed that which must,
judging from assessed valuations, be paid
for this property, without any Of the
overwhelming undesirability attaching to
it, and quite as centrally located, can be
had at different points. Whatever OBJ
jections may be urged to the selection of
any such sites, they are free from the one
vital blot which attaches to the one
chosen by the committee.