Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-28
HAND ORGANS AND PUSH CARTS.
What the Police Have Done to Abate
the Nuisance.

There Is one phase Of the push cart and
hand organ questions which arise period
icaliy In Washington which is usually over
looked, and the police come In for a share
OF criticism which is not deserved" said q
police department official this morning to a
Star man.
street hand organs once fairly swarmed
In this city, and developed into such a nut-
sancs that upon receiving repeated COM
plants from business men and residents we
excluded them from the business section OF
town. to the great relief Of everybody con-
cerned, and decreasing the number Of these
so-called music.l instruments fifty per cent
in this city,
Inc people now realize that this action
was correct, upon the ground that the
riSnlS OF the many are superior to the
rights or the few. Were these Instruments
less discordant played a new and POPULAR
air, or. to rise to a little higher plane. were
passed upon by some sort of authority they
would be less objectionable. BY keepine
the number Of these Instruments down the
public enjoys the immunity to a certain
extent from nerve-racking noise; the MEM
bers OF the hand organ trust make more
because OF less competition, while those
VINO believe that everything should go
which furnishes practically free music, al
legged or real, are appeased.
All businesses In WASHINGTON arc carried
on under license. II an entertainment be
given in hall the license fee imposed by
law must be paid, but the street hand or
gans roam free. If the owners of these
travelling street bands were licensed with
the other businesses In this city they would
no doubt furnish better music and the peo-
pie would the more readily give up their
nfckels. All of these men are foreigners
not citizens of this country and very few
speak English. We issue permits to them.
but the holders thereof cannot be told apart
hve cases out Of six These permits are
fTnY - b.
an officer. for instance, demand to see the
permit of an organ grinder, he could not
tell whether the holder was actually Gio-
vanm Pizzazzo or Giuseppe Quantaro. The
regulations might be amended so that their
photographs would accompany the permit
a simple process. AS these men are, as a
rule not citizens Of the United States. and
In 80 cases out Of 100 have no intention of
becoming such, the District authorities are
Justified In formulating any reasonable reg
ulation regarding their business.
NOW take the case Of the street fruit
vendors. Every time we arrest them for
breaking the ordinance we are more or less
criticised by some thoughtless people. The
police enforce, not make, the laws, and II
1t is the wish Of the people Of Washington
to have these travelling stands of business
remain stationary in our streets, let the law
be repealed; We consider It a most excel
lent ordinance, and SO long as 1t stands we
Will enforce it.
These men enter into active competition
with fruit and other merchants who rent
stores. Then, they all wish to congregate
upon one or two streets. particularly upon
It'll street and at the junction of It'll street
and Pennsylvania avenue. Here they lire
the curbs, making in effect a second line of
shops on the streets and corners in question
These push carts, thus arranged are an I'M
slightly eyesore upon our fine streets. The
people Of this city do not wish stationary
business places on wheels stuck upon their
thoroughfares, hence the provision Of the
act under which they are allowed to exist
upon our streets at all calls for their keep
Ing in motion, as is commonly understood.
Suppose that all Of the hundreds Of buck
sters' wagons in Washington were to stop
along the curbs of 7th street and Pennsyl-
wanna avenue, as the push cart vendors con-
gregate? They have as much right to do
so as the hand-cart man, but they do not,
obeying the law and keeping their horses
and wagons on the move as they go through
the city. The push-cart men show an utter
disregard Of entreaties and orders. Most
of them are foreigners who do not speak
our language, and the matter has been fully
explained to them through interpreters and
otherwise, but the more that is done for
them the less appreciation is evident. 1t
may seem like hardship to indulge in war
upon these classes, who frequently pay fines
In court, but the penalty is not severe, and
there seems to be complete indifference on
their part whether or not there are regula-
lions"