Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-10
ALLEGED SQUATTERS
Police Make Arrests at the
Center Market.
DETECTIVES INQUIRY
PARTIES SAID TO HAVE IGNORED
THE REGULATIONS.
Cases Set for Hearing in Police Court
Monday Next - Author
ity Questioned.

ity Questioned.
The police are making determined e1-
fort to get rid of the so-called "squatters
who are alleged to be doing huckster
business along the south side of B street
opposite the Center market and as far
west as 18th street. Detective Watson has
been detailed on the work, and he has thus
far made about fifteen arrests. The cases
have been set for a hearing In the Ponce
Court Monday morning. Trouble has been
had by the police and District Commission
ers with this class of dealers from time to
time for several years, and the remedy ap-
piled seems to have been ineffective thus
far. The matter of getting rid of those
who do not raise the produce they sell Is
one of importance to the market people and
buyers alike. 1t is claimed that their COM
petition with the licensed dealers in the
market is unfair and that many buyers pur-
chase produce from them because they be-
lieve their produce is strictly fresh and is
from the farms of the dealers
Some of them really own small pieces
of ground the market master remarked to
a Star reporter this morning, land during
the course of year they will sell 1O,OOO
chickens more than they could raise on
their lot in ten years.
on a quarter-acre lot and sell tons of pro-
duce where they could not possibly raise
bushels. These people against whom the
war is being directed deal In all kinds of
fruits, vegeta bles and meats. In the win
ter time some of them handle fruits and
vegetables from the south and west, and
1t is not an uncommon thing for them to
have fancy produce such as is nos grown in
this section Most of them claim the pro-
duce they sell is of their own raising. The
prosecutions are being brought under the
police regulations as amended il February
of this year.
Provision of Law.
The question at issue is covered by sec
ton ID of article of the regulations, which
provides that the market master of the
wholesale market shall assign spaces or
stands on the sidewalk or roadway next to
the curb, on the north side of North B
street between 10th and 18th streets west,
and on the south side of North street be-
tween 18th and 18th streets west, to farm
ers and gardeners who bring farm produce
of their own raising for sale on said street.
NO person or persons shall sell. offer for
sale or expose for sale upon such spaces
or stands any farm garden produce
without first having had a space assigned
to him or them for that purpose, to be evil
denced by written permit, signed by said
market master. No person, not raising the
produce sold by him. shall be permitted to
sell on said designated places. The space
to be assigned on the roadway shall not be
more than is necessary and sufficient for
the accommodation of one wagon backed
against the curb, and the space to be oc-
cupied on the sidewalk shall not be more
than five feet from the curb line.
The Licensed Hucksters.
Provision is also made in the law for the
accommodation of licensed hucksters, and
the market master is instructed to assign
them to spaces or stands on the sidewalk
and roadway next to the curb on the east
side OF 18th street west between North B
street and Little B street north, on the
south side of said Little street between
10th and 18th streets west, and on the con-
tiguous portion of the space or reserva-
ton between 10th and 10Th streets west
and B and Little B streets north. No per-
sons shall occupy such stands without first
having had spaces assigned to them in
writing by said market master. The spaces
to be assigned to permittees shall not be
more than necessary and sufficient for the
accommodation of one wagon with the
back. thereof parallel to the curb, and the
spaces to be occupied on the sidewalk shall
not extend more than five feet from the
curb line.
The law further says: "Such spaces or
stands shall not be occupied on Sunday or
legal holidays, or between the hours of 3
o'clock pm ard pm on other days, cx-
cept Saturday. when they may be occupied
as late as O'Clock pm
Law Disregarded.
This provision has been ignored 1t Is
stated, by those who are engaged in bust
ness along the south side of B street, and
produce is sold every day, with the excep
ton of Sundays regardless of hours. Of
ficers were on hand last Saturday and Sun
day to enforce the provisions of the regu-
lations and prevent the piling of barrels
and boxes upon the sidewalk.
Occupants of such spaces or stands, the
law says, shall each day sweep and clean,
or cause to be swept and cleaned, at or be-
fore O'Clock p. m. of each day, except Sat
urday. when the hour shall be 8 o'clock
pm, the sidewalk and other spaces occu-
pied by them: and when spaces and stands
are assigned along the sidewalk the road
way adjacent thereto for a distance of
twelve feet from the curb line shall be
swept and cleaned by such occupants and
ali deposits. dirt, litter, barrels or boxes
which have accumulated or been placed
upon such spaces and stands shall be re-
moved by such occupants each day at or
before o'clock pm, except Saturday,
when they shall be swept and cleared of
all distractions by such occupants at or
before o'clock pm.
Detectives Investigating.
Detective Watson and Marketmaster Rice
are spending most of their time along the
B street line making Investigations and
seeing to the enforcement Of the regula-
TONS Since their work begun some
days ago several of the dealers have he
come frightened and left the market line.
Others are contending, through their coun-
sci, that the District Commissioners over
stepped their authority in the matter of
claiming Jurisdiction over the sidewalk ad-
jacent to the government parking When
the come before the Police Court
next week the matter will be fully inquired
into and an early decision given. In the
meanwhile most of the dealers affected are
continuing to do business as usual.
Naval Orders.
Lieut. Commander E. T Witherspoon has
been ordered to duty on the Hancock.
Acc pa, rfa "a