Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-12
he Evening Star Is the official
organ Of the Supreme Court Of the
District Of Columbia In bankruptcy
mat ers.
SPACE ON MARKET LINE
FARMERS GIVEN HEARING AT
DISTRICT BUILDING.

Charges recently made at public hear
ing before the Commissioners by Virginia
farmers that they have been Disseminated
against by the officials of the wholesale
producers market in the allotment OF
space on the market line" on B street
were the subject OF public hearing before
the Commissioners this morning. More
than 100 persons from Maryland, Virginia
and the District of Columbia were present,
and those who addressed the Commission
ers said there was no foundation for the
allegations, declaring things going on
better at the market than ever before, and
asked the Commissioners to retain the
present regulations governing the market.
The first speaker was Fillmore Beall of
319 John Marshall place northwest, who
owns farm in Maryland. He said as far a S
he knew, every one Is satisfied at the mar
ket with but a few exceptions, and that
he could see no reason why any dissatis-
faction should be expressed at all, the
method of assigning space to farmers at
the market is convenient and satisfactory,
and has worked wonderful improvements
at the market.
IF you gentlemen he said to the Com
missioners. ARE considering q revocation
of the present method and a return to the
old method of first come. first served you
will make a.gross mistake and will cause
dissatisfaction and infiict hardship upon
the farmers. The farmers who ask for this
change in the regulation, understand are
very few in number and they are of that
class who come to Washington during the
night prior to market day, and they would
therefore profit by the assigning of space
to the first to come. This change is not
wanted. We have had all of that first-come-
first-served' method of allotting space in the
past that we want. and if you introduce it
again you will upset something that is
working in a commendable and successful
way There has been less discord in the
last year than ever before in the history Of
,,lyat II
market police 1t does not require the
farmer to be up all night. and the farmer
who lives at great distance has the
same chance to get a good place as the
farmer who lives nearby
MI. Howison Corroborates.
The next speaker was Charles r. Howl
son, truck gardner from Southeast
Washington. He said the previous speaker
had thoroughly voiced the sentiments of his
fellow marketmen, and that the present
method of assigning space along the line
is the most popular move ever taken in
the District in the interest of the farmer;
that it has been 'Godsend' to them.
I'VE do not have to leave our farms at
midnight or ! o'clock in the morning so as
to get a good place, as we formerly did,
he stated. According to present arrange
ments we know our regular place is await
ing us, and we can leave our homes later.
Charles E. Churchman, a truck farmer
from Fairfax county, Va, was the last
sneaker He stated that he has been SELL
ing his farm products at the local market
for thirty years and he had never known
conditions to be better or more satisfactory
than they are at present. He expressed
much surprise that farmers from his state
should kick" as he knew of nothing that
resembled discrimination in the allotment
of space on the Line.
None of the fifteen or twenty Virginia
farmers who fled the protest with the
Commissioners last week and made the
charges of discrimination was present at
the hearing.
Declared to Be Baseless.
According to statements made to the
Commissioners by Col. w. C. Haskell, seal
er Of weights and measures, who has SUI
pervision Of the markets, the statement that
the Virginia truck farmers have been dis
eliminated against by the market master
at the wholesale producers market in the
allotment of space is absolutely without
foundation.
.'There is also no foundation he con-
tinued ''for the intimatiOn that the farm
ers of Maryland have been shown favorit-
District of Columbia. We have tried to
treat each alike, irrespective of their local
ity and since we inaugurated the new
method last summer of allotting space at
the market line on Little B street and on B
street between 9th and 10th streets north
west we have had few complaints"
The Commissioners disposed Of the hear
ing by announcing ti--y would take under
careful consideration the various views pre-
scented to them and would make known
their decision in the matter later.