The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1913-03-03
MAYORS COMMITTEE
REPORTS ADVERSELY
Members Of tho Committee Ap'
pointed by Mayor TO Investigate
pike Place Plan Write Open
Letter.

Seattle. February. 1913
To the Honorable CITY 'puucli ann
citizens 20 Seattle
T3se demand fou ihs Public Markets
ln seattle la proven - tho fact th@i
.urisat. parties Im order tu reap the
gallo 20 Dc derived from nuch. ha ~
.rrfabiiHhcd Large private hafh "t.
b.. fore the people could Do educate
up 20 the piirh y Nnltins HNsN
means 90 establish Fuhllr Marx efH
muntrIrgdiy owned aud operated
The Large Private Markets tno'
called Public az present IN Nratttf
arc old I1ke Place Market f9pod
ssgul. ground area 1850 square
feet The Sanitary Public Ma tsei
tgbRitol. 1880 square feri VI
corner Market 800 square icei
situated 90 fik" PLACE aud ~, ~,
n1naesst an.Tg0 square feet North
slide - Pine street from flfth "a
'RKth Asruue. All 80 these mar hFts
practically operate the ffsi stefl
TO rent stalls on the second ft"of o.
az GO pay
The only Public fowned ana oper 2
ntrdl Markets are the stalls on ~"
aldrvaIkH nr public streets. ihnH" lH
front az the Coed win Market bTlne
about 90 in number. in front 81 ehr
Sanitary being 80. under The pubic
nt,f North nf tho Goodwin Market
being $50 In number and 30 front
Of tho WeHfiahe Market un Atfth
Avenue being about 80 IN uumt"f
Ia viii 30 seen AZ glance me
.thesa actually Public Market HtHllH
are 80 few in number a. 10 have
little effect IN controlling prices 90
maintaining standards either ~
supply or quality in tho large fft-
waite Markets and those c"ndt lions
make d very difficult SO have
T4tr 81 EWnnFNFE ana
supplies on rnln IN the various mar .
Acts and thereby secure purc food
L. the public. for while tho peopl"
lust nov are indignant against the
denlinEH charged g" the commission
men. set tho honest farmer has been
known to pack the best straw q
berries and apples on top and has
sometimes been 40 careless as 90
permit deCayed fruit 10 be mixed
with tho smaller at the bottom.
III. Private Market Interests al
PIKE rIses In order to maintain the
adequate Public Markets could be
put into operation have by an
Initiative petition properly certified
Ia due form obtained means 81
compelling vote on March 4th next
.of a definite project 20 build q Pub
lie Market IN u subway under rtke
Place about 800 feet long. North -
westerly from Plke street and the
propagation embraces q bond Issue
.of $4,000 90 to accomplish such
purpose.
This act procipitated the market
question. before the city Officials
or the Public had time 10 solve 81
or even TO study what had been
done ia other cities IN Market Mat
tcrH. and WAS particularly t"oppor-
tune financially Ia view OF tho
heavy bonded indebtedness which
In recent years. Because this only
partially solved the question and
that too precipitatrlY and poHslh U.s.
TO tho advantage 81 some special In
t.rs.t. the Municipal League by res
.otution requested the Mayor Go np
point representative Advisory
Committee 90 study and report upon
the whole market question. Acting
upon this suggestion the MAYOR
appointed committee consisting OF
M.A.r-. VIM. VI. Calhoun tcbamber
Of Commerce., willard L.. Head
commercial club, &. y. France
lMunicipnl LraEnel, Mrs. DR.. George
y. Mclaughlin, tMomen'- Federation
Of CiubsD, Paul X. Mohr, Central
Labor CounciD, ,. ". iIcmphili. IRE
tnii srocer-' ASsociationb. Jas. ~,
blackwell. Carl y. Gould and 4.
Jo-cnhnns tArchiteetsb, aud Dr.
Grant Calhoun. city Engineer
Dimoek. supt. of Health Dr. Crlch-
sanitary Engineer stevens.
After the most careful and labor
ious consideration Of the subject
the reading Of many reports from
other cities and personal Wait hf
the committee to tina various mar
kcts and sites proposed FOR mark cts.
the Mayor being present at all
OF the meetings and examinations
Of sites, also Of buildings proposed
TO be leased for market purposes.
the committee unanimously came TO
the following conclusions,
Findings of Committee.
Tirsti That the submission TO the
people Tor vote ON permanent mar
kota at this time is iil-Rdvised and
inopportune, because OF lack 81
study on the subject. especially as
TO modern methods.
sccondi That the proposition for
$3.50. 600 bonds FOR the subway mar
kct under Pike Place should he
voted Down, because ~ It's inaces-
uIbiiitS, it being "a subway--its inck
of sunlight. depending entirely on
artificial light. Insanitnry conditions
overhead from street. and under
tnot. impossible to overcome The
bond issue being inSufficicrH for the
part al pSescnt contemplated, and
he .sohen( being incomplete, Rrent
deal more money would he required
to finish Il according to the Ideas Of
the promoters Ms finally developed
by questions Of the committee. the
entrance insufficient. being only
from one end. and other 6blcctions
which wEl be more fully dealt with
hereafter
'fhIrdi That there developed while
considering the market question.
offers for sites which could be al
most Immediately put into oncrntion
20 temporarily increase the market
facilities at comparatively trtfling
expense