El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-26
MARKET
WORK STOPPED
R. M. Dudley Not to Build
$4,000 Market House Be
cause of Opposition.

Work has stopped on FL PasOs new
pubIic market and II. NJ. Dudley. who
was constructing the market on West
Overland street, announced that he
would not continue the construction
work on the municipal market, bur
would abandon the project He had al
ready spent $1,000 on the preliminary
work.
This decision was reached by MI.
Dudley after he had learned that pc
titions opposing the building of the
market house were being circulated
in the city and valley, and political
capital, he says, was trying to be made
ont of the market house project The
franchise for the building Of the mar
ket was granted by the city council at
a recent meeting and followed long
effort of the city to have a private
citizen construct a market which could
be under the control of the city health
Want People to Know.
In making his announcement wed
nesday morning Mr. Dudley made the
following statement regarding MS IN
- Il wish to say that I have determined
not to construct city market and want the
people Of the city. especially the Rio
Grande valley. to understand why. In the
first place. FL PasO is not large enough TO
support more than one high class and sani-
I went into this project not only to re-
ceive interest on my investment, but, be
4
service TO this city and county. and also
doing something that no one else was at
tempting to do. My investment would have
amounted to nearly 100000. and not
stock iobbing proposition. No sooner had L
started in good faith and with no secrecy.
than certain people who thought they
scented a chance TO advance selfish inter-
ests began TO fight me. and to cry that L
was being favored by the city administra-
ton though they know that that Is raise
and they also know that had they first MADE
similar propositions to the city in the same
good faith that I did they would have re
ceived the same attention that I did
find that these same people that are fight
ing this project are endcavOrinE to prelU-
dice the people against me and my project
for purely selfish or political reasons m
fact there can be no other reasons i VIII
not 20 to work and spend this large sum
Of money and have my motives questioned
and the project assailed, as is being done.
I leave it to the people Of FL Paso county
to decide who has tried TO act in good
faith. and 1 want to see who Of these peo-
pie that are fighting this enterprise VIII
come forward and make GOOD Dy pulldlnb q
real high class sanitary city market such
as I had planned for that purpose and not
a cheap annex to provision store.
No Political Football.
''I want the people Of this city and coun-
ty TO know who is to blame for FL Paso
not having a city market equal to any in
the southwest. want the people to under
stand how selfish interests have not hesi-
tated 10 prevent this public improv ement.
because Il does not put money In their
pockets or advance their political welfare. \
started this market in good faith, but
will not invest this large sum Of money in
this enterprise and be made political foot
ball Of these people. 1 am sure the people
Of Ell PasO will understand the motive OF
Mayor Indignant.
Mayor Tom Lea, who has been
working during his entire administra-
ton for a public market was indig-
house project had met with. He made
the following statement Wednesday
morning:
In the matter Of the city market I have
the following statement to make TO the
citizens Of Ell Paso. From the first day OF
my administration I have seen the necessity
Of city market, and have been in favor
OF a privately owned market municipality
controlled The council waited for a year
for some one to come forward with both
capital and civic interest enough 10 build
one r. NJ. Dudley one OF our citizens and
a man Of the type that makes a city like
FL Paso came forward and offered 20 build
a public market The council passed an Or
dtnance on its first reading SETTING Aslas
that property on Overland street. where Mr..
Dudley to build as q district for pub
lie market.
Just as soon as it became known that
Mr.. Dudley was TO build a public market,
other people became active and, both for
political and selfish personal reasons, began
to circulate reports that Mr. Dudley was
attempting to get a monopoly. Mr. Dudley
intended to spend thirty or forty thousand
dollars in addition to the $4,000 cost OF
the ground on a market that would have
been a credit to the city. The majority Of
the council believed that Mr., Dudley. II he
put up such market should be protected in
his investment especially in view Of the
fact that a city the size OF FL Pas0 could
not in all probability support more than
one public market at this time.
I'm view Of both the opposition OF other
persons who, for selfish interest. would not
want TO see Mr.. Dudley build the market
and those who desire TO make political capi-
tai Of the same, Mr.. Dudley has decided not
to invest the $40, 900 or $40 900 in the pro-
posed city market but will abandon the
proposition losing $4,000 or $4,000 in the work
already done. Thus another opportunity TO
help build up FL Paso has passed by the
boards and 7 certain OF one fact that
the citizens Of FL Paso viii readily see and
identify the hands OF those who had rather
knock than boost the city"
Read The Mexican MIDDLE, Saturday
Evening Post, out Thursday.-Adv-