Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-12-15

ing as pointing to conditions in the
market which the Department Club re-
| peatediy has decried and which the Daily
| Times has often pointed out
The rat was stepped on while Mrs.
Hart was shopping in the market build
/ Ing one morning some time ago. Mrs.
Hart said she got out of the rats way
as quickly as possible and saw it run
under a nearby stand. She passed on
/ 20 another stand and was talking to the
standhOlder there when she saw a WON
an, evidently the owner of the stand
under which the rat had taken refuge,
| start to. go behind her counter, Mrs.
Hart said.
| SOUNDS FUTILE
WARNING To OTHER
THAT woman ought not to ge behind
there. I just saw a big rat run in there, "
told the stakeholder with whom 1 was
/ talking" Mrs. Hart said
The woman to whom I spoke called
| to the other standhOlder and told her
" You've got company over there
"'What do you mean?' the other wom-
an asked.
why, this woman says a big rat
ran under your stand
"'Oh, that's all right, we're used to
them the stakeholder replied.
You can be sure I don't buy anything
on the market any more that 1 can
wash" Mrs Hart concluded.
! The incident recalls the fact that the
Women's Department Club has been try
ing to have city authorities clean up the
market for several years without sue
cess. 1t was thought some progress
would be made when the board Of
safety's special market commission,
headed by Stanley Wyckoff. former Fed
eraI food administrator for Marion
County. and including in its membership
Mrs. Rowland Evans, representing the
women's organization. made extensive
recommendations The commission inves-
tigated every phase Of the market and
| It's report advised that the board Of
safety take immediate steps to make the
/ place sanitary.
NOW CALLED
PARADISE FOR RATS.
As the place Is now operated it is a
paradise for rats, statements OF health
authorities prove. Many OF the stand
counters have wooden fronts and sides,
/ forming dark recesses within which rats
may hide and grow fat. 1t is no secret
| that SHAREHOLDERS let refuse accumulate
beneath their counters. While some at
tempt frequently is made to keep the
premises clean, the refuse need not be
left long for the rats to get al the food
necessary to enable them TO have a
| sleek. well-fed appearance. Health au-
thOrities state that the only way TO pre-
vent the evil is to have the counters set
on legs so there Will be wide open
! spaces beneath. Rats do not reside nor
| frequent places where they may be easily
seen and driven out.
EVIDENT VIEW OF
THE ADMINfST RATION.
No one in the present administration
seems to think anything would be gained
by thoroughly flushing the market and
scrubbing It as was done under previous
marketnasters every week.
There is OF course. the possibility that
rats would be discouraged II every
standownar We're required to make his
own stand sanitary BY removing all re-
fusa. but orders to this effect are alb
sent and there is little disposition to
enforce what regulations have beeen
made for the market
The Department Club plans to reopen
its fght for better market conditions at
an early date. It is understood. Mean
while. Mayor Charles W. Jewett has an
nounced that remodeling Of the city
market is part OF the city's 1921 build
ing program. and it is quite noticeable
that ever since the city administration
adopted the new market project, sanitary
conditions in the market have been per-
mitted to grow worse.