Evening star., 1921-10-24
WOULD RESTRICT
| Street VENDORS
Merchants Association
Mould Bar Them From Down.
town Business Belt.
CITES new YORK POLICY
In Letter to Commissioners, Says
Use of Thoroughfares for
Selling Should Cease.

A recommendation that the streets
land sidewalks Of the business section
by cleared of pushcart men and all
other vendors was laid before the
Commissioners today by special
committee of the Merchants and Man
ufacturers' Association.
The merchants submitted their pro-
poSal in response to request from
the Commissioners for an expression
of opinion as to whether street ven-
given more liberties. The other civic
bodies also have been asked by the
Commissioners to consider this PROB
lem and submit suggestions.
The special committee appointed by
the board of governors of the mer-
chants association to represent the
organization in the matter is COM
posed of o. j. De Moll, chairman, and
NJ. A. Leese, Joseph A. Berberich, Vic
tor E. Desio and Sidney w. Straus.
Letter to commissioners.
The letter sent to the Commissioners
today by the merchants follows:
1T is our belief that the public
sidewalks and streets in the downtown
business belt contemplated from the
east side of 7th street to the west
side of 18th street and from the south
side of Pennsylvania avenue to the
north side of X street northwest, should
be free from street vendors OF every
character and kind.
Such recommendation is In liRe
with the policy of the city of New
| York, for example, whose peddlerS,
vendors, hawkerS or hucksterS are re-
stricted from the borough of Manhat-
tan between the hours of o'clock am.
and o'clock pm.
THE New York definitions contem-
plate any one using motor-driven
vehicle, horse and wagon, push
cart or one personally carrying mer-
chandise.
"a reasonable exception would be
for the sale of daily newspapers when
vended on the sidewalk by one per-
sonally carrying the same.
1T is our belief that the public
sidewalks and streets should be avail
able only for the traffic of humans
and vehicles and, as above recon-
mended, no license should be issued
for the sale of merchandise or other
similar pursuit in the business dis
trict as above set forth.
LAS to whether license should be
given for the vending of goods, wares
and merchandise in other districts.
this association, composed as it is of
business houses, believes that those
residing in the residential districts
should make recommendation.
"In our personal capacities we are
thoroughfares for the sale of any
commodity or thing should be stopped.
We know of no commodity or class
of business that should, in the public
interest. have such a privilege.
''The streets and sidewalks, owned
and controlled as they are by the
government. federal and District. are
to be used for the common and for no
selfish individual interest.
Street vendors are a relic Of the
age when the buyers had to beware.
There is no legitimate reason why
the public should suffer itself to be
importuned to trade while using the
public streets or sidewalks. nor
should the streets or sidewalks be
made revolving locations for the set
ting up of business, particularly in
section Of the city now much in de-
mand for transportation on foot and
in vehicles.
"In the event that the District Com
missioners, after due and careful con-
sideration, should come to the con-
clusion that the sale of commodities
in general on the streets constitutes
q public benefit, we submit that there
should be zones or places where such
traffic could be carried on, said zones
or places to be strictly under the
supervision of a municipal authority.
but in no event should the streets
and sidewalks in their entirety be
made the stalking ground for sellers
of commodities or anything else.