The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-11-07
Frederick Haskin's Letter.
An Experimental City Market

Waen1nStons ". u, NOV. o.-Wneu
the Washington housewife bustles
about filing her basket in old Cen
ter Market nowadays she is really
doing business with Uncle Sam,
The national capital 10 SO used to
federal control Of its Affairs that
the governments entrance into the
market business has aroused little
comment. The same fat butchers
and spry green grocers attend their
stalls. Business at Center Market
goes on just as 1t did before the de-
partment of agriculture took
charge last April. Yet Center Mar
ket represents a new> and unusual
government activity.
Since the District Of Columbia
was established, the government
has owned the land on which this
market stands. When the plan OF
the capital was approved by George
Washington. q piece of land in a
convenient down town location was
set aside FOR q central market
place. go.
For years unsatisfactory market
buildings stood there until in 1870
congress authorized the incorpora-
ton of a Washington Market COM
pany. The law provided that at
the end of 80 years the government
would cancel the charter and pay
the company for the buildings and
improvements The government
did not claim this right, however,
until this year.
In April. the project was taken
over by the bureau Of markets in
the department OF agriculture. The
government now owns the build
ings, rents out the stalls, fixes the
rules for sanitation and quality OF
food, and in general conducts a
thriving market business from its
office upstairs.
1t is very much like laboratory
experiment. The scientist conducts
the experiment and notes the pro-
cess and results, after which he
can recount the whole thing for the
benefit of others. The department
of agriculture experts are studying
their market with the idea of help
ing the communities that may have
market troubles.
1t has been prophesied that the
municipal market Is an institution
that is doomed to extinction. The
arguments are that the corner gro
Gerry is too powerful rival; that
women have no time to 60 any
great distance to a market; that
city space is too valuable to be Civ
en- over to outdoor carts and to a
great collection OF indoor stalls.
Moreover, as final indication of
the trend Of affairs it has been
shown that as suburbs spread out
in all directions from the city the
farmer is being pushed back-too
far for him to market his own pro-
duce
City Market Holds Its Own.
In spite of predictions of it's de-
cline and fall, the city market with
it's buildings and curb stands is
holding its own. 1t rarely occupies
the central square any longer, it
is true. The market place is not
a modern synonym for the hub of
town activity But where one mark
ct once served city, row there
may be five or six in the different
districts. The suburbs which were
supposed to be driving the farmer
too far back from the market
square sometimes have their own
busy market places. And with mo-
tor trucks the farmer 40 miles out
is less distant from town than the
farmer who depended on horses
was at 10 miles.
Times have changed. but appar-
entity there are still old fashioned
housekeepers. The markets still
attract hordes of women-and men,
too-who make a business of COM
pairing produce of different stalls
and buying to the best advantage.
As for city space being too val
liable for market purposes. the evil
dence is that city officials regard
markets as important assets. San
Francisco, Norfolk and Louisville
are now engaged in building large