The Washington times., 1922-03-20
DRIVE PLANNED
ON FL|RFS AND
B00TLEGCERS
Kitchin Promises to Cleanup
Center Market When Gov
eminent Takes Charge.

War on he.vamps, handbook OPP
orators and bootleggers In the
Center Market is to be waged by
C. w. Ktchin. of the Department
of Agriculture. who. on April !
will assume the position OF market
master when the Government takes
over the market.
1T has come to my attention"
Mr.. kitchin said this morning,
that there has been much boot
Logging and handbooking on horse
races In the market. This will have
to stop. 1t also has come to my
attention that many women have
recently been insulted by rowdies
In the market.
This condition Of affairs Is not
to be tolerated when the Govern.
ment takes hold of the market on
April i. l expect to wage cam
paign against these conditions and
make 1t possible for woman to
pass through the market. making
her purchases without being in
suited by some male-flirt."
Complaints Brought Out.
At the meeting Of market men and
officials OF the Department Of
Agriculture last Friday, their atten-
ton was called to rowdism, book
making, and bootlegging in the
market
Rules and regulations have been
made" said Mr.. Kitchin which will
take care OF the rowdies and boot
leggers and handbook men. II we
find stall owners or lessees Of stands
are permitting handbook making. or
bootlegging. or are allowing their
employees to force flirtations on
women patrons, they will find them.
selves confronted with notices to
move from the market
Mr.. kitchin, however, wanted to
make II known that the majority OF
the market men are anxious to end
bootlegging and handbook conditions
in the market. He said 1t was at
the suggestion of many OF the
market men that war be waged on
rowdism in the market that he
planned the clean up"
Many denials were made today by
market men that handbook making.
bootlegging and rowdism existed
conditions exists they were not gen.
eral. and that It would be an easy
matter to get rid OF the undesirable
element.
Oppose New Rules.
The market men also showed much
opposition to the Governments
rules and regulations which will
cause them to open their stands on
weekdays at 8 o'clock i'm the morn.
ing and remain open to the public
until $50 p. m, as well as the new
regulation which will make them
open their stands on Saturdays at
4:3O O'Clock in the morning, remain
ing open until 1880 o'clock at night.
These regulations brings a hard
ship on the market men," said one
stall keeper who has been In the mar
ket for more than thirty years. 1T
will be an injustice to make a man
open his stall early in the morning.
spending on week days approximate
ly twelve and one-half hours on his
feet. 1t will be necessary for many
Of us to employ help which will make
our stalls in many instances not pay
ing propositions.
1t also was stated that under the
government control Of the Centre
Market. Congress has appropriated
$150,000 year for it's upkeep.
THE market under private con-
troll" said one of the stand pro-
prietors. has been self supporting.
Why the need OF the s150,000 Con-
gressional appropriation"
1t is the opinion Of many of the
stall owners that the Government
plans within a few years to raze the
market and lay out a park on it's
site. In doing this. 1t was stated,
many Of the stall lessees would suf.
fer great losses. as the good will' OF
the stands are considered worth
thousands Of dollars.