Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-11-13

filling her basket in old Center Market
nowadays she is really doing business
with Uncle Sam. The National Capital
Ia so used TO Federal control OF It's al
fairs that the Governments entrance
into the market business has aroused
little comment. The same fat butchers
and spry green grocers attend Ia r |
stalls Business at Center Market /
goes on lust as IL did before the De
partment of Agriculture took charge |
last April. Yet Center Market repres- /
ents a new and unusual Government
activity.
Since the District of Columbia was
established, the Government has own
ed the land on which this market
stands. w en- the plan OF the Capitai
was approved by George Washington
a piece of land in a convenient down
town location was set aside for cen
trail market place.
! For years unsatisfactory market
| buildings stood there until in 1870
Congress authorized the incorporation
of a Washington Market Company
The law provided that at the end Of ~
wears the Government would cancel
the charter and pay the company Tor
! 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 20
partmcnt Of Agriculture. The Govern
ment now owns the buildings. rents
out the stalls, fixes the rules for san
itation and quality Of food, and in
general onducts thriving mark t
business from its office upstairs.
II is very much like "A laboratory
experiment. The scientist conducts
the experiment and ..otes the process
and results. after which ne can recount
the whole thing for tho benefit OF
others. The Department Of Agricul-
ture experts are studying their market
with tho idea Of helping communities
that may have market troubles.
II has been prophesied that the
municipal market is an institution
that IL doomed to extinction. The ar
p,Iments are that the corner grocery
is too powerful a rival; that women
have no time to go any great distance
to a market: that city space il too
valuable to be given over 10 outdoor
carts and to n great collection Of in
door stalls. Moreover, as final indi-
cation Of the trend Of affairs it has
been shown that az suburbs spread
out in all directions from the city the
farmer is being pushed hack-too fan
. hack for him 10 market his own pro-
q duce.
CITY Market Holds Its own
In spite Of predictions Of its decline
and fall, the city market with as
buildings and curb stands is hoidins
It's own. It rarely occupies the centra
. square any longer, it il true. Inc
market place is not modern synonym
, for the hub OF town activity. bu
4 ,vhere one market once served city
now there may be FIVE or six in ths
different districts. The suburbs wnicf
were supposed 10 be driving the farm
;. or too far back from the market square
- sometimes have their own busy mar
ket places. And with motor trucks tn'
. farmer 40 miles out Is less dlstah
from town than the farmer VINO De
nended on horses was at 10 miles.
Times have changed, but apparently
there are still old fashioned house
, keepers. The markets still attrac
r hordes Of wonderland men too-~n'
.r make a business Of comparing produc
ON different stalls and buying 70 IN
n best advantage.
AS for city space being TOO vaIuaol
= for market purposes. the evidence
1r that city officials regard markets
- irr,portant assets. San Francisco, Nor
folk. and Louisville are now engage
ee in building large modern market
which they regard as indications C
Is progress.
IN The corner grocery has not ~
< the market out Of existence. The tac
ee is the market holds a place in com
s munity life entirely separate fror
N that held by the grocery store. Bot
are Important one supplements IN
other. The neighborhood store offer
:" conveniences such as telephone order
and delivery of purchases. II IS clos
enough for the cook TO dash out fc
-. a forgotten ingredient, and its shelve
: hold until the day they are needed IN
staples that cannot be crowded int
apartment house cupboards.
The market has Il different functloi
II special;zes in perishable food. fo
can. walk along market aisle an
see long rows of white tile counter
showing nothing but meat. The di:
4 play on every counter is kept cool b
w whirling fans overhead and reveale
Sc for examination BY high powere
lights. Along another aisle or outsid
a at the curb are rows Of fruit stand
a There is a wide variety that the COZ
ny ner store cannot offer.
d. Food Standards Higher.
ct The dealer here who offers withere
apples or inferior eggs has competitor
TT only d few steps away with hight
grade offerings. The standard
Nv perishabe food is consequently higl
II can be high because much of II
Do food, especially that bought at ii
outdoor stands, is brought from ii
producer TO the consumer without d
u" lays.
e' The market cannot be expected
eF hold the strategic position in n con
/ munity that il held in earlier centuri'
- when life was less complex. But
still offers a chance for the farmer
- meet the city dweller without II
= middleman coming between, al
there are still enough farmers al
consumers who like the market plan
-, For these reasons the DEPARTING
IN OF Agriculture believes that maske
on are a live issue and that its work
in Center Market is Of interest 10 Z
country. Every week letters are Z