Evening star., 1923-09-09
BY JOHN w. KEAN.
I U OUSEWIVES armed with mar
- ket baskets, their ammuni-
tion carefully apportioned

- ket baskets, their ammuni-
tion carefully apportioned
- and their ears cooked for
bargains, are not the only hunters
scouting in the historic old Center
market these days.
Uncle Sam is doing some hunting.
And Uncle Sam is after big game. He
is cunning for the'spread. an economic
bird that has been getting too OBJ
streperous.
A hint of this hunt was given by
= President Harding in his recent ad
dress at Idaho Falls. After discuss
ing tho heavy toll exacted by the
bridge-another name for the spread
which connects the producer and the
consumer, and suggesting co-opera
tive buying associations as possible
remedy, the President said Il hope to
be able. as result of studies and in
vestigations. to recommend for the
consideration of Congress measures
which shall represent a beginning
along this line"
Several government departments
and agencies are studying and inves-
tigating distribution costs. Business
men are cooperating with officials of
the Department of Commerce in an
effort to work out solution of the
problem. The President, however, evil
IDENTIFY had in mind the high cost of
food distribution, the produce of the
farms.
To get the facts on food distribu-
tion the most practical studies and in
vestigations are being made in the
Center market. For two years Uncle
Sam has been cunning for the spread
in the market, and he evidently has
line on it's method or getting away
with our money.
How Uncle Sam got the opportunity
to hunt in the market preserve is an
interesting story.
The original plan of the city, ap-
proved by President Washington, con-
tained a space for market between
9Th and 9Th streets just south of the
Avenue.
In 1902 the city council-the city
then having a mayor and council
like the rest of her sisters-officially
designated this space the Center mar
ket.
From 1902 to 1870 the Center mar
ket was a swampy piece of ground, oc-
cupied by a crude collection of build
inga It's popular name was Marsh
market.
Congress, in the meantime, had as
sumed the city council duties and one
of its troubles was the Marsh market
To get rid of this trouble it passed a
law in 1870 authorizing the formation
of the Washington Market Company.
FT>HIS company, composed CT twen-
Il ty-six persons named in the law,
was given a nety-nine-year lease of
the government land. The lease con-
tanned a clause, however, which au-
thorized the government to cancel
after thirty years and to appraise
and purchase the market building.
TO construct model market build
ing the company was authorized to
sell s1,0o0,oe0 worth of stock.
The stock was sold, the building
constructed, and for thirty years
washington was fairly well satisfied
with it's model market The older
ReneratiOn, especially, appreciated
the Improvement over Marsh market
days.
But when the new generation. with
new ideas, began going to market
trouble for Congress started again.
At the root of the trouble was the
cancellation clause in the market
Company lease. The thirty years had
expired. Congress could cancel the
lease and purchase the building.
Some people urged the cancellation
because the market company was
making too much money. Others
urged Congress to purchase the mar
ket and turn it over to oAsae govern
ment to operate. TheS Believed. no
doubt, that under gov Nnment oper-
alton their food would 8ost less.
Naturally this agitation embar-
ressed the market company. With
= the possibility of its lease being can
celed on short notice it did not feel
justified in spending any consider
e3le sum for improvements. This