Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-18
new. MARKET SITE
CREATESPROBLEM
Committee Meets Difficulty
in Search for Suitable
Location. {

ers market space, now located on the
square bounded by B, Little B, Tenth
and Twelfth streets, which must give
way to the building to be erected
there for the Bureau Of Internal Rev
enue, is being pushed by the special
committee appointed for this purpose
by the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission. While looking
for a site for this particular phase
OF the local marketing system, the Of.
ficials charged with this duty realize
there are many other angles which
must be taken into consideration
other than just selecting a plot of
ground where the farmers peddle
their produce.
The retail and wholesale ends of
the market system are so tied up to-
getherast that Is It believed It viii lie
impossible to move the market with
out taking into consideration the Sec
ton occupied by produce commission
merchants. 1t was pointed out by
Maj. Carey III. Brown, chairman of
the committee. that 1t Is necessary to
have the farmers close to the COM
mission merchants, because grocery
men who purchase from the nearby
farmers at the same time purchase
products which are not grown in this
vicinity, but are handled only by the
commission merchants.
Personnel of Committee.
The committee, in addition to Maj.
Brown, consists Of George N. Rob.
erts, superintendent of weights and
measures Of the District of Columbia:
Lloyo 3. Tenny, acting chief Of the
Bureau OF Agricultural Economics of
tne Department Of Agriculture, and
=: w: kitchin, business manager and
superintendent Of the Center Market,
which is under the Jurisdiction Of the
Department Of Agriculture.
The committee made general sur
vey yesterday, but came to no conclu-
sion. 1t first studied the conditions
at the present farmers market, at the
commission houses and at the Center
Market. 1t had in mind the sugges-
ton contained in the Public Buildings
Commission report of 1917, which
planned that the area bounded by
north B street, Pennsylvania avenue
and Ninth and Tenth streets should
be the market area, but 1t was pointed
out that since that time conditions
have materially changed, particularly
the fact that the public buildings bill
mas been enacted, plans made for put.
ting beautiful buildings along B street.
and the projected Improvement of b
street as boulevard from the Airing
ton National Memorial Bridge, now
building, to the Capitol 1t was point
ed out further that with such an i'm
provement as is planned for B street
the retention OF the market system
right on its borders, its it's heavy traf-
fic and produce handling. 1t unthink-
able.
The committee then went to Eleventh
and Water streets southwest, the site
OF the Municipal Fish Market, to see
the possibilities of putting a market in
there, and then went to F'our-and-a.
half and d streets southwest, where a
large storehouse is located Another
place given much attention yesterday
was the area between the Union Sta
ton and. lexington, with First street
and tI9rtda avenue northeast as a cen
ter. The committee thought that this
might be good location. accessible to
both car lines and close TO the freight
terminal -
Another Survey Thursday
The committee plans to make anoth.
er survey of. sites Thursday, but in
the meantime will study the data
which the Department of Agriculture
has gathered in other cities relative
to municipal markets. These data are
expected to be of considerable value
to the committee in its task OF settling
the whole market problem here.
The committee has been approached
by officials Of the Northern Liberty
Market at Fifth and K streets, with a
view to locating the farmers line
there, and plans to look into this situa.
ton when 1t makes its survey Thurs
day.
After the task: Of selecting site has
been completed, and a report pre-
pared, the question then will have to
be settled Of obtaining money for the
purchase Of the land. If it is decided
that the municipality should provide
the space. While the National Capt.
tai Park and Planning Commission
took up the question in connection
with its general planning scheme, il
cannot purchase the landtof its own
accord, as its annual appropriations
for land purchases are restricted to
parcels for park and playground pur-
poses. The District government has
no funds for the purchase Of lands.
unless specifically provided. so that
the whole matter apparently win have
to go to Congress at the next session.
Other Problems Arise.
While it has been determined that
the Internal Revenue Building Is to be
located on the farmers market site, 1t
was said that the question has arisen
as to whether the Secretary of the
Treasury has authority to take this
land without specific direction from
Congress. This situation has been
laid before the Treasury in a letter
from Maj. U. S. Grant, Sd, director Of
the Office OF public buildings and pub
lie parks, of the National Capital. No
effort has been made yet to get an
opinion from the Attorney General on
the matter, but IT Is expected this will
follow in due course as a result of the
letter to Secretary Mellon.
The land now occupied by the farm
erss market was placed under the
jurisdiction of the District of Column
bia for that specific purpose by an, act
Of Congress, and this brings UP the
question whether the Treasury De-
partment can now take 1t for public
building purposes without specific au-
thority from Congress. When the
matter Is presented to Congress, it
was said, then, ofcourse, the question
viii come up Of providing sufficient
funds with which to purchase land for
the establishment Of the farmers mar