Evening star., 1926-12-10
Market Request Lauded.
Commissioners Plan for $600,0OO
Appropriation Is Indorsed.

Appropriation Is Endorsed.
To the Editor of The Star:
am very much gratified at the
action Of the District Commissioners
as reported in the newspapers in re-
questing an appropriation of $600,00
for the purchase of a suitable new
site for the farmers produce market
which, it is generally understood,
will be removed from its present loca-
ton to make way for the erection of
the United States Government build
ings under the proposed building pro-
gram.
There is perhaps no other one Dis
trict institution which is Of greater
benefit to all the people Of Washing
ton an1 farmers living in surrounding
territory in Maryland and Virginia
than the farmers produce market.
The facilities afforded by this market
for the sale of farm produce are, in my
opinion, largely responsible for many
farmers in surrounding territory de-
voting their attention to growing
fruits, vegetables and other such
commodities for sale.
If it We're not for a market OF the
kind in question, many farmers would
unquestionably devote their attention
to other crops and as a result the
people of Washington would be un-
able to obtain anything more than a
meager supply of fresh homegrown
fruits and vegetables, the prices would
be higher to consumers than they
now are and farmers would be unable
to dispose of their produce as readily
and at prices as fair as at present.
They would be forced to turn their
produce over to commission houses
who would necessarily have to charge
q profit for handling same sufficient
to cover their large overhead expense
This situation would react against
both the farmers and consumers In
that the farmers would probably
obtain less for their produce and
consumers would probably pay more
for it.
Under the system in operation at
the farmers produce market farmers
can sell their produce directly to re-
tail merchants and to consumers. 1t Is
extremely beneficial all the way
around. There should be no objection
anywhere, either in or out of Con-
gress, to granting the request of the
Commissioners for this appropriation
1t is difficult to conceive of way in
WHICH pubic money COulu Ue' uSSO 1Ol
a greater public benefit.
Much pains should be exercised in
the selection of site for the new
farmers market. The location should
be one which is readily accessible
from all sections of the city, because
it is an institution patroniZed by mer.
chants and consumers from every
nook and corner of the District, and
at a market of this kind sales are
necessarily made at very early hour
in the morning, and the business
must be disposed of very rapidly.
Retail grocerS who so to market
early in the morning to buy produce
for their days supply do not have
time to go to a remote locality. They
must do their buying hurriedly and
get back to their places Of business in
time to serve their customers. The
same is true of consumers who pur.
chase at the market. In other words,
this market, above everything else,
should be in location easily and
quickly reached from every section.
The same principle which would
govern in, the location of a large de.
partment store should govern in the
location of a farmers market which
is intended to serve all the people of
any given city. OF course, a differ
direction or another probably would
not be fatal, but what 1 want to en-
phasize is that the location should be
as central as possible, considering, of
course, other factors which must be
taken into consideration.
The type Of market constructed
should also be one which will reflect
credit upon the District. Cities all
over the country are coming to realize
the importance of maintaining suita.
BILE farmers markets. and they nat
urally look to Washington for a
model. There should be ample pro.
lection from the elements in bad
weather, and, above everything else,
there should be plenty of parking
space surrounding the market in order
to enable farmers and purchasers to
go and come with the utmost facility.
There should be no traffic conges-
ton.
The present farmers market is we'll
laid out, and until recent years the
parking space surrounding it has been
sufficient, but the business transacted
there has grown so rapidly that there
is now considerable congestion during
the early hours Of the morning, when
buying and selling are at their peak.
l very much hope that the new
market will be finished before the
present market is in any way disturb
ed. It would be deplorable to demolish
the present market, or any part Of
it, until the new market is completed
and ready for occupancy. I believe
that every one Of the hundreds of
farmers who now sell produce at the
farmers market will oppose any move
toward tearing down the present mar
ket until another new one is ready,
and I have no doubt that the people
of the District who are equally con-
cerned also will oppose it. I have
been cultivating 60 acres in produce,
practically all Of which has been sold
at the farmers market. I should GER
tainly curtail my acreage if we are
to be deprived of this market even
temporarily, and I am satisfied that
other large truck farmers will do
likewise. ALEXANDER GUIDE.