Evening star., 1926-10-18
COMMISSION MEN
TO OCONFER ON SITES
NEAR NEW MARKET
Will Meet With Planning Body
to Discuss Location of
Business Places.
FIGHT AGAINST CHOICE
WILL GO TO CONGRESS
Organizations Favoring Other Stu
ations Declare Wishes of Citi-
zens Have Been Ignored.

The next move in the plan to trans
fer the Capitals market facilities
from their present downtown site viii
come from the commission merchants.
it was indicated today by Maj. Carcy
II. Brown. chairman of the market
site committee of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission.
Maj. Brown. together with Lieut..
Col. j. Franklin Bell, Engineer Com
missioner of the District of Columbia.
will confer with members of the com
mission merchants committee, prob
ably today, and inform them officially
OF the action taken by the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits
sion on the market project at their
meeting In Fredericksburg, Va, Sat
uIday night.
The commission took the stand that
as the commission merchants must
provide their own places of business
they should be given the opportunity
of finding land for it in the general
area laid down by tho commission.
The planning body purpOscly fixed Il
date by which both the farmers mar
ket and commission merchants sites
must be moved in order that the mat
ter would not be permitted to drag by
any of the parties concerned. The
planning commissions representatives
will offer their cooperation to the
merchants in trying TO decide on one
of the three locations laid down by
the planning commission. They Will
make available to the merchants facts
and figures which have been compiled
H.
feasibility for automobile and street
railway transportation and the direc-
tions from which the various products
come into the city.
Disapproval Is Voiced.
While plans were under way for tho
between the planning Off
cialS and the commission men. en-
Dhatic expire sSionS of diSapproVdl OF
the commissions action In selecting
the lexington site over the water
front and midcity locations--their sec
ond and third choices for the Inarket---
came from business and civic inter
estS representing both of these latter
locations, with the further promise
that they would carry their hight to
Congress.
At the same time it was explained
on behalf of the commission that the
commission favored the lexington
site because OF the railroad facilities
there and the possibility of their de
Velopment and expressed preference
for it over the water front site, be
cause it would prevent large amount
of trucking from passing through the
Mall
The representatives of the commits
sion merchants will be urged by the
representatives to act
promptly in saying which one of the
three sites they favor. for inforina-
ton gathered by the special market
site committee indicated that the
farmers line for which provision must
be made. and the commission mer-
chants line are inScparable. 1t
was said today that there apparently
was some confusion in some sources
over the use of the term farmers
market in connection with the Cen
ter Market. It was made plain today
that the commission never at any
time had any idea of moving the
farmers who sell at retail outside of
the Center Market at this time. These
farmers will he allowed to remain
until such time as it becomes neces-
Sary to remove the Center Market
which the commission has voted
against at this time.
Most Produce From Maryland.
Figures compiled by the market
committee from queStionnaircS sent
out to 1870 farmers in MARYLAND and
the District of Columbia showed that
Turing the past year they brought
into the District produce TO the value
of $3.50 900. while questionnaireS from
u Virginia farmers showed that only
S2S 900 worth of produce came I'm from
that area. This indicated to the com
mission that the best location would
be in the northern section Of the
city
While not selecting any particular
site within the EckinSton area. the
commission laid down the lines
within which the market lines should
be shifted and indicated that the
lexington area was generally bound
ed by X and Y streets and NORTH
Capitol street and the grounds for
the Columbia Institution for the Deaf.
The lexington site was put first In
the list because Of the figures indiCat-
ing that the greater part Of the ship
mentS came from the North and
West, and a study of the ground show
ed the possibility of railroad terminal
development in an area easily aC.
cesSible hy motor transport from anv
part of the city.
Mai. l.. s. Grant, executive officer
of the commission. said that the com
mission has discussed i'm broad terms
the question Of eventually getting all
of the downtown market facilities 10
Gated in the lexington area. but
came to no conclusions as a body.
He gave it as his personal opinion.
however. that eventually the Center
Market would he moved to the Eek
fngtOn area. assuming, of course, that
the commission merchants follow the
Park Commissions recommendation
and move to that section. However
he said, the Center Market undoub.
edly would be allowed to remain In
its present location for some time and
then only would be moved If the
patronage demanded such a step.
Fight Going to Congress.
The fight to locate the new farmers
market either on the waterfront or
on the proposed midcity site will he
carried over the heads Of the National
Capital Park and Planning Commits.
sion direct TO Congress, where tho
final decision is 10 be made. leaders
of the Midcity Citizens Association
and the Southwest Business Mems
Association and Southwest Citizens
Association announced today.
The ultimatum resulted from the an
nouncement by the planning commits.
sion Saturday night of its selection OF
the lexington tract as the preferred
lC6utinued on PAGE 2 Column 11