Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-16

Whtle the DlStrlct SofnIIitSsioHefc
In their report to Congress on the
subject of the future location OF the
Farmers Market fail to make spe'
c!fic recommendations for perma.
nent site for the establishment, they
reduce the question to narrower terms
and render possible decision to meet
the immediate requirements. They
recite, first, certain principles that
affect the wholesale marketing OF
food which apply to the maintenance
of this institution. First, the perish.
able industry can be most economi'
cally and efficiently conducted by GEN.
tralization in the market area; second,
this area must. from an economic
standpoint, be located at a railroad
terminal, where receivers can deliver
direct from cars and avoid the high
cost of truck drayage; third. that the
Farmers Market should be located
in close proximity to the commission
houses. Admitting that the District
and Federal Government will have
little IL anything to say regarding the
exact location at which the commits
sion men. making UP the larger part
Of the wholesale center. will locate
when compelled to remove from their
present location. the Commissioners
hold that these wholesalers should
make the first move; that Is to say
that they should select the area for
the future conduct of their business
before the site of the Farmers Mar
ket is definitely chosen. Thus. from
the Commissioners point OF view. a
decision on a permanent site for the
Farmers Market cannot be deter
mined effectively until the commits.
sion houses and wholesalers have
themselves selected their center.
If. however, a decision must be
made now as to the permanent loca-
ton of the Farmers Market, the
Commissioners express preference for
a site i'm the Southwest In squares
bounded by Tenth. Eleventh. and
G streets, which, they feel. has ma
terial advantages over others that
have been PROPOSED, being within near
reach of a railroad terminal and cold
storage facilities. as well as the Mu.
nicipai Fish Market. already estab.
Iished. But the Commissioners couple
this expression Of preference with a
proposal to establish the Farmers
Market on a temporary site pending
definite developments. They urge that
no permanent location be chosen now
and that the market be placed on the
Mall, to remain for a period OF four
or Ave years in order that unified
plan may ultimately be developed
with the commission merchants. the
farmers and possibly the new retail
Center Market grouped together.
1t cannot be too strongly urged that
any establishment ON the Mall OF this
character should be specifically de.
cIared to be temporary: that indeed
it should be authorized. IL at eli. with
an explicit time limitation. In all
probability the bill for the acquisition
Of the entire Mall-Avenue triangle
win be passed at the present session.
This viii permit the purchase of the
area now occupied by the commission
houses, and the building plans Of the
Government are sufficiently advanced
to justify the expectation that within
two years this option will be exer-
cised and the wholesale produce es-
adjustments will be under notice to
vacate. Therefore. in a very short
time the commission houses will be
leaving the area. The Commissioners
cannot force this question. Congress
alone can determine the time for va.
eating the present premises. It would.
consequently. seem that the matter
Of placing the Farmers Market, which
must be decided early in this present
session, might well be used as the
means of settling the whole broad
question Of the future market center.