Evening star., 1927-10-05
MERITS OF MARKET SITES
PRESENTED TO COMMISSIONERS

clean,' said Mr.. Santo, "and other
cities have found waterfront sites
best"
Mrs. Wiley Speaks.
Mrs. Harvey w. Wiley, representing
the Twentieth Century Club, spoke in
favCr of the Southwest Washington
site. She contended that food could
be handled more economically in that
section and lower prices to consumers
would result.
distribution of food should be as
near as possible to the point of re.
ceipt." she said. "The point of receipt
Of the great bulk of perishable food
from the South to Washington is in
Southwest Washington at the end of
the Long Bridge, which is about
miles from the great Potomac yards,
which has a. track capacity for ap-
proximately 10000 ears"
Mrs. Wiley said women buyers and
retail dealers would find the water
front location convenient. She op-
posed separating the produce and the
rish markets. She stressed the con-
venience of the Southwest to both the
Virginia and southern Maryland farm
ers.
Would BE Proud of Market.
I'VE are proud Of our city," said
Mrs. Wiley. Let us be proud Of our
market. too. There is nothing more
beautiful than cabbages, turnips,
beets and carrots spread out to be
seen. We could point out our fine.
modern market to visitors as we drive
on the Speedway"
Cost of living is higher in Washing
ton than before the war said Mrs
Wiley. The location of the Farmers
Market on the water front would tend
to reduce prices, she held.
las woman and house holder,
favor the southwest site," concluded
Mrs. Wiley.
John II. Shreve, president of the
Washington branch Of the National
League of Commission Merchants,
urged the southwest site for several
reasons, including the cold storage
facilities.
Restaurant and hotel buyers would
rather buy their produce in the south
west, because they would have to go
there for fish, said L. Colvin, buyer
for the Wallace Cafe.
Sees No Traffic Problem.
p. Junkersfeld Of Mcclellan and
Junkersfeld. engineers, who made a.
transportation survey of the District
Of Columbia. for the Commissioners in
1925, said that market in the south.
west would not interfere with traffic
unduly. The mid-city and lexington
sites, he said, were not as convenient
to local and incoming traffic as the
southwest site
A. J. DriscoJl took up the argument
for the nidcity site on behalf of the
Mid-City Citizens Assoc Iation. A To-
cation in the vicinity Of Fifth and K
streets northwest would be particu.
larly convenient for retail buyers, he
said. and in this respect is superior to
every other site suggested. He named
the various car lines which reach this
neighborhood. and said there was al
most unlimited parking space for au.
tomObiles.
Mr.. Driscoli said that he could not
understand why farmers should want
TO locate their market away from the
center of population. when they de-
pend largely on retail buyers to dis
pose OF their produce.
What We aim to do is to bring the
market to the people," he said.
Sixty per cent OF the retail stores are
located in the Northwest, declared Mr..
Driscoll, and a. nearby market would
III the market center were in the
southwest, said Mr.. Driscoll, the traf.
nc problem would be very serious dur.
ing parades on Pennsylvania avenue.
He said this problem would disappear
II the mid-city site were chosen.
Many Favor Mid-city Site.
Mr.. Driscoll said a petition was cir.
culated among the commission mer.
chants on Louisiana avenue, which
showed that vast ma jority of them
favored the mid-city site. He read a.
long list Of citizens associations and
other organizations in the northwest
and northeast sections indorsing these
locations
I'VE are endeavoring TO provide for
the people of the District a site for
the present and all time, where they
will go and deal" said MIR. Driscoll
1t would be ridiculous to place the
market in a location to which thew
will not go"
The mid-city site. Mr. Driscoll held
would be convenient for the Pennsvl.
vania and Baltimore & Ohio railroads
which have a shorter haul for farm
produce than any other lines to the
city. AT the same time farmers of
Montgomery County and western
Maryland and western Virginia he
said, would find the so-called Conven.