Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-24
Suggests Two Markets.


William B. Hudson. engaged as con-
iulting engineer by the National Capt.
tal Park and Planning Commission, last
night told the subcommittee that with
prospects OF growing population WASH
,ngton could well consider having two
Farmers Markets. one on each side of
The Mall
Maj. Cary II. Brown. executive assis-
tant to the planning commission, sum-
married the studies made by that
agency last year. as the result of which
the commission recommended that the
three sites under consideration at that
time be considered in the following
order: lexington. west of the railroad ,
Southwest. and mid-city Mai. Brown
testified that the findings of the park
commission were before the District
Commissioners when they drafted their
report to Congress last month. so that
there was nothing new in his testimony.
The District Commissioners came to
the conclusion that the farmers should
be provided for in some temporary way.
SO that the city could delay buying a
permanent site until 1t becomes known
where the commission merchants plan
TO establish themselves. The city heads
took the view that If Congress prefers
to move the farmers Immediately to a
permanent site, the Commissioners re-
commend Southwest.
Fourth Of Population.
Mr.. Toomey. speaking for business
men in the vicinity of the base ball
park. urged a site on the west side of
Georgia avenue. over to Eighth street,
and extending north from a proposed
new street about to be cut through.
Mr. Toomey said the market area should
be extended north to Barry place II
necessary.
Disputing the contention that mar
kets should be near a railroad terminal,
Mr.. Toomey declared that III they are
dependent on railroads 1t is a funny
thing that up to this day the market
has prospered away from the railroads.
Until the Government needed the land
no one suggested moving the market
to railroad
Mr.. Toomey said more street car lines
converge near the Georgia avenue site
than anywhere in Washington, with the
possible exception OF Fifteenth street
and New York avenue. In the 1927 po-
lice census. he continued, 1t was found
that IS per cent OF the population of
Washington lives within eight blocks OF
wa N~~AAsAt cSANNt 14l4 al n AOhu.
Can Handle Crowds.
Fifty per cent OF the farmers drive out
Georgia avenue, Mr.. Toomey said. He
testified that rs per cent of the seafood
supply OF Washington is brought In BY
truck or rail.
To show the subcommittee that large
crowds and heavy traffic could be ham
died expeditiously at the proposed loca-
ton. Mr.. Toomey declared that when
Washington won the base ball world
series several years ago there were
10000 persons at Griffith Stadium and
thousands OF automobiles in the vicinity.
The entire crowd. he said, was cleared
from that neighborhood In IS or 20
minutes.
Mrs. c. Albert White. speaking for
the women's federated clubs OF the city,
favored the mid-city site. telling the
committee 10 would not be possible for
women to go to market placed at any
extreme point.
Chairman Gibson OF the subcommit-
tee asked Mai. Brown II a market on
the Southwest site would interfere with
the Park Commission plans for boule-
ward along Water street. Mai. Brown
said that a market on the north side
OF Water street would not interfere with
those plans.
Speaks for Southwest.
Mr.. Hudson said that the sites north
and south OF the Mall each had distinc-
tive. desirable points but that no one
site has all the desired attributes. In
some ways, he said. the Southwest Is
ideal. He added that II was unfortu-
nate you lack there the people 10 buy
the farmers produce"
Col. Wrisley Brown. spokesman for
the Southwest site. took issue with MIR.
Hudson, emphasizing that the bulk OF
the Farmers Market business IL whole
sale. and that The wholesale buyers
would find IL convenient 10 go TO the
Southwest site. Col Brown inserted In
the record letters from number of
the largest hotels favoring the South
west
Advocates Of the B,izzard Point site
filed additional testimony regarding the
space available for farmers sheds on
different proposed sites DIR. Percival
Hall Of the Columbia Institution for the
Deaf objected 10 an lexington site that
would extend east to the Patterson
tract
Joseph T. Weller filed letter urging
square ITO In the lexington section as
Farmers Market site.