Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-28
FARMERS MARKET
SITE IN SOUTHWEST
|S0.k.'DBY SENATE
Bill Sent to President for
Signature by 52-to-
"a Vote.
TYDlNGS AND CAPPER
LOSE FLOOR BATTLE
Measure Passes in Same Form as
Approved by House, but
Year Later.

The bill to provide for establishment
of the new farmers produce market
In the Southwest section of the city is
on its way to the President for sigma
ture today. having passed the Senate
late yesterday by vote of 50 to "a.
When the roll call in the Senate yes
terday resulted in victory for advo-
Gates of the Southwest location il
marked the end of a controversy that
has been waged for several years over
the question of whether the new
farmers market should go near the
river front or somewhere north of Penn
sylvania avenue.
For two days preceding the vote
Senator Tydings, Democrat, of Mary
land. and Chairman Capper of the Sem
ate District committee led a fight in
opposition to the pending bill. Their
efforts to amend the measure, however
showed majority of the Senate to be
with Senator Glass, Democrat, of Vir-
ginia. in support of the Southwest site
The final move to change the bill
came late yesterday when Tydings pro-
posed to insert a proviso that no site
could be acquired until it had been
approved by three persons to be named
ny tllc IlSSluGIIG. ITO w uS
beaten, 40 to "a. after which the bill
was passed in the Identical form in
which it had gone through the House.
The bill went through the Senate one
year following its approval by the House,
which was on February 81, 1928.
Near Fish Market.
The site to be acquired under this bill
is bounded by Tenth, Eleventh. E and G
streets southwest, not far from Water
street, where the Municipal Fish Mar
ket is located. The measure authorizes
100000 for purchase of the land and
erection of the necessary protecting
sheds and stalls, but it is hardly likely
there will be time to have the money
appropriated before Congress adjoarnS
Monday.
The closing debate in the Senate yes
terday afternoon revolved largely
around the question of whether the
new market primarily is wholesale or
retail in character. Senators Glass OF
Virginia and Copeland of New York,
spokesman for supporters of the South
west location. contended that the Farm
ers' Produce Market. which formerly
stood on B street between Tenth and
Twelfth, and which is being replaced
Senator Glass declared 90 per cent of
the business at the old location was
wholesale and 8 per cent retail. Sena-
tor Copeland said that if he were at
tempting to locate a retail farmers
market, he would select a site near the
base ball park, but that this proposed
market largely was for wholesale busl-
ness.
Senator Brookhart suggested that If
so small percentage of the business
was retail at the old location there must
have been something wrong with the
old market, and indicated he favored a
market that would bring the producer
and the ultimate consumer together,
To this Senator Glass replied that
there are IL other retail markets in
various parts of the city, four of which
are owned by the District, where con-
sumers may buy farm produce at re-
tail.
Glass Makes Long Speech.
Senator Glass made lengthy speech
preceding the vote, in which he sought
to offset previous speeches by Senators
Capper and Tydings in opposition to
the Southwest site The Virginia Sena-
tor quoted a Maryland farmer as tes-
q
bill that some of the farmers did not
want to go Southwest, because they
would have to meet competition from
the steamboats, and from the South.
Senator Glass also said he had filed a
statement showing 40 commission men
in favor of the Southwest site, in an
sWer to the argument that another
group of commission men had obtained
an option to develop a market on the
Patterson tract.
Senator Tydings submitted data pre-
pared by officials of the Department of
Agriculture. which, he said, showed that
during the last year of operation at the
old location the farmers sold 81 per
cent of the produce direct to consumers.
He argued that the city is growing to
the north, east and west, while the new
market is to be placed on the rim Of the
city at the south.
Senator King, Democrat, of Utah,
took the position there is no reason why
Federal or District funds should be APP
propriated to build a market for whole
sale business,
Blaine Cites Traffic Congestion.
Senator Blaine, Republican. of Wis
consin, laid stress on the traffic conges-
ton which. he argued, would be created
by placing the market south of Penn
sylvania avenue. He also made a plea
for Identification of the Washington
channel portion of the river front be-
tween the War College and Fourteenth
street, and declared such an improve
ment would be delayed by the erection
of substantial buildings in that area.
The roll-call vote on final passage of
the bill was as follows:
In favor of the bill: Republicans
Bingham. Borah, Couzens, Curtis, De-
neen, Edge. Fess, Glenn. Golf, Hale,
Jones, Keyes. McNary, Metcalf. Moses,
Norbeck, Oddie, Reed of Pennsylvania,
Robinson of Indiana, Sackett, Schall,
Smoot, SteiWer. Thomas of Idaho, VAN
denberg, Warren, Waterman and Wat
Son-28.
Democrats-Barkley, Black, Blease,
Caraway, Copeland, Edwards, Fletcher,
George Glass, Harris, Harrison, Hef1in,
Kendrick, Mcclellan, Mayfleld. Overman,
Robinson Of Arkansas Sheppard Smith,
Stephens, Swanson, Trammell Wagner
and Walsh of Montana-24.
Total in favor. So.
Against the bill: Republicans-Blaine
Brookhart, Capper. Dale, Frazier john
son, McMaster and Pine-8.
Democrats-Ashurst, Bratton. Brous-
sard, Bruce, Dill, Gerry, Halves, Hay
den, King. Nicely. Ransdell Steck.
Thomas of Oklahoma. Tydings. Walsh
of Massachusetts and Wheeler, is.
Total against, "a.