Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
Bill, introduced in Senate, Is
Referred to District
Committee.
$500, 900 FUND ASKED
FOR LAND PURCHASE
Project Would Be Operated by
Commissioners Under Terms
of Draft.

A new Center Market costing $780,
600, to be operated by the District
Commissioners. is provided for in a bill
introduced late yesterday by Chairman
Capper of the Senate District commit
tee and referred to that committee for
consideration.
Senator Capper has been working on
the measure since the Senate some time
ago adopted resolution providing for
the closing of the present Center Mar
ket June 80 of this year to make way
for the new Department of Justice
Building in the Federal construction
program south of Pennsylvania avenue.
This resolution is awaiting action by
the House.
Plans Public Hearings.
Shortly after introducing the bill yes
terday Senator Capper said his COM
mittee would hold public hearings. the
date to be fixed later. to ascertain the
public viewpoint on the question. At
the same time he made public report
from special committee of the FEEDER
alton of Citizens Associations favoring
new retail market somewhere north
OF Pennsylvania avenue and as near to
the population and geographical GEN.
ters as practicable.
OF the total amount authorized In
the Capper bill, $500 900 would be for
the purchase of land, and 100000 for
construction of the necessary market
structures.
The site would be selected jointly by
the District Commissioners, the Secre-
tary of Agriculture and the director of
public buildings and public parks.
Construction of the market and the
making of necessary regulations for its
operation would be under the jurisdic-
ton of the Commissioners.
A feature of the bill is the provision
that not less than 200, 900 square feet
of the land acquired for the new mar
ket center shall be used for the con-
struction of shelters for use by farm
ers for the sale of farm produce.
Provides for Financing.
The bill provides that the sums au-
thorized are to be charged against the
general funds in the Treasury and
against the revenues for the District
of Columbia, in the same proportion
as are other appropriations to cover
the expenses of the Government of the
District of Columbia, At present the
Federal Government appropriates a
lump sum of 100000 a year toward
the expenses of the District, and what
ever remainder is needed to meet the
amount appropriated comes from the
District
The bill gives the Commissioners au-
thority to make leases for space in the
new market at rentals to be fixed by
them. No lease, however, could be
made for more than a year at time
and subletting would not be permitted.
All }monies collected from operation of
the new market would be deposited in
the Treasury to the credit of the Dis
trict.
The Commissioners are authorized to
adopt regulations for collection of rents
and fees, the care and sale of COM
modities, the orderly conduct of tenants
and fair dealing with the public"
Penalties of not to exceed $25 fine
could be fixed for a violation of any of
the proposed regulations for the opera
contained in the bill to close any street
or alley within or adjacent to the site
selected for the market.
Cite Reasons for New Market.
In the report it filed with Senator
Capper, the special committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations adj
vanced the following contentious in
support of establishing new center
market:
That pre- and post season perish
ables, for which there would be slight
| demand at small or widely scattered
markets. find ready sale at a large
market having a reputation for an al
most complete assortment of perish
| able foodstuffs
That a large market In a central
| location tends to stabilize prices at
reasonably low levels because of the
presence and close grouping of many
competing vendors.
That net revenues OF the Center
Market have averaged about 100000
annually from 1923 to 1928, both years
| inclusive, which sum is suff1cient to
amortize rapidly an investment of
about 81, 500,0 600"
The federation report also recon-
mended that the functions OF Center
Market be continued without Interrupt
ton in the present or temporary loca-
ton pending the completion Of new
| structure.
Early last year Congress completed
enactment of a law authorizing estab-
! lishment of new farmers market in
| the Southwest section near the water
/ front. Under the Capper bill for new
| Center Market there would also be a
! space for farmers stands.