Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-01
LAST OF MARKET
DEALERS MOVING
Given Two More Days to Get
Equipment and Goods
Out of Stalls.
Armed with special permission from

Armed with special permission from
the Department of Agriculture to re-
main in the old Center Market Building
two days longer for the purpose of re-
moving equipment and belongings, a
busy band of struggling dealers this
morning proceeded to continue moving
from the historic marketplace pursuant
to the Governments evacuation order,
which went into effect last midnight
While the majority of the dealers
forced to quit the market rounded out
final day of business yesterday and
succeeded in removing equipment from
their stalls last night, evidence of much
moving activity prevailed along the
aisleS of the huge market building on
the south side If Pennsylvania avenue,
between Seventh and Ninth streets to-
day.
Property Removed Checked.
The Government was repxesented at
the scene of the moving last night and
today by watchmen and caretakers, in
structed to check the amount of prop
erty removed from the stalls and to
thwart any attempt today to use the
building as a public market. A few
cases were noted where dealers were
prevented from consigning goods or
dered from them yesterday directly
from the Center Market to customers
be in violation of the order to close
the market.
Dealers were permitted, however, to
remove their merchandise and equip
ment, provided it was consigned to a
newly established market stall, or to
some other storage place. Only certain
of the doors of Center Market were
left unlocked for the dealers so that
a more accurate check by the limited
number of Government employees on the
scene might be made.
Most of the dealers have obtained
quarters in other market places in
other parts of the city, principally the
Convention Hall Market, at Fifth and
K streets, while a few have abandoned
business altogether.
No Headway on Extension.
The order to close Center Market
January l, 1881, was passed by Con-
greSs early last year, SO that the struc-
ture could be demolished to make way
for the new Department of Justice
Building, which is to form an integral
part of the Federal buildings program
south of Pennsylvania avenue.
A number of Senators who were
sympathetic TO the position of the many
dealers and retail farmers scattered
around the building who are affected
by the order sought to have an extern
sion obtained for the marketmen, but
no Roadway in this respect was made.
A few days ago the controller general
of the Treasury informed the Secretary
of Agriculture that under his interpre-
tation Of the congressional act, the De-
partment of Agriculture would be I'M
warranted in expanding public funds
for the continuance of operation of the
market after January l.
AS soon as all of the dealers property
has been removed from the Center
Market Building, the Treasury is ex-
pected to instruct the wrecking COM
pany awarded the contract for demoli-
ton to proceed with the razing.
The site of Center Market is one
designated by George Washington in
1897 as parcel No. ~ of a group of
II pieces of land in the District of
Columbia reserved by the then Presi-
dent as public reservations. Gen. Wash
ington at that time described the loca-
ton south of the avenue as Center
Market" being an area comprising
slightly more than two acres, and was
acquired by the Government at the rate
of $66.50 an acre, according to John
Clagett Proctor's Washington, Past and
Present" The first market house was
established there in 1902. The present
building was constructed in 1872.