AGRIClTLTrRAL AI'PROI'RIATION BIIJ^ 1024. 455 



FOR OrKRATION AND MANAOKMKNT OF CKNTKK MAKKKT. 



Mr. Andkrson. Wv will take up llus ( ViiUr Murkft it4<ii) on pa|fo 

 i) I.'). 



Mr. KrrciiKN. Tlu* appr(>|)riati«>n for tlio Ontir Market, Mr. 

 Chainnnn. rovers nn cstiinHtr for \\ic (intt time thnt the (tovcrn- 

 nuMit \\t\s over nctiiallv opcrntrd the plnoc. 'VUc law i ' mjj 



(lie pro|)crty to [\w (iovrrium-iil wa.s p&sstMl nn Muci ;. . Jl. 



'Dint net provided that a C(>ninii.><Mion should Im* uppomti'd hv tho 

 I'rcsidont to make a valuation of tlic |>hysi<-al iniftroviintnt.H on 

 \\\v land. Jind the roninii.'^'^ion was appointed on tlic Ith of Orfohor. 

 1021. The conniiission conipietf'd its work within six ninntiis. as 

 re(|uired by law, and tiled its award on the 3l9t of March, 1922. 

 Tlu' award amounted to .51 M»(),'J .')(). On the 1st day of April of this 

 M'ar. the Department of Aj^riculture ttssunied control of the properly 

 ami took over the management of it. W v are operalinj^ a larp- busi- 

 ness institution. Before takinj; it over, we had U* draw rules and 

 rejjulations. which we have done, and we had t<) chan;;)' the a<-eounting 

 system so jis to conform to the liscal n*f|uiremenls of the Treasury. 

 We put all of the tenants under lejuse. and other contracts were made. 

 One of the diflicuit thinj^s that we had to handle was that at tho 

 time we took o\ cr the proj>erty llie cold-storage warehouse was prac- 

 tically filled with perishable commodities. All of those accmints 

 had to be liquidated, and the storage <lue the market company had 

 to be paid to the market company, and that due the Government 

 had to be collected as it became iluc. 



SANITARY CONDrriONS I.MPROVKD. 



We started out in the operation of the market itself, first, to 

 improve the sanitary conditions, and we have had a general clean-up. 

 A\ e liave painted the ceiling in tlie interior court of the B Street wing, 

 ami we have naiuteil the interi(»r of the bowling alley completely and 

 the side walls of the auditorium. We have also remodeled the 

 public toilet facilities at considera})le expense. In connection with 

 the sanitation work, we have issued regulations covering the handling 

 of meats, and have employed a meat inspector by transfer from the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry to protect the public against the sale of 

 impure or unwholesome meats. Tlie duties of that inspector are 

 also to make sure that the utensils and equipment used in handling 

 meats are kept in a thoroughly clean and sanitary condition. The 

 ct)ld-storage warehouse is operated on as nearly a commercial basis 

 as is practicable under Government control. We receive commodi- 

 ties for storage from tenants and from outsiders, and the storage is 

 j)aid on the basis of the established rates. 



OPEIL\TION OF HLSINKSS S KLK-y I ri'OK 11 N ( I . 



I am glad to inform the committee that the operation of this 

 business by the Government is entirely self-supporting. 1 have a 

 statement here covering seven months, or from the time we took the 

 property over, showing our receipts annnmt to SI 30.2 P.). 23, against an 

 expenditure of ?100,OS7.o6. The expenses show a balance in the 

 Treasury of about S30.000. At the present rate of expense and 

 income we will take in about $240,000 this year. Our appropriation 



