George McAneny, President of the Board of Aldermen, briefly reviewed the history of the market and of its reconstruction.
“This building was a disgrace to the city four years ago,” he said. “But the new building is offered as a promise that this in time shall be the standard of all markets of the city. The start toward the reconstruction of Washington Market was made six years ago by the money saved through other economies. We saved nearly $500,000 from the $3,000,000 given to us to use and $43,000 of this saving went toward the remodeled market.”
The history of Washington Market and a detailed explanation of the great improvements that had been made were given by Matthew Micolino, President of the Washington Market Merchants’ Association. Others on the speakers’ platform were Ralph Folks, Commissioner of Public Works; Simon Steiner, one of the oldest dealers in Washington Market, and Mrs. Julian Heath, President of the National Housewives’ League.
Borough President Marcus M. Marks, Chairman of the Market Committee, who called up on the long-distance telephone from San Francisco when he was at the exposition to settle some of the details of the market and to decide on the date of its opening, told yesterday of the visits paid to the old market by Edward VII. when he was Prince of Wales and by Presidents Grant, Garfield, Arthur, and Cleveland. He added:
“Presidents bring honor, but residents bring business. I wish you both--business and honor. The oysterman, Cornelius Vanderbilt, was among those who in early days helped to make the market a success. In the old building the business had been carried up to more than $5,000,000 a year, and I prophesy that your business will run up to $10,000,000 a year.”
Controller Prendergast said that the new market ought to arouse the people of the city to the possibilities of having a fine market system.
“We have been trying to solve the market problem through three or four unrelated departments,” he said, “but nothing can be accomplished without central authority. Last Spring we asked the Legislature for authority to amend our charter to provide for a Department of Markets, but it refused. I think this was a great mistake. We shall make the same application again this Winter. If the new Constitution goes through we will ask the Board of Aldermen to pass a bill creating such a body.”