Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-20
PARK Commission
AVOIDS ABATTO|R.
Declines to Censure Plan and
Back Opposing Arlington
County Groups.

Civic interests of Arlington county,
which are raising their voices in
protest against establishment OF an
abattoir near the Highway br1dge
and not great distance from the
proposed approaches to the new
Memorial Bridge, need not look to
the National Capital Park ana ran
ming Commission for assistance IN
their fight.
The commission, at It's meeting yes
terday, discussed the abattoir project
axiG agreed to keep its hands OF. ac
s7S..ling To an announcement by Lieut..
Col. l.. S. Grant. Sd. executive ofHcer
The slaughter-house, Col. Grant de-
clared will not menace any OF tue
Governments park or bouleVaru
ulans for that section of Virginia, ana
1t will be erected in an area ALREADY
dominated by industries such as
brick plants, coal yards and freight
wards. For that reason, he said, the
commission felt diSinclined to inter
pose any objection to the project.
personally Col. Grant stated,
think that construction there oil the
abattoir would be unfortunate, but
not necessarily fatal.
Decision of the commission, ny m
formal concurrence. to Keep out OF the
controversy constitutes the second
;batroir within a week.
The first blow was the issuance oy
the Board of Supervisors OF Arlington
County of a permit to the Auth FRO
vision Co. for erection of the pant
over the protests of the Arlington
County Civic Federation and other
civic bodies. The board gave its sane
ton after representatives of the AUTH
Co had declared that the plant would
not become q nuisance.
Denies Odor Theory.
The civic directors contend that it
is impossible to build an abattolr so
close to large highways and in proX-
unity to future park developments
without it becoming Objectionable by
reason of the obnoxious odors ana
unsightly conditions attending the
slaughter of animals.
Questioned yesterday regarding
these contentious, John Auth. an
official of the company, declared that
there will be absolutely no odors'
and that the unsightly conditions
feared will not exist. The plant, he
said, will be housed in a 100000
two-story modern structure ana VIII
be used for the purposes of killing
and dressing hogs, cattle and other
live stock. The stock will be kept
in sanitary cattle pens prior to being
slaughtered. he stated.
'1'hev won't know there are any
hogs there except for hearing their
squeals now and them" Mr.. Auth
sad Construction OF the plant,
which is to be located on the north
side of the Columbia pike, few
hundred feet from it's intersection
with the lower road to Alexandria,
will start within a week or two, 1t
was asserted.
Permission Is Necessary.
In deciding to issue the permit, the
Board of Supervisors also adopted an
ordinance making it compulsory for
all persons desiring to erect "abat-
foirs, soap factories, fertilizer plants
or junk plants" to obtain formal per
mission Of the board. This ordinance
was recommended by Maj. Carey III.
Brown, engineer Of the National Cap
ital Park ard Planning Commission,
and is in line with a petition presented
to the supervisors by the Lyon Village
Citizens Association.
The Lyon Village association. in
addition to urging the supervisors to
disapprove the erection of ''undesir
able industrial plants" called on the
board Ito take without delay any
steps necessary toward the procure
anent for Arlington County of coming
ordinance or law, with a view to safe
guarding the vital program OF park
and boulevard development mapped
out under the Greater Washington
plan"
Col. Grant said yesterday that
Arlington County is to be congratu
lated tor adopting the new permit
ordnance, as it serves to bring quos-
tionable industries under the scrutiny
Of authorized county officials.
Woman Fights Plan.
Attention of State officials charged
with supervision OF abattoirs from a
sanitary standpoint has been directed
TO the complaints Of citizens with re-
gard to the Auth project, but f. G.
Breazeal, director of the dairy and
food division of the Virginia Depart
1nent OF Agriculture. at Richmond,
has announced that he can take no
action unless the establishment, after
being placed in operation, should be
lnsanitary.
The Virginia Park and Planning
commission. appointed by Gov. Byrd
10 cooperate with the Federal Park
Commission. has gone on record
against objectionable plants in the
area set aside for development near
the Memorial Bridge, and has specified
ss Objectionable any industry emitting
1lauseous odors, without designating
<ahattoirs by name.
Miss Gertrude Croker. a member
of the Arlington County Chamber of
Commerce, is one Of the leading cam
paicners against the Auth plans. She
has conferred with number of State
and Federal officials regarding means
s0r halting the project.
1T is impossible to build an abattoir
shat viii not be offensive" she rde
slared yesterday. Besides the doors
sf scalded animals there is the pros
pect of railroad sidings. cattle cars
and yards Of herded hogs. sheep and
other stock. 1t is an outrage that
Arlington County should become the
dumping ground for industries which
Washington doesn't want"