Evening star., 1934-10-04
FUND FOR SEWAGE
PLANT EXPECTED
Ickes Given Assurances
Work Can Be Started
by January !.

Secretary 1ckes was expected to
make known his decision today re-
specting the release of funds to start
work on the Districts $8,O00,000
sewage disposal plant at Blue Plains.
Signing of the contract, officials
said would depend largely upon
whether P. w. A. engineers report
that work on the project can be
started this Winter. as assured by the
Commissioners. and whether it can
be completed without undue delay.
The assurances of the District Com
missioners that they can have pre-
liminary work started by January
have been accepted in good faith"
but Mr.. Ickes, it was indicated, has
been looking closely into the tvs
methods proposed for treating the
sewage He has all along believed the
local project could be completed in
much less time than the four years
allotted under the District schedule.
Advancement Hoped For.
Commissioner George E. Allen said
today he hoped Secretary lckes would
immediately advance between 81 ,000,-
900 and s20O0,OOO," which he believed
would be sufficient to meet all the re-
quirements for getting the work rapid
ly under way.
Il am absolutely in accord with the
P. w. A. policy to get men to work
Immediately" he said. I'VE want to
do that with the sewage disposal
plant and want to cooperate in every
way possible with Secretary Ickes."
There was no indication today how
much money Secretary Ickes would
Immediately release, provided he is
ready to sign the contract for the
$4,000, 900 loan and grant. Since the
District would not begin paying in
terest for three years, P. w. A. off,
cials said it would be to the advantage
of the Commissioners, If the whole
sum were turned over at once. This
is a matter, however, which may not
be decided until Controller General
McCarl moves on various questions
pertaining to the financing submitted
to him by the Commissioners.
Sewage Treatment Question.
Secretary Ickes has been looking
into questions of sewage treatment
and this question. it was indicated,
may have an important bearing on his
own decision. The Districts schedule
for four years to complete the job
was based on the "activated sludge"
method of sewage disposal. whereas
proponents of the chemical precipi-
tations" method have been seeking
hearings. This latter effort, it is
understood, requires a much shorter
time to complete the sewage project
than the other.
P. w. A. officials were loath to
discuss the local project pending the
decision which Secretary Ickes was
expected to forward to the Commis-
sioners either today or tomorrow.
Pending the outcome of other hous-
ing and Slum clearance projects for
the District, Commissioner Allen said
today he would not press further
consideration of his own plans to
launch a rehabilitation and low-cost
housing project for unemployed work.
ers on the local relief roll.
He will let these plans slide along
for the present" he said, until he
learns more definitely what the Presi-
QeQL Alley COMMISSION anu lI1S r.
w. A. are proposing to do in Wash
lngton.
CO. ordination Possibility.
Il deem it wise to let other projects
take some definite shape before I
launch mine" Allen said 1T may be
we can coordinate all the plans in
some way"
President Roosevelt is expected to
designate the committee to handle
Washington's alley and slum clear
ance project under a 100000 appro-
priation already made. The Housing
Commission of P. w. A. also has
budgeted $4,300,0OO for a white and
a colored low-coSt housing program
in the city. The plans of the matter
are very much awry since the failure
of initial efforts to establish a low
cost housing project adjacent to
Howard University.
Commissioner Allen was in con-
ference at F. E. r. A. today with
Administrator Harry L. Hopkins. He
did not take up with Hopkins, how
ever, any questions pertaining to his
own rehabilitation program.