Evening star., 1936-11-11
GARDINER GIVES
DATA0NA AbATT0|R
Letter to Frederic A. DeIano
Gives GobeI Company's
Side of Controversy.

w. Gwynn Gardner, counsel for
Adolf Gobel, Inc, in their efforts to
obtain permit to construct an abat-
toir in Northeast Washington, has
written letter to Frederic A. Delano,
chairman Of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission and the
Committee of One Hundred on the
Federal City Of the American Planning
and Civic Association, giving addi-
tional data on the company's side Of
the controversy.
Old Loffier Plant.
This plant is the old Lofier plant
that has been in operation since 1887"
the letter said
In 1884 there was a very bad fire
which damaged the machinery and
destroyed part Of the building. 1t
necessarily required some time TO adj
just insurance and to prepare for the
repairing of the building and the re-
placement of the machinery de-
stroyed. The Gobel plant, which is
the old Loff1er plant (the corporation
name having been changed) desired
to rebuild the plant in the most mod
ern way and to equip it with the most
modern machinery, having in mind
three things: % Economy, CD COM
petition, (3) improvement of work.
ing conditions for those employed
by 1t and the destruction of any
possible offensiveneSs to individ-
uals or the community. The plant
Is being constructed on the same
site as the original plant 1t
is OF the same size as the original
plant, no smaller and no larger. It's
operations are to be of the same char
acter, no larger. no smaller, no diff
ferent. Its construction is under plans
prepared by the leading architects in
the construction Of this character of
building in this country. Its Qachin-
cry is of the latest and most compe-
tent kind. It has been selected after
more than six months Of hard work
with engineers studying various ma
chimes and equipment in order that
we may have the best that money can
buy. 1t has for its purpose the bring
ing Of considerable money to Wash
ington in bank deposits, in the employ
ment Of 400 persons, whose money will
be disbursed among the merchants in
Washington and deposited in the banks
in Washington. Furthermore, for six
months these plans have been before
the Bureau of Animal Industry Of the
Agriculture Department and Dr. Moh-
Ter, the chief of that bureau, and his
assistants have approved these plans
as meeting all requirements and in
every particular the most modern
plant.
I'VE are not establishing an abattoir
in the District of Columbia. We are
simply carrying on a business which
has been carried on uninterruptedly
since 1887. Il say 'uninterruptedly'
because. while We have not killed
cattle since the fire, live stock of all
kind have come into the yard and been
transferred to other plants for slaugh-
ter during the period of our prepara-
ton for rebuilding) Why should a
mans business be taken away from
him because some one who feels un-
kindly toward such a business thinks
that at some future day something is
going TO be done in that community
and that the business established since
1887 might be offensive to something
that might be done at some future
day?
Partly Destroyed by Fire.
"Now, you know very well that a
plant that has been operating since
1887, which was partly destroyed by
fire and which. as a result of being
partly destroyed, is being rebuilt in
the most modern manner, with the
most modern machinery cannot add
to what now exists. Furthermore. do
you know that there are eight slaugh-
ter houses in the District of Columbia
now operating? Do you know that
those eight slaughter houses are kill
ing live stock for human consumption
and that some of them at least have
no Government supervision or inspec-
ton over the meat killed and sold for
human consumption? Do you know
that some of these places are right in
the most thickly populated part of
washington, whereas, may I tell you
that this plant Is being operated under
the most stringent rules of the Fed.
eral Government; that a Federal in
spector stands by and examines every
COW and hog and sheep that is killed
and that several inspectors stand by
and examine the carcass Of every one
after death before it leaves the
slaughter room to be put in refrigera-
ton? And do you know that an in
spector puts the Federal stamp of ap-
proval upon every piece of meat before
it goes into the chilling room? These
are facts that are worthy of considera-
ton and facts that business men with
common sense and good Judgment
cannot turn their backs on.
Let me 60 further. The Com
missioners of the District of Colum-
bia realize that they have no right to
decline a permit to this man and
withhold the final permit for the COM
pletion of the building (they have
granted the permits for the founda-
tions and the foundations have all
been laid at very considerable cost
to my client, until a committee ap-
pointed by the Commissioners could
determine whether or not there was
any nuisance connected with the op-
Grafton Of this plant.
Approved by Association.
1.-THE citizens association of that
community has by resolution passed
by it approved this project. and $50
of the citizens in the community and
surrounding neighborhood, including
all of those in close proximity to the
plant, have signed petition urging the
rebuilding of this plant and the re-
sumption Of its operations. That reso-
luton and that petition signed by our
citizens has been placed with and is
now before the Commissioners of the
District Of Columbia for their infor-
nation and guidance in the matter.
THE distance of this plant from the
n A~s