Evening star., 1936-10-16
CHANNEL PROGRAM.
WILL Be PRESSED.
Trade Board Group Names
I subcommittee to Carry
on Work.

tributaries, dredging away OF the muo
hank along the south bank OF East
Potomac Park and the early issuance
of harbor regulations were outlined
rs projects to be pressed during the
coming year by the River and Harbor
Improvement Committee of the WASH
ington Board of Trade at q general
meeting yesterday afternoon.
The meeting, held in the ONCE OF
the committee chairman, John A.
Remon, in the Chesapeake g. Potomac
Telephone Co. Building, ended with
the appointment of five standing sub
committees, which were instructed to
carry on the separate projects.
Chairman Remon reported that the
present Potomac dredging work being
carried on by the Army Engineers
once will result in savings in shipping
costs of 100000 year to local con-
'sumers of lumbef. petroleum and
building materials shipped here by
water. This dredging was one OF the
proiects advocated by the committee.
Menace to Navigation.
Removal of the mud bank along
Potomac Park. Remon said, would
cost about sl25 900 He said the project
Is approved by the Army Engineer
Corps and by the National Capital
Parks office, provided funds can De
obtained. Remon characterized the
hank as a menace to navigation and
said that, since it lies close to the
surface. it is covered with marine
rrovths which collect river Nth in
the Summertime and hold 1t until IL
rutrif1es. polluting the river and con-
etituting an annoyance to all users OF
Potomac Park. Removal OF the oank
would be Of great benefit IN the hoio'
ing of regattas and would allow canoe
ists to tie up along the sea wall
instructions were given the new
subcommittee on Port Development
to push for the rapid completion OF the
nroposed washington Channel pro-
rram. for which $4,000 has been
made available This amount covers
orenarations of plans. and the proJect
will cost 81 l,650,00o. Remon reporteo.
Present plans contemplate complexion
of the project within five or SIX years.
he said.
Increased Use CIted.
"It would be of great advantage 10
sneed I'D this project" the chairman
said THE situation in Washington
channel is bad from the standpoint
of the rapidly increasing private san-
hoat and motor boat fleet. Two years
ago there were very few privately
ouned sailboats here Today there
are between rs and 100 and the num-
ber is growing rapidly, to say nothing
of the great increase in the NUMBER
~ motor boats. These sailboats ana
smaller motor boats are being used oy
people of moderate means VINO are
forced to the water by increasing
highway traffic congestion
M. o. Leighton, who was named
r,ce chairman and head of the Sub
committee on Miscellaneous Projects,
reported that while great progress mas
been made in reducing pollution OF
the Potomac, the river probably never
will become so pure it will be nj Ior
bathing. because of accidental and
illegal pollution unavoidable IN
densely populated area.
THE river probably soon will be-
cont as pure as it is possible for any
stream to be which drains so large
and densely populated an area" he
said. The increase in population IN
the Potomac Valley above Great Falls
has been Just about enough to onset
the pollution development carried
out below"
Leighton said that completion Of the
present District sewage disposal pro-
gram would reduce local river pollu-
ton perhaps 80 per cent"
He commented on a proposal laid
before the National Resources Com
mittee some months ago that the Po-
ton1ac River basin be adopted as
national model for anti-pollution work.
Committee Personnel.
The committee appointed subcom-
mittees on channel improvement, port
development, wharves, miscellaneous
projects and laws and regulations.
Henry H. Baker was named committee
secretary and F. E. Smith assistant
secretary. Vice chairnen and SUBJ
committee members were appointed,
as follows:
Channel improvements.
chairman Kimball. Jesse j.
Bush r. w. Leech. FRANK r.