Evening star., 1937-09-02
SLAUGHTER HOUSE
FIGHT IS SHIFTED
Opponents Turn to Health
Department to Continue
Battle.

Department to Continue
Battle.
Governmental forces will, for the
time being. rely on the Health Depart
ment IN their effort to protect Wash
ington from the worst effects of
slaughter house nuisances provided
The District is forced eventually to
issue an operating permit to the Adolf
Gobel Co.
Despite the failure of all technical
methods to stop construction work on
the Gobel plant in Benning, Federal
and District officials who have en-
gagged in relentless 10-month cam
paign refused today to admit defeat.
They have simply changed their plan
OF battle, they claimed, in view Of the
admission Of Corporation Counsel
Elwood Seal and others that the Dis
trict apparently had exhausted the
legal means at Its disposal for halt
ing operation of the plant.
The change in tactics followed an
admission from both Federal and Dis
trict officials that the issuance of an
operating permit to the Adolf Gobel
Co., seems inevitable. Corpora
tion Counsel Elwood Seal was un-
derstood to have advised yesterday 8
conference Of 81 officials that the
District had exhausted every legal
means at its disposal to stop construc-
ton work from proceeding on the
Gobel slaughter house in Benning.
As a result, it Was agreed that the
only alternative was to impose very
rigid conditions on the Gobel firm II
it carries out Its determination to ap-
ply to the Health Department for an
operating permit. DR.. George c. Ruh-
land was directed to make . study OF
necessary health and sanitation pre-
cautions and report back to the Com
missioners.
See Threat to Plant.
The reason for this degree Of pre-
caution was an agreement on the part
Of all officials that operation Of large
slaughter house would be an excessive
burden on the new sewage disposal
plant at Blue Plains, and add to the
pollution in the Potomac River.
A statement issued on behalf Of the
conference late yesterday by Capt.
Patrick H. Tansey, Acting Engineer
Commissioner, was interpreted as q
tacit admission that there seems to
be no legal way to prevent the Gobel
Co. from operating in Washington II
it chooses to do so In the face Of a
tide Of public opposition. The state
ment said:
1.-THE P. w. A. and District officials
are in substantial agreement as to
the effect of the operations Of the
abattoir on the Sewage Treatment
Plant and the condition Of the river
It was the sense Of the meeting that
conditions to be incorporated in an
operating permit, when issued, will
tend to assure the abattoir operating
with q minimum adverse effect upon
the treatment plant, the river and
6QJacent properly.
Denies Admission Of Defeat.
Capt. Tansey insisted there was
still chance that the slaughter house
would not be placed In operation
and refused to admit that his state
ment was an admission Of defeat.
Interior Department officials were
awaiting the return of Secretary 1ckea
before making any definite statement
As the P. w. A., Of which he Is ad-
ministrator, advanced funds for the
construction Of the sewage plant, he
forced the Commissioners to call the
conference held yesterday.
It was announced following this
session that the sanitary experts also
were agreed that the threatened Gobel
slaughtering operations would advance
the time when it would be necessary
to install 4 secondary treatment plant
for the city's sewage. The estimated
cost would nearly equal the amount
Of $4,125, 900 expended on the present
plant at Blue Plains.
The plant was designed to take
care Of the needs for partial sewage
treatment until 1850, when, 1t was
estimated several years ago, WASH
ington would have q population OF
CSC, 900. Sanitary experts are pretty
near agreement on an estimate OF
slaughter house waste equivalent to
an additional population Of 100000
people. When the great numbers Of
Washington's tourist population Il
taken into account they claimed the
menace to the sewage plant from
slaughtertng operations = apparent
even II the amount Of waste Is far
less than estimated.
DR.. Ruhland was expected to call
his committee into conference today.
Having served IN = somewhat similar
capacity when the 0obel' company
applied for buildtps permit last O.