Evening star., 1937-05-14
KING BILL BACKERS
SCORE At HEARING
Attack on Nuisance Indus.
tries Joined by Copeland
and De|an0.

A relentless attack by Senator Royal
3. Copeland of New York on plans Of
Adolf Gobel, Inc, to conduct a meat
rendering plant and slaughter house
within the northeast limits of Wash
1ngton featured lively hearing yes
terday afternoon before a special
Senate District Subcommittee
Civic supporters of the King bill
which would put an effective curb on
nuisance industries in the Capital
City took heart from a situation that
had changed over night and had the
slaughter house forces clearly on the
defensive. A supporting statement
also was produced at the hearing
from Frederic "A. Delano, uncle Of
President Roosevelt and chairman Of
the National Capital Park and Plan
ming Commission and the American
Planning and Civic Association.
Unable because Of illness to attend
the hearing, Mr.. Delano sent this
message: Il believe the King bill
would give the District permanent
protection from nuisance industries
WAAASAi AAa NS IN paw Az q wy PAdAAilCu
at the seat of the Federal Govern
ment. I therefore hope it will be-
come law"
1t was Mr. Delano and Secretary
Of the Interior Ickes who last Fall
interested President Roosevelt in the
efforts to ban what Copeland termed
yesterday an offensive nuisance"
from an area surrounded by existing
and planned park Improvements.
Civic Planners Back Bill.
Others who joined in support Of
the King bill at the hearing, which
will continue through part of next
week, were Miss Harlean James, exc
cutive secretary Of the American
Planning and Civic Association and
DR.. Charles B. Campbell, chairman Of
the Public Health Committee of the
Federation of Citizens Associations.
Another supporting witness was
Francis P. Sullivan, chairman of the
Committee of the National Capital,
American Institute of Architects. He
is engaged on plans for the East Capt.
tol street stadium which would be adj
Versely affected by slaughtering opera
tions across the Anacostia River at the
Benning viaduct.
Sullivan declared if the city never
changes regulations affecting exist
ing property rights, I'VE would still
have the railroad at Sixth street and
Constitution avenue and the Archives
Building would now be thickly covered
with smoke and SCOT"
DR.. Copeland, former Health Com
missioner OF New York with years
of supervision" over packing plants,
made clear cut distinction in his
testimony between slaughter houses
and meat rendering processes
There is the same difference be-
tween slaughter house and rem
dering plant as between livery stable
and altar Of roses" he said The ad-
vantage, he explained, lies with the
slaughter house.
He followed as fitness a Gobel-
hired slaughter house expert, H. Peter
Renschin, Chicago architect and
packing plant builder. Renschin gave
the Gobel plant a perfect bill OF
health, describing it as one that would
Be "odorless within 300 feet
Turning on the Gobel witness, Sena-
TOR Copeland told the committee:
II have supervised this offensive
trade for many years. There is no
particular offense attached to a
slaughter house, but If this expert
thinks he can convince me that a
rendering plant IS not offensive, it
would be almost miracle"
Copeland Hits Project.
At another point, Senator Copeland
declared: I'm from Missouri. You've
got to convince me that you can build
a rendering plant that won't be OBJ
jectionable to the city of Washing
ton" He minced no words in re-
peeted denunciatiols of such activi-
ties as proposed at Benning.
Senator Copeland had declined the
Craftsmanship Of the subcommittee
because Of his known antagonism to
the packing industry. But his in
terest in District affairs, he said,
compelled his attendance at the hear
Ing.
IT we had here q great city like
Chicago, where the slaughter houses
are an important industry and where q
city accommodates itself to the in
dustry, that would be one thing" he
said. But Washington Is essentially
q residential city and always will be
one. There are many places away from
the city where such plants could be
erected.
II take second place to no man in
this Senate" he added lin my desire
to protect the vested property of
interests. But there is no vested