Evening star., 1937-08-03
Tax on Nuisance Industries

II the Gobel meat packing concern
proceeds, in the face of Enthusiastically
adverse public sentiment, to the erection
and operation of it's slaughter house
and rendering plant at Benning, Con-
gress must give prompt attention to the
bill introduced yesterday by Representa-
tive Collins of Mississippi, giving the
Commissioners necessary authority to
levy special sewer taxes on industrial
activities tending to overload the sewage
system.
Like protective steps have been taken
In other cities contending with the
slaughter house industry. Here in WASH
ington the taxpayers are paying and
will continue to pay for some years
for an expensive sewage treatment
plant, erected for the purpose of reduc-
ing pollution of the Potomac River. Ex-
perts of the Public Health Service have
reported that the proposed slaughter
house waste dumped into the sewer
system, will tend to overload facilities
now available, possibly requiring extern
sive and expensive additions to the plant
Just now being completed
1t is unthinkable that the taxpayers
OF Washington, many of whose spokes-
men have placed themselves on record
against the introduction in Washington
OF more nuisance INDUSTRIES should be
taxed through the nose to provide ade-
Quate sewerage facilities for an I'M
wanted, undesirable industry. The tax
should be high enough to pay for any
additional facilities demanded by nuis-
ance industries and, moreover, should
be made high enough to discourage their
location in city that from the begin
ming was designed and has been de-
veloped primarily as residential dis
tr1ct for the seat of Government of the
United States.
The Collins bill is merely one part
Of the legislative action which ulti-
mately will follow proposed erection Of
the slaughter house and rendering plant.
Politicians may come and politicians may
go, but the fight to keep Washington
free OF nuisance industries in order
properly to encourage its development
along the lines laid out by the founders
will go on until the King bill, or like
measure, is finally enacted.
The failure for this session of the King
bill, through the extraordinary maneu-
vers of few members OF the House Dis
trict Committee, is disappointing. The
responsible Federal Government might
have saved itself money and embarrass-
ment In the future by It's prompt enact
ment. But the failure OF this measure
Is merely delay. The fight for pas
sage Of the King BILL with strong, re-
troactive provisions, will continue at the
next session and the next until its aims
have been realized. Back of that fight
are not only the loyal, public spirited
Washingtonians and Federal officials
who testified so strongly in it's favor.
Back Of 1t also are many national organ
1zations, with an abiding interest in the
welfare Of the National Capital, whose
support has been and will be enlisted
The restricted area of the District of
Columbia offers no fit site for slaughter
house or any other form of nuisance in
dustry. Those which choose to locate
here now do so at their own risk.
1t may take another year or 1t may
take several years, but the time will
come eventually when Congress enacts
the necessary legislation to protect and
to preserve the orderly development of
the Nations Capital. And orderly de-
velopment does not include within its
scope slaughter houses and rendering
plants and other nuisance industries
which blight the proper development of
the area they dominate.