Evening star., 1937-05-07

the construction and operation of a
slaughter house at the Benning gate
way would result in a new traffic
nuisance from live stock trucks and
produce foul odors" permeating a
wide city front was made public today
by Secretary of the Interior Ickes.
The report, which stresses five
public nuisances common to rendering
processes, was compiled by Frederick
H. Walton, an expert in the Office of
Indian Affairs, after an analysis of
the plans prepared by Adolf Gobel,
Inc, New York and Chicago packers,
who have obtained a permit from the
District Commissioners
Officials said today it probably
would be entered on the record of the
Senate hearing on the abattoir bill
which has been postponed until next
Tuesday at pm.
"Odor Curtain" Would Be Created.
Traffic crossing the Benning viaduct.
the report stated, would have to pass
through an "odor curtain" discharged
from the killing floors and the inedible
rendering departments of the proposed
plants. Odors from the several thou
sands of cattle, calves and hogs penned
ut Benning. it was claimed, would be
waited under unfavorable wind condi-
tions for miles around and their
"bawling" at night would create an
additional nuisance.
Another serious objection which the
report indicated was the possibility
that clouds of dried blood dust would
be deposited on window sills, balcon-
les and doorWays in the vicinity.
when this dust is wet by rain" WAL
ton reported" it reverts, to some ex-
tent, to its original character"
Pollution of Popes Run which f1owes
into the Anacostia River at or near
the lily ponds, developed for recre-
ational purposes, was another cause
of nuisance that might be expected
from the waste matter at the plant,
Walton said.
Because of the park developments
and P. w. A. housing project in the
vicinity of Benning, Ickes ordered a
searching study of the proposed pack
ing house plans.
Text of Walton Report.
Walton's report to Ickes reads in
full as follows:
m compliance with your request,
I have checked over the plans of the
Benning abattoir and have inspected
the site of the buildings for the pur-
pose of determining, in SO far as pos
sible, what effect the operation of the
. proposed plant will have on the vicin-
ity and upon the city of Washington
Analysis of the plans indicates the
following strong possibilities:
!. TRAFFIC.
"A very marked development in the
packing industry in recent years has
been the increased use of trucks to
transport cattle, sheep and hogs to
stockyards. There can be no question
that If the proposed plant goes into
operation, there will be heavy trucking
Of animals to the plant. 1t is unlikely
that any animals will be shipped from
the North as this business would nor
mally go to Baltimore The area from
which animals would be drawn would
be South and West, which means that
trucking OF livestock would have to
transverse the city of Washington,
adding large numbers of heavy trucks
to the already congested traffic con-
ditions.
Transportation by trucks will con-
verge on the main arteries of the city.
As Washington will be the end of the
haul, this traffic will be marked by
the accumulation Of Objectionable slop
droppings, and foul odors.
Truck Traffic Feared.
"The operation of trucking busi-
nesses to stockyards has been char
acteri0ed by a development OF
independent truck operators. With a
standard price on livestock existing
ut the stockyards, operators have
made it business to take their trucks
Into an area where livestock can be
purchased. The operator will buy
livestock at the farm and truck ii
to the stockyard where he sells 1t at
. small profit. The possibility Of profit
IN this manner has induced many in
dividuals to enter this type of truck
ing business, thereby increasing truck
haulage of livestock and cutting down
ordinary transportation by rail- If the
proposed plant goes into operation the
traffic department of the city of Wash.
ington can expect considerable flow
Of livestock trucks through the city
adding strongly Objectionable conges.
ton to the present complicated traffic
situation.
~. ODORS AND DUST.
1T is indicated that maximum o.
liz cattle, 200 calves or 200 sheer
and 2,400 hogs can be slaughtered
daily In the proposed plant. The ex'
(See ABATTOIR. Page B-2f)