Evening star., 1937-10-14

Joining the District government in
plans to ask Congress for new legisla-
ton to protect the municipal sewage
disposal plant from threatened over
loads of industrial waste, the Wash
ington Chapter of the Izaak Walton
League of America today forwarded
to its National Executive Board an
appeal for Nationwide assistance.
At the same time it served public
notice on the Adolf Gobel Co. ito
abandon its plans to build a slaughter
house in this CITY," To make this
warning effective the local Izaak WAL
ton League proposes to conduct an
energetic campaign before all citi-
zenS' associations, women's clubs and
other civic groups in the District.
These two courses were voted unani-
mously at a meeting last night in the
Raleigh Hotel, which was addressed
by Corporation Counsel Elwood Seal
and Dr. M. Darcy Magee, president
of the Washington Chapter.
The local league, as Dr. Magee point
ed out, has been outstanding in its
activities to clean up the waters OF
the Potomac and through its efforts
was largely responsible for legislation
authorizing the District to borrow
$4,125,000 from the P. w. A. to erect
. modern sewage treatment plant.
Sees Gains Lost.
Nov We are facing real disaster
to all our efforts" Dr. Magee declared
in referring to threatened slaughter
house operations.
One other national group, the
American Planning and Civic Asso-
citation, also has ellisted the aid of
its membership in campaigning for
protective legislation against the Co.
bel plant.
The support of the National Execu-
tive Board OF the Izaak Walton League
was solicited chiefly in behalf of pa6-
sage of the Collins bill submitted at
the last session of Congress 'or a
more drastic one" to further protect
the Nations Capital.
This bill, as Mr.. Seal outlined, pro-
poses to charge industry for excessive
treatment of its sewage waste.
Everybody In the District is tax
conscious" Mr.. Seal declared Ever
since the passage of the business
privilege tax, he said. the Commits
sioners have been receiving kicks
against added taxes.
If this slaughter house is built
he added, cit will become a drain on
the sewage system and add a load
of industrial waste equivalent to the
domestic sewage of an added popula-
ton Of 100000.
The taxpayers of the District will
have to bear burden ranging from
$55,000 to $4,000 to treat this
slaughter house waste at the disposal
plant. 1t isn't fair that the citizens
of Washington be burdened with thai
extra tax load.
Cites Chicago's Solution.
THE city of Chicago has struck al
the heart of this problem by making
industry pay its share of the charges
for treating such sewage"
Mr.. Seal declared that nobody ir
Washington wants the slaughter
house." adding that certainly the
Commissioners and Federal oficials
don't want it." -...
The principal resolution approved
at the meeting set forth among othel
matters that the slaughter house
besides adding 4 load on the sewage
plant, would dump filth into the Ana.
costa River from cattle pens, adding
additional refuse to defile our streams.
With a membership in every State
the National Executive Board wa,
called on to approach every member
Of Congress" in soliciting passage o.
the Collins bill or similar legislation
Mr.. Seal said that the Commits.
sioners had "a powerful weapon" IL
the form of a 39-year-old law fol
the protection of fish in the Potomac
q section Of which Is retained in tn
permanent coIs of the District. 1
is suficiently strong to control tn
discharge Of industrial waste int.
any stream in the District, he pointes
out, and has the additional value o
having been upheld by the Distric
courts.
Forbids Waste Discharge.
The courts held, he said, that tn,
manifest object of Congress in passinl
the law was not only to protect fisl
life. but also to keep the waters o
streams In the District as free from
pollution Is possible. The act ex
pressly forbids the discharge of In
dustrial waste into the Potomac O.
any tributary thereof within the Dis
trict.
Referring to the Collins bill b
charge for the treatment Of industsia
sewage. Mr.. Seal said: The Ccm1lls