Evening star., 1937-05-18
DELANO OPPOSES
SLAUGHTER HOUSE
BECAUSE OF 0DOR
Stockyards Are inevitably
Linked to Processing,
He Declares.
PARK BOARD HEAD CITES
CITYS RESTRICTED SIZE
Civic. Minded Persons Should Lend
King Bill Full Support,
He Asserts.

Although designated by the French
name "abattoir," the projected plant
at KenilWorth avenue and Bennlng
road will still be slaughter house
and smell unsWeet, Frederic A. Delano,
chairman of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission, declared
today, in response to query as to his
stand on the fight being waged against
this and other so-called nuisance in
dustries
Great emphasis is being laid on
the fact that after the animals have
been slaughtered, the process will be
1nnocuous,' Delano declared. That
isn't the point. If you are going to
have hogs and sheep and cattle kept
in pen until they are killed. there
Is going to be smell No amount OF
slaughtering and rendering can avoid
that.
This is really throwing dust in your
eyes, when they tell you they have
a French thing called an 'abattoir.
They can't separate the stockyards
from the processing
You and can't keep a COW on our
own private property here in the Dis
trict, but here you are going to have
carloads Of cattle kept here.
City too Small For Plants.
II don't question that these are
necessary. these slaughter Houses, but
we want to put them away from resi-
dental areas. This city is not so big
that we can assign part of it to such
industries. 1t is now only two thirds
the size Of the city the Constitution
and George Washington wanted. We
ought to be little careful how We
use that tWo-thirds.
Does Baltimore allow new stock
yards or new abattoirs, without special
action of the Council, after public
hearing? Yet Baltimore is far larger
city than Washington and has no re-
strictions in size such as we have here.
why is Senator Tydings proposing
that We do something here that isn't
allowed in his own city of Baltimore? =?
i've already gotten behind the
King bill and feel that civic minded
persons here should lend it their full
support.
"A program such as the King bill
suggests has been talked of before.
But 1t is hard to get interest aroused
In hypothetical case. 1t is only
when some one threatens to do some
thing that offends the public sense
that We can get somewhere.
Cities discuss doing something
about inf1ammable houses. But it is
only when bad fire comes along and
burns down half the city that there
Is really something done. We are in
. similar situation now"
Site Is Inspected.
A tour of inspection OF the proposed
slaughter house at Benning and the
surrounding territory was made yes
terday afternoon by the members of
the Senate subcommittee considering
the King bill to restrict the develop
ment and operation Of so-called unde-
sirable industries in the National
Capital.
The visit to the areas was made
known today by Senator McCarran,
Democrat, of Nevada, subcommittee
chairman. He was accompanied by
the two other members, Senators Tyd-
ings, Democrat, of Maryland and
Austin, Republican, of Vermont.
After viewing the slaughter house,
which has been closed down for about
four years, the Senators talked to some
OF the residents near the plant, Nc
Carran said.
No conclusions were reached, he
said, the purpose Of the inspection
being to provide information for the
subcommittee members. The hearings,
which started early last week, are
scheduled to be resumed at 2 pm.
tomorrow in the District Committee
room in the Capitol.
+ The King bill Is intended to curb
the development Of a list Of other IN
dustries here, including chemical and
explosive plants as we'll as slaughter
houses. The hearings have deal.
mainly with slaughter houses because
of the proposal Of Adolf Gobel, Inc.
to open the Benning establishment.
Banned Industries Listed.
John Nolen, jr., director of plan
ming OF the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, in scouting the
idea that the King measure is aimed
especially at the proposed slaughter
house of Adolf Gobel Co., made pub
lie list Of some 80 so-called nuisance
industries which are now banned here
under regulations of the Zoning Com
mission promulgated last November
rs. These are barred unless the appli-
cant first secures approval of the
,zoning Commission and permit. A
large number Of these are being writ
ten into the King measure so there
will be no doubt about it, even If the
.Zoning Commission should become q
political body and fail to do its civic
duty, Nolen explained. The King bill
he made clear, Is not retroactive, but
applies only to new industries. and
this Is true Of the zoning regulations