Evening star., 1937-05-15

the waste to the river. What was to
be done? The plant was already
! there"
| Tucker said there was nothing that
! could be done, except possibly to ac-
qulre it by eminent domain as sug-
! gested by the Southeast Council at
the days hearing. Recalling that the
plant closed down four years ago, he
! said citizens thought the question was
disposed Of until the permit to begin
remodeling was applied for.
Advocating open hearings before
such permits are issued, Tucker said
District citizens knew nothing about
the granting OF the preliminary foun-
dation permit last year
Later the fact was brought out that
articles had appeared in newspapers
as far back as April, 1886, about the
intention of the Gobel company to get
a permit.
WOmen's Clubs Protest.
Miss Eppley protested a suggestion
of Clark that his client was an limo
cent victim who stood to lose an in
vestment if the King bill becomes law.
Miss Eppley reminded him that the
Gobel Co. had ample warning Of
public sentiment against nuisance
industries by reason of the fight
in 1929 that prevented establishment
of slaughtering plant in nearby Ar
lington County.
Che cold cho {hnYpho1o1yy fo-
miliar with the old Loeft1er slaughter
house at Benning, and related ''un-
pleasant experiences. For 80 years,
until recently, she lived at Thirteenth
and East Capitol streets and fire.
quently passed the site.
sometimes you would have to hold
your nose she said in referring to
its odors.
There is no reason in the world
why there should be a slaughter
house in Washington Miss Eppley
remarked
Chairman McCarran and Miss
Eppley engaged in running fire of
comment on gas and fish odors.
point he repeatedly brings up at the
hearing He inquired about the gas
houses on Virginia avenue near Con-
stitution avenue She agreed that
they smelled pretty bad but insisted
the odor was not offensive" The
brewery in the same neighborhood also
came in for questioning but Miss
Eppley said she had never noticed
any odors from it.
Questioned on Fish Market.
As for the Municipal Fish Market,
she said conditions along Water street
were merely what one would expect
from any wharf area but she did not
regard the smells as offensive"
At one point in the discussion, Sem
ator McCarran said:
If we are going to clean up WASH
ington, let's do it from the river to the
Hill"
Miss Eppley told Of the desire of the
Federation of Women's Clubs to keep
nuisance industries out OF the city
and It's interest in the development
Of the parks. For those particular
reasons, she said, the federation was
supporting the King bill
She also expressed her belief
that the refuse from the proposed
slaughtering and rendering plants
would be IAN unduly heavy drain"
on the new s4,OOO,ooO sewer disposal
plant and lead to possible pollution.
In discussing the question of meat
costs, Senator McCarran remarked
dryly: We'll, If we are going to make
a posey garden out Of this area in
Benning am for it, but you can't
eat pansies."
Opening Of the Benning plant was
opposed by R.. J. Hickman, whose
home is within few squares Of the
site. He said he represented some
Of the property owners in that vicinity
and told Of efforts they have made
to improve the area and get rid OF
other nuisances
Hickman also challenged the sug-
gestion advanced by Senator Tydings
that the Gobel operations would serve
to reduce local meat prices. He called
this claim absurd"
Asked by counsel for the company
if he thought operation of the plant
would affect the health of the COM
munity, Hickman replied emphatic