Evening star., 1937-05-12
.F0ES0F ABATTO|R
T0RESUME STAND
0NK|NC MEASURE
lCkes Leads Federal Officials
Urging Passage of
Senate Bill.
COMMITTEE HEARS
SEAL THIS AFTERNOON
Remodeling and Operation of
Benning Plant Center of
Discussion.

Further testimony in support Of
legislation to protect the National
Capital from undesirable inustries is
expected to be heard by a special
Senate subcommittee at 2:30 o'clock
this afternoon, with Corporation
Counsel Elwood Seal as the next
witness.
With the discussion centering
around the remodeling and operation
OF an abattoir at Benning, the sub
committee yesterday afternoon heard
Federal and District officials unite in
urging action on the King bill, which
would prohibit establishment of new
industries of the type listed in the
measure and restrict operation OF
existing ones. The Commissioners
favored the bill but suggested changes
In the rules to govern continued op-
Grafton Of existing plants.
Indications are the hearings will
extend beyond today, and Senator Nc
Carran, Democrat, OF Nevada, chair
man of the subcommittee, probab bly,
will make a tour of the Benning
area when the testimony is all in.
Led by Secretary of the Interior
1ckes, those who testified in support
OF the bill yesterday included How
ard A. Gray, director of the P. w. A.
housing division; Engineer Commits
sioner Dan I. Sultan, representing the
District Commissioners; c. Marshall
Flnnan, superintendent of national
parks in the District; John Nolen,
jr, for the National Capital Park and
Planning Commission, and DR.. Charles
B. Campbell, who represents commit
tees Of the Federation of Citizens
Associations and of the District Medi-
cal Society.
Effect on Park Proxram.
The Federal officials whose agen-
cies have to do with the beautif1ca-
ton and improvement of Washing
ton, emphasized the effect an abattoir
at Benning would have on the park
program and Government housing
projects in that vicinity.
Shortly before the subcommittee
recessed yesterday Corporation Coun-
sci Seal told Senator Austin, Repub-
lican, of Vermont that if the bill
were law now he does not think
It would permit operation of the
abattoir at Benning. The bill pro-
vldes that in the event any building
is being used for any of the industrial
purposes mentioned at the date of its
passage, permits to continue may be
obtained by meeting certain require
ments before the Zoning Commission
and health officer Seal said: I'VE
take the position it is not being used"
Previously the corporation counsel
had stated the Gobel Co. has a per-
NIT to remodel the building but not
to run an abattoir Following the
recess, Seal and other members of
his staff said operation also would
require issuance of an occupancy
permit and business license.
During his testimony Seal drew q
between the status Of the
abattoir and the nearby Union Stock
yards. The corporation counsel testi-
fed the stockyards are not owned
by the Gobel Co.; that they are op-
Grating and, in his opinion, could
continue to operate under the bill,
they satisfied the require
ments for obtaining permits to con-
tinue.
DR.. Edward Clarke, local attorney
Tor the Gobel Co., cross-examined
supporters OF the bill yesterday. and
William J. Neale, representing the
stockyards, also too part in the ques-
tioning. Chairman McCarran said
(See ABATTOIR. Page A-Ql