Evening star., 1937-06-05
D. c. .OFF|C|ALSASK
COST OF PROPERTY
TOGOBEL CONCERN
Amount Involved May Play
BIG Role in Anti-NuisanCe
Bill Fight.
INSPECTION OF BOOKS
OF FIRM is LIKELY
Question of Compensation if
Slaughter House Is Banned
Held Debatable.


A pertinent angle of the slaughter
house controversy, which District ON.
cials were hopeful today would bt
cleared up soon, was said to be the
actual amount in cash and stock in.
volved in the purchase by Adolf Co
bel, Inc. New York packers. of it,
present holdings in the Benning area
near Anacostia Parkway.
Ofacials are mindful that this mat
ter may play an important part in
the final fight for enactment of the
King Norton anti-nuisance bill, pas
sage OF which would tend to ban OF
restrict the proposed Gobel opera
tions, along with their industrial ac-
tivities of a nature deemed undesir-
able by the Zoning Commission
The question of the purchase price
was never Strengthened out satisfac-
torily during hearings before the Sen
ate District subcommittee, although
counsel for the Gobel firm talked fire.
Quently OF an investment ranging
from 100000 to $l,4O0000. ON
cials said today they would endeavor
to hold the company to its promise
to 'open up its books" when hear
angs are resumed.
Hearings Scheduled Shortly.
It Is possible the opportunity may
come sooner before the House Dis
trict Committee. which is planning
to conduct a hearing on the bill
within the next 10 days. Chairman
McCarran of the Senate subcommit-
tee is engaged in preparing the re-
port on the Presidents judiciary
measure and his next meeting date
on the anti-nuisance bill is rather
indefinite.
Corporation Counsel Elwood H.
Seal, at previous hearings, produced
records from the District building
showing that the property involved
IN the Gobel site at Benning had for
merly been assessed for only $70,776.
He made the statement in demand
Ing that the company give a detailed
rendering Of the amount it paid for
the property after the old slaughter
house on the site burned down about
three years ago.
Beyond the vague contention that
the purchase price involved some
thing like $1,400,000 an answer
which Senator McCarran said was
unacceptable to the committee, there
has been no definite explanation.
One reason why the equity of the
company Is important is the fact that
the company claims it would be en-
titled to compensation If forced to give
up its proposed slaughtering opera
ttons In Benning That question OF
compensation, however, is one which
some ofhciAls say Is debata There
are court decisions which appear to
indicate that q business held to be a
nuisance" or possible nuisance in
the future Is not entitled to compen-
sation II forced to close.
Supreme Court Backed Ruling.
Under the law. as supported by the
United States Supreme Court in Had
acheck vs.. Sebastian, chief of police
Of Los Angeles, it was pointed out .
nuisance industry Gin that case a
brick yardD can be compelled to shut
down its business and move on with
out compensation.
In other words, 1t was said, a nui-
Ance industry sets up its business un-
der the hazard of its being declared
10 be . nuisance and being told to
move on at a later period. Other
b cases can be cited. but the Hadacheck
case is probably the leading one.
The brief OF Goodwin. Proctor q
Hoar in the Massachusetts, Billboard
cases shows many cases where the
restriction Of the use of private prop
erty Is held not to be a taking
which requires compensation. Many
Of these cases involved the removal
of structures. The Legislation wa,
retroactive" along somewhat similar
lines to the anti-nuisance bill urged
for the protection of Washington.
Both Federal and District official,
have contended that development o1
the Benning area for residential pur.
poses-a development they claim the
erection OF slaughter house woulo
serve TO retard-would bring far more
In taxes than the amount which th<
Gobel company probably would pay.
Gobel Firms Contention.
The Gobel firm has contended thai
II proposes to rebuild the old PLAN
OF the former slaughter house on th<
foundation lines and that consequent.
ly there would be no actual extension
Of the property.
An examination of the tax book!
today disclosed that the total take.
paid in the l93l-l932 taxable year II
the name OF Keene-Loffler, Inc. wher
the former slaughter house was IL
operation amounted to 81 1882 on ,
total assessment OF s70,776 for LIANT
and improvements.
In 1894 the company's property va
assessed at a slightly higher amount
300, and 1t succeeded in havin,
this assessment reduced to SIS, ,00C
This involved only the main parce
Of land on which the plant stood
The new building which Gobe
plans to erect, Of course, naturall
would be assessed at a higher figure
But the taxes from land and i'm
provements which the District woul
derive in event the slaughter hous
Is permitted 10 be built, would
much smaller, it was said, than thos
that would be collected from a larg
housing subdivision.
Such a subdivision now is bein
planned in the immediate vicinity g
the Gobel site. 1t would consist Q
several hundred family units in 70,
houses and individual homes. Their
u . question. however, whether thi
project would be carried throug
should a slaughter house and rem
dering plant operate nearby.
The amount Of water rent whic
the Gobel Arm would pay to the Dis
trict is q debatable question. TIL
water used would be based on tn
number Of animals killed daily Z
the plant and the amount Is reliabl
estimated ut between 500 and GO
gallons per animal per day. The,