Evening star., 1938-09-17
BY NELSON M. SHEPARD.


secretary Of the Interior Ickes took
command Of the local pollution prob
lem by summoning the District Com
mlSsloner5 to his Office for a half-hour
conference, at which, it was under.
stood, ne assured them of possible
financial aid from the Public Works
Administration in furthering efforts to
purify the waters of the Potomac
Commissioner Melvin C. Hazen and
1t. Col. David McCoach, jr., newly
appointed Engineer Commissioner. both
seemed satisfied and encouraged as a
result Of the conference. They de.
clined to divulge what took place. Mr..
Hazen covered up by saying develop.
ments might be looked for in q few
days.
Burlew at Conference.
The conference also was attended BY
Ebert K. Burlew, First Assistant Sec
retary Of the Interior, and Howard A.
Gray, assistant administrator of public
works. Other District aides included
Capt. Patrick H. Tansey, Assistant En-.
gineer Commissioner, and j. B. Cor.
don, director Of sanitary engineering.
Mr.. 1ckes called the District officials
In privately, it was said, in a spirit of
"friendliness and cooperation"
He was represented as having a very
definite purpose in summoning them
for frank and full discussion of pollu-
ton problems throughout the metro
politan area Of Washington. He Is
pressing q Nationwide fight for the
eradication Of stream pollution in con.
junction with the 1888 p. w. A. pro.
gram. and is as anxious now as he
was four years ago to eradicate pollu-
ton in the Potomac River.
Advises Against Expenditure.
It developed later, however, that
whatever financial measures NAV be
taken, no further expenditure is con.
templated at this time upon the
Districts sewage treatment plant at
Blue Plains.
Leroy K. Sherman, consulting engi-
neer OF the P. w. A., who was present,
was asked at the conference whether
he thought the District should spend
more money on the Blue Plains plant
so as to afford primary treatment Of
raw sewage. The plant now only
gives partial, or secondary treatment.
Mr.. sherman's reply is understood
to have been no"
Today's conference between the
higher officials, it was learned, had
been preceded by informal confer
ences during the past week between
engineers bf the District government
and the p w. A. There are at least
IL anti-pollution projects, some large
and some small, on the program of Mr..
Gordon, the Districts sanitary engi-
neer. These projects, or at least some
OF them, will be carried out if, and
when, funds are made available either
by Congress or the Public Works Ad-
ministration.
This program was discussed In its
entirety by Mr.. Ickes today, but no
definite decision has been made.
Ickes Has Been Disappointed.
1t is we'll known that Secretary Ickes
has been disappointed in efforts made
by District officials to eliminate poll
luton in the Potomac This disap-
pointment dates back to his original
offer of a P. w. A. loan and grant of
$4,000, 900 to build the Blue Plains
plant. 1t involved a long and acri-
monious controversy at the time. The
question was settled when the Com
missioners, after an expensive engi-
neering study, accepted only little
more than half of the proffered ?.
w. A. funds and constructed a Sec
ondary treatment plant.
Their position then in not making
the plant a complete one is the same
as their position now. So long as
nearby Maryland and Virginia streams
are adding to the pollution Of the Po-
tomac above and directly below Wash
ington, the Commissioners contended
the erection Of complete sewage dis
posal system was inadvisable.
The Blue Plains plant was so erected
that an addition can be made at any
time, affording nearly 100 per cent
(See POLLUTION, Page At