Evening star., 1947-12-12
Of Time and the River

The Interstate Commission on the Po-
tomac River Basin. now meeting in Wash
ington, is engaged in an undertaking OF
supreme Importance to the people OF this
area.
1t is working to conserve the soil OF our
farms, to control floods. to rid our streams
and rivers of death dealing pollution. 1t
is working, as a matter of fact, to preserve
the rich. beautiful area of the Potomac
Basin in Maryland. Virginia. West Virginia
and Pennsylvania from the fate that has
overtaken other such areas In the pasta
fate that left them dead and barren, un-
able to support human life.
There IL 4 compelling sense Of urgency
about each of its meetings. For every
meeting marks the passage of time and
means that there Is less time left in which
to do the things that must be done. Since
last it met hundreds Of thousands of tons
of rich topsoil, the accumulation of ages,
have been washed away, lost forever. Be-
fore 1t meets again, more farms from the
upper river and its tributaries will have
foated past Washington in the muddy
waters of the Potomac.
And even when the Potomac is clear
and beautiful, it is merely hiding the un-
seen filth that lies beneath the surface
From Key Bridge to above Great Falls the
river is unsafe for bathing, because Of the
degree of its pollution From Fort Foote
to Key Bridge, pollution has reached the
stage at low water where it even pollutes
the air with noisome odors. Only when
the river reaches Fort Belvoir is it "uues-
tionably safe" for bathing. The Anacostia
from Bladensburg to the Potomac Is so
filled with waste matter and other i'm
purities that damage to the extent of hun
dreds of thousands of dollars is done every
year to river craft which lie in it's waters.
On the brighter side, as District Sanitary
Engineer Harold A. Kemp told the CON-
mission today, the waters in Washington's
Metropolitan Area can be freed of most
OF this pollution. Some of the money is
already available; most of the plans are
drawn for necessary cooperation between
Washington and adjacent counties One
OF the results anticipated from the COM
missions current meeting is formation Of
= committee, representing many of the
o2AAoA4C4 S1o3Co d14O GOWllS Ill Vic FOCOIldC
Basin area, to attack pollution on lower
levels than State government. We have
the knowledge and the means to get rid of
pollution, to control floods, to save the
precious soil Of our farms and forests.
The commissions broad task is one of
education, of effective cooperation be-
tween the four States and the District, and
the development Of a public sentiment
that will demand positive action by legis-
lators in doing what must be DONE
The compact of 1899 between the Dis
trict, the Federal Government and the
four States which form the Potomac
Basin Commission calls for small amount
OF money each year. It has been made
available. But the Federal Government
has never contributed anything. Its share
Is nnall-perhaps 100000 It was crafty
ing to read that Senator OConor Of
Maryland will work in Congress for an
appropriation this year. The Federal
Government is spending millions of dollars
elsewhere on conservation and flood con-
troll. 1t should take an active part in the
commissions efforts here.