Evening star., 1948-03-15
Eviction Orders
Issued for 50
Trailer Families
Potomac Park Comp
Tenunts Must Make
Way for Tourists

Eviction notices were ordered
served today on residents Of so trail
ers in the East Potomac Park Tour
list Camp, with a view to restoring
1t wholly to tourist trade by
April Is.
Approved by Undersecretary of
the Interior Oscar L. Chapman, the
order was to be given orally today
by Government Services, Inc, oper-
stors of the camp, and followed up
with 30-day eviction notices.
Reasons for the enforced exodus,
climaxing repeated efforts of the
National Capital Parks to remove
the permanent" guests, were these
/. Limited sanitary facilities are
inadequate for large number of
permanent trailers, creating in the
eyes of the United States Public
Health Service "health hazard"
Rules Relaxed in War.
2. All trailer dwellers signed anl
agreement to vacate within two
weeks, but many took advantage of
wartime relaxation of the rules and
remained.
3. National Capital Parks expects
to regain possession" of the park
by April Is and restrict 1t to tourists,
at least 10 cars of whom are being
turned away each day.
Particular target Of the eviction
effort is a group known to NCP
as the original 13 squatters." They
moved into the camp before the
fall of 1945, when the management
decided to return the park to its
tourist status.
At the request Of the management, |
at least go trailer families moved
out, many of these accepting offers
to locate them in other camps. But
the l3 original squatter remained
and they were joined later by others.
Trailer Is Subject.
Acting Supt. Harry T. Thompson
of MOP has directed GSI to find |
trailer space or homes for as many
of the present colonists as can be !
arranged
To illustrate the permanent status |
acquired by the campers, an official
said one tenant had sublet his
trailer to another family.
At conference with GSI officials
today, Mr.. Thompson said Con-
gress were intervening on behalf of
trailer families, hoping to extend
their occupancy.
Rates at the camp are IS cents |
day. or $3.50 a month. During
the war, rentals were collected on a
monthly basis, but some months
ago GSI began collecting weekly
with the expectation that the guests |
would leave.
Typical of the trailer colony's
permanent residents are Mr. and
Mrs. j. L. O'Rourke of Minneapolis, /
Mimi, and Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L.
Coch of Erie, Pa.
Tenants for Two Years.
The O'Rourkes have ,aiVed two
years on corner lot, fronting on
the river, Three weeks ago Danny"
their only child, was born.
Danny was parked inside the
comfortably warm trailer. He's just
another reason why it's particularly
hard for the ORourkes to find a
suitable apartment at this time. An
other reason is their watchdog, a !
fox terrier.
1--WE can get rid Of the dog, but
we can't get rid of Danny" Mrs.
O'Rourke said in discussing the
trials and tribulations of apartment
hunting.
Mr.. O'Rourke was in the Navy
during the recent war. He came to
Washington with the idea of going
to school under the GI bill of rights,
but gave up the idea. An electrician,
it wasn't hard for him to find plenty
of work. His wife was employed
at the State Department until the
arrival of Danny.
Own De Luxe Model.
Mr.. and Mrs. Coch have ben In
Washington for eight years. They
parked their first trailer at the
tourist camp two years ago last
October. Now they have a de luxe
trailer which cost them $500 and
has an aluminium exterior.
Like the O'Rourke's trailer, theirs
is equipped with hot water, electric
refrigeration, heater and all the
comforts of compact apartment.
Its warm in winter and cool in
summer" Mrs Coch said.
Mr.. Coch is carpenter: his wife
is an employe at the Pentagon.