52 SECOND BIENNIAL KEPORT [W. VA. 



August 9th, 1912. 

 MR. H. G. KUMP, 



ElJcins, W. Va. 



DEAR SIR: I was at Elkins yesterday and had a talk with Mr. Kisler, one 

 of the owners of the tannery, relative to. their pollution and he is making 

 arrangements to immediately construct a large settling pool for the purpose 

 of taking care of this pollution, and in view of this fact I think it would be 

 well to not press their indictment, and if they make satisfacory arrangements 

 to take care of this pollution to, in the end, either dismiss this indictment 

 or to let them confess and be fined the minimum fee. 



This tannery has caused me a great deal of worry on account of the numer- 

 ous protests that have been made against it, and while I have always felt 

 that there should be something done to stop this pollution, yet I disliked 

 very much to do anything that would cripple the industries of your town, 

 and I think that as they have at last agreed to take care of this matter we 

 should show our appreciation by being as lenient with them as possible. 



Thanking you very much for the assistance you have given me in this matter, 

 I am, 



Very truly yours, 



J. A. VIQUESNEY, 



Warden. 



August 30, 1912. 

 MB. J. A. VIQUESNEY, 

 Belington. W. Va. 



MY DEAR SIR: We have been planning ever since our meeting at Elkins, 

 W. Va., what^ arrangement we could put in at the tannery at Elkins that would 

 be most effective in taking care of the sewerage which gives cause for com- 

 plaint. You will remember, no doubt, that in talking the matter over at 

 Elkins we spoke of the fact of our willingness to do whatever we possibly 

 could to take care of this sewerage, and we know you appreciate our position 

 in this whole matter. 



In response to numerous complaints recently received by Pennsylvania 

 tanners from the Pennsylvania Fish Commissioner, Mr. N. R. Buller, we 

 arranged a meeting with Mr. Buller on Wednesday morning of this week. 

 There were two other tanners present, with myself, and one of them was Mr. 

 Beach, the president of the Elk Tanning Company, which is a local sub- 

 sidiary corporation of the Central Leather Company. We went over the mat- 

 ter fully with Mr. Buller and finally it was arranged that the most effective 

 way of taking care of this matter was to arrange a meeting of the different 

 tanners of the state, in combination with Mr. Buller, and whatever assist- 

 ants he may bring with him, at one of the tanneries in this state and then 

 have a thorough discussion and complete a plan to work on. There seems to 

 have been no arrangement up to the present time that will thoroughly clear 

 the pollution from the sewerage of the tannery, and while some of the ar- 

 rangements now in effect at several tanneries do the work to a certain degree, 

 the result is not yet thoroughly satisfactory. We hope by this combined ef- 

 fort at the meeting, and in the consequent erection and operation of a plant, 



