The New York herald., 1870-09-05
THE OFFAL CONTRACT.
AUGUST 81, 1870.


AUGUST 81, 1870.
To THE EDITOR or THE HERALD
As there are always two sides TO story viii you
favor us with Publishing o fair and candid state
ment from our standpoint In the matter OF the New
York Rendering Company versus public clamor,
In order clearly to understand ohr position and
relation to the public and pubic authorities let us
premise by stating exactly the terms OF our
contract with reference 10 the removal OF dead
animals and onal from the city. in the
year 1865 contract was then made by
authority Of the Mayor and Common Council
between the then City Inspector and the
Long Island Bone Laboratory, extending for term
Of years. Tue SPECIFICATIONS Of The contract are
that the parties OF the second part and lis successors
shall collect and from all parts OF the city Of
New York to the dock slip at the foot OF West Thirty
eighth street. North river to such other docks or
slips as the City Inspector may hereafter designate
all dead horses and otner dead animals which may
be obtained by the said party OF the second part or
OF which he shall receive notice. or which shall be
offered to him In any public place, street or alley
within said city, and that said party shall at all
times provide and keep ut his own cost
and expense such number Of suitable
carts as snail be necessary for the prompt and faith
full performance OF such work. That The
said party OF the second part shall at all times pro-
vide and keep at such dock or slips suflcent
number OF suitable vessels for receiving all dead
horses and other dead animals, all blood, onal and
other refuse matter from butchers slaughter houses;
all bones, fish, Offal, diseased or tainted or
impure meats and all other matter or nuisance
Of similar kind as shall be offered by any person
or persons at said DOCKS or slips, or which may be
desired to be removed from said city by said City
Inspector and to transport and convey said dead
ANIMALS, blood, ofal and other refuse matter,
as aforesaid, at least once each day or
twice in each Gay, place beyond the limits OF
said city, This Is the gst OF the contract as Orgi-
nally executed in 1865. Under the specifications as
above it Will be observed that the contract calls for
the work TO be done exactly as we now are doing 1t,
and the literal performance OF which is SO greatly
berated by the public press About four years since
certain parties became impressed with The idea that
the business might be done in q mnch better man
and with vastly less cause OF offence. After re-
pcated consultations with members and ofncers of
the Metropolitan Board of Health laying before them
certain improved apparatus ana methods ior rapidly
removing from the public eye and nostrlis the ma
teriai brought TO the dock in such an offensive state
IL was finally determined to make the experiment,
and it was sanctioned by the then Health Board.
Extensive and very costly machinery was obtained
and placed alongside the dock foot OF West Thirty
eighth street, North river, the place set apart by
the city authorities Tor receiving this material The
decided Improvement in the conditions OF the dock
ana business which took place Immediately in COM
parison with those that had existed before were
such that encouraged w. as well as the Board or
HEALTH further to Improve and perfect the arrange
ments and details connected with it. The new
elements Infused into the company, which had
been reOrganiZed, gave assurance or stability and
intelligence. The details OF the business were
placed under more perfect and thOrOuge system
gne If o ,ne eead 1Tun e
fccted that notice OF any dead animals seEt 10 our
office received immediate attention and were
promptly removed. Immediately upon their ar
rival at the dock they were placed in tight tanks
and all OF orensiveness thereirOm at once re-
moved So with butchers OfIal and all other refuse
material from markets. and various places. NOthiug
was allowed to accumulate or talnt The at
mosphere from from the S moment 1t was ,,d received
steam tight tanks, and not only removed from
sight, but so confined in such tight tanks tnat from
ton, it became both inonensive and useful. Men,
bcrs of the Metropolitan Board OF Health and its
every and er annual S show that
they were well satisfied tnat the methods adopted
by us had removed one OF the greatest difficulties in
caring for the proper health Of the city, Health
tnOrites from other cities, where the same difficulty
WAS experienced in taking care OF ofal, refuse and
dead animals. not unfrequently visited our works
IN Company with members and officers OF the Board
OF Health and the universal opinion was that or as
tOnlshinentand appreciation as 70 the process ana
manner HZonducnhg our business. Our aim had
aways IN 70 assist the health authorities in every
EFFORT to remove all causes OF complaint from citi.
we needed no goadlng Or persecution from any
methods anu perfect them IN every particular it was
our interest 70 10 That there were and are o1en
are inherent animals die, get killed, manned and
sick: butchers slaughter markets make refuse every
nuisances the city rapidly enlarges, ana the
nuisances become In the aggregate formidable.
nuisances In The most rapid and least Objectionable
manner IL has no right TO offend Its nelghbOrs with
ana OF ~ te Ser We Claim ,a we are he 9
OF public benefacors. We do not deny that we have
selfish motives, but In placing our capital in This
business we do claim that !! we derived any profit
from che outlay, long as we faithfully used our
best endeavors TO SO conduct the business IN legt-
mate manner least detrimental to public
to adopt whatever Improvements science or me-
chancs could suggest We are entitled al least TO the
respect OF our fellow citizens and the countenance
and advise OF the health authorities. Quietly SUBJ
nttlng to this unjust Opprobrium from the public,
conscious or own integrity as business men and
abiding citizens jeaiOusly watchfu OF our busl
it's every deIail we desire that truth should
prevail. When the present Heath Beard was organ
on, until the Board, by one act, revoked
all permits, without distinction, thus plac;;
ing us under The law as violaers and
subject to arrest 1or misdcmeanor. Bound by
our contract with the city 10 collect and remove
dead animals, ona &c, we were compelled TO fan
Ing heavy recOgniZances. Even in this extremity
we have endeav0red TO mitigate The necessary evils
attending upon the final disposal OF TINS enormous
amount Of material; for 1t must be remembered that
the dead horses alone are more than double the num-
Der Lncy were u'c years Rstii oAhiUuScs,
mercantile traffic and private uses have more than
quadrupled the NUMBER Of animals In the city, as
also the very large increase Of saughterlng OF cattle,
&C., during the past Dve years. Since per-
mission was denied us TO dispose OF the
mass In the rapid and inonensivc manner we
were doing at the dock foot OF West 1hirty.clghth
street, we have removed them beyOnd the city
limts,r going more than ten miles beyond the pro-
per city limits, and exactly IN the manner our con-
tract with the city specifies That dead animals are
found in the upper bay and even about tue docks OF
that they are thrown there by our means we deny.
Our boats proceed beyond Sandy Hook bar before
carcass thrown overheard In every instance, and
should proper depot be allotted us TINS means Of
disposal could be dispensed with But as to the source
whence these dead animals are derived, an extract
from the New York EUentag Post OF August |, may
AFFORD some lght:-Thomas Ireland, driver for
slaughter house Hudson avenue, was arrested last
night for dumping onal on the dock loot OF North
sixth street Williamsburg. 1t appears that all
butchers compelled to cart me refuse OF their es