Daily Republican., 1881-08-12
ssarb age Removal.

FRIDAY. AUGUST ~. 1881,
garbage Removal.
1t is evident that something mnst b'
done to facilitate the removal of gar
bage and otial from the city, or else We
will have an alarming mortality lit
The weekly reports of the register o
deaths and burials show that the NOR,
tAlity list has almost doubled over what
it was last year. What is the cause OF
this? The epidemic which has unior-
tunately prevailed to some extent mas
not'given it all its increase. The wealth
or has net teen 50 chansabIe as TO ef-
feet SO great change. True, the ther-
mometer for few days indicated ex-
tremely hot weather, but it has often
been as hot in our city before without
any alarming increase in deaths, while
huadreds in other places have been
stricken down and died CT the heat So
far this year there has not been single
case of death reported from that cause,
and yet we have a frightIul mortality
list staring US in the face. Again we
ask what is the cause? A look al the
unclean alleys and yards with swill
tubs in them to great extent explains
the mystery. Nothing causes disease
more readily and rapidly than decom-
posing and fostering otfal from the
kitchen. The Board Of Health recog-
nize this fact by adopting strict regu-
lations and rules for the removal Of
these fostering nuisances, and if these
rules and regulations were carried out
there would be no difficulty whatever.
Contractors tor the removal of ofgarbage
and otf'al are required to remove them
at least three times week and o!tener
if necessary, but instead of this, reports
come up from all over the city that
even in some of its crowded parts that
functionary does not show himself tor a
week at time and sometimes the in
terval extends to two weeks What
can be expected but disease, sickness
and death from such neglect Every
effort should be made to ascertain where !
the fault lies, and have it r. medied and
that without regard to expense. The
health OF our citizens Is of more i'm. |
portance than few dollars to the city.
1t is no time for miserly economy when
there are fostering death breeding
plague spots in our back yards and a.,
leys that need removing.
We are not disposed 70 find unneces-
sary fault with the Board Of Health for
this state Of affairs, as they no doubt
are doing all they can with the means
at their hands to cleanse and keep the
city clean. The fault seems to lie in
the fact that the city does not pay
enough of money for the performance
Of this work. Proposals are issued and
the work is given out by contract to the
lowest bidder, and the lowest bidder
takes it at a price that he knows he
cannot do it for, and only by sighting
his work can heexpectto to work through |
and save paltry wages. This is all
wrong. The contract system which
works well enough for other enterprises
is sadly out of place when applied to
the removal of garbage and ottal. This
il one Of the things which should be
done by the day or by the load under
the immediate and strictesC supervision
of the Board of Health. II it costs little
ihOre, that were better than to have the
work only ha.f done and disease preai-
ing In consequence.
The caQse for complaint has become
30 great that it is incumbent upon both
the City Council and the Board of
Health to adopt other measures to re-
move the cause. They have before them
the increased mortality list. What does
that mean? They heard the numerous
complaints which come up from all sec
tions Of the city of the non-removal of
garbage sometimes running into weeks
instead Of days. What do these COM
plants mean? Are they true or are they
not? If true it were criminal to postpone
action longer than is required to ilnme-
diately remove the cause of complaint,
no matter what it costs. The lives and
health of our citizens should be of the
fist importance to our municipal au-
thorities and as they value life and
health we call upon them to adopt
whatever measures are necessary to re-
move the causes which more than any
thing else undermine health and de-
stroy life.
THE REPUBLICAN State Convention
ball Of Ivnchhufp Virginia Yesterday