Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-20
COLLECTING CARRIAGE.
The Present System ana the objections
Urged 10 Its Continuance.

The contracts for removing garbage for
the ensuing year have not yet been signed,
and this is good time at which to make
few remarks on the subject. Ever since
the present ordinance has been in force,
the embers of the fire, which was stirred
up at its passage, have continued to burn,
and have been famed into a glow each
year as the new contracts have been made.
1t is safe 10 say that no single year and in
no single district has entire satisfaction
been given in the removal OF gar
bage, and Tor reasOns set forth
below. The careful, prompt and
efficient removal of all kitchen otfal
is matter Of great importance and that it
has much to do with the public health no
one will deny. The Health Committee has
deliberated long and carefully upon the
subject and the ordinance, as framed, would,
if carried out, reduce the danger from de-
caying vegetables to the minimum.
But, after long and careful experiment,
il is the general belief that the method now
in use is failure. The ordinance, which
cannot be enforced. is deliberately disre-
garded and wlfully violated. Hou>ehOlders
complain of the collectors and collectors
complain OF householderS. The Health
Offers receives stacks of complaining postal
cards and the newspaper offices
are beseiged with communica-
tons asking why the garbage
man is never seen at this or at that point
II collector miss house he is liable to
fine, but nobody will become the complain
ant in such 4 case, and the misses are made
with impUnity. In short. the committee
became disguised with the present plan,
and at the last meeting of council recon-
mended the substitution of method by
which salaried men, under direction OF the
Health officer, should collect the garbage.
. =, al, L,,t 10 h.,
one of the reasons being the following:
When this ordinance was proposed
fought il, but it was passed and now we'll
live or die by it. If you don't like it, 90
back to your hogs and let them be the sCav-
engerS.'
Accordingly. Council decided to again
run the contract system and the contracts
were awarded. Jacob Lokert got the first
district for $3.50, and as an example, We
will take the district, which comprises the
First ward. The garbage collector is re-
quired to visit each dwelling house once a
week during December, January and Feb
ruary, twice week during March, April,
May, October and November, and six times
week during June, July, August and
September. Now, as the argument was
made, how can man afford to keep
horse and cart and do this work in the
First ward for $3.50 wear? 1t is impoSSi-
bic. The ordinance forbids any one man
to have more than one district and
the consequence is, straw bids are made.
That is to say, under different names or
through an agent, one man puts in pro.
posals for several districts and by thus
pooling them he can better afford to I'M
derbid competition and secure the con-
tracts. This, the Health Officer states, was
the case with the bidder named. and he al.
vised committee to decline his proposal.
But Council awarded it to him. as the only
bidder, on the principle that as long as he
gave sufficient bond, all was right, and
without taking into consideration the fact
that last year, though then under $1,000
bond one or more OF these contractors
failed to give satisfaction. However, the
contracts were awarded as follows:
First district. Jacob Lokert $3.50; second,
+. W. Baker, $3.50; third Chas. Becker,
$3.50; fourth, Henry Kress, 395; fifth, T. B.
Thompson, 1854.