St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-17
THE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The Barge System of Disposing of Garbage
Recommended.


The board of health met yesterday after
noon in one of the offices of the city hall. An
ordinance regulating the disposal of garbage
was presented for the boards consideration,
which was drafted by City Attorney Murray
and modelled somewhat upon the system
now in force in Chicago. 1t defines gar
bage and regulates the price of removing it,
% cents being the price for each removal
from family consisting of seven members
and under, 40 cents for number over seven
and no more than twelve, SO cents for
twelve and over in proportion. discussion
at once arose, during which Dr. Owens, rep
resenting company who proposed to re-
move the garbage, spoke. Mr.. st. Peter and
Mr.. Starkey objected to the scale
of prices, the latter wishing to leave
out fixed price altogether. Mr.. st. Peter
moved to modify it by making the price %
cents for each half barrel removed and so
cents for each barrel. The amended ordi-
nance was finally tabled. DR.. Hoyt was
then heard upon the subject generally. He
stated that each year there bad been
something over 100000 pounds of gar
bage dumped at the foot of Eagle street.
cess in reference to the removal of garbage
not one of them wanted to take hold of it.
But he had seen Commodore Davidson, who
stated that he would agree to receive all the
night soil and garbage, running a night
barge for the former and a day barge for the
latter and remove it to some point down the
river for s39 per day for season
of eight months service. A plant to
city $3.50 for steamer and two barges and
the operating expenses to the municipality
would be S39 a day. The gross cost of the
ommodore's contract for season would be
S9,46O, which the doctor considered would
De the cheapest arrangement the city could
enter into, and agreed to say nothing more
upon health matters if arrangements could
be made that would come within $4,000 of
being so advantageous. The doctor had been
subjected to criticism for his advocacy of
using the river for depcsiting the garbage,
but he still held to his opinions on the sub
ject, and defended himself ably. He quoted
Commodore Davidson as saying that the Ohio
and Mississippi are only two big sewers, and
sustained this view. Minneapolis sends her
sewage refuse into the river. st. PauFs
sewers were drained into the river, and the
same was true of almost its entire length.
Why should we not, then, send our garbage
down the river to be dumpeda The mere
sprinkling of disinfectants on Chicago's
streets had cost more than ST. Paul has spent
in two years for all her health measures.
Other cities had gone through just such a trial
of solving the garbage problem, and from a
knowledge of their experiencSin such mat
tiers the doctor considered this plan the most
feasible and economical that could be
adopted. Mr.. Starkey moved the plan be
adopted By the board, which Mr.. O'Connor
seconded, and the scheme will be presented
to the council with the boards approval
thereon.
The subject Of a garbage pier was then
taken up, but as the city engineer failed to
put In an appearance the matter went over
until an estimate could be had from him of
the cost of construction; as did also the
West St. Paul sewer, until he could prepare
plan for the boards recommendation.