Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-19
HOW TO COLLECT THE CARRIAGE.

| efforts were too puny.
HOW TO COLLECT THE GARBAGE.
Why the Work Has Not Been Satisfactorily
Performed-some Intelligent Suggestions
by Mr.. John II. Crane.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:
You will remember that some time ago YOU
| requested me to give my views in regard to the
best mode Of collecting garbage, with the
reasons. which in my Judgment, have pre-
vented its prompt collection.
was in Hopes when the change came in the
head of the health department that there would
come with that change enforcement Of the
| garbage contract. which would make any fur
| ther discussion Of the subject unnecessary. In
| this, am sorry to be obliged 20 say, am dis
appointed, for never during the thirty years 1
have resided at the national capital has the col
| lection OF garbage been 80 poorly executed as
| during the past two weeks.
am ready to concede that the health officer
should have fair opportunity to show what
| he can do in the way of making improvements
| over the administration of his predecessor. He
| should not DO judged hastily but should be
given ample time to show what he can do. 1t
| should be said, however, that he took the Office
| during an emergency when the health of the
| city was in peril, and during such an emer-
gency twenty-four hours would seem TO be
| ample time to notify the contractor that he
must comply with the terms Of his contract.
| The contractor also has his rights, which
should be respected. He should not be found
| fault with unjustly or prosecuted. Neither
| should he be allowed to plead the baby act"
he entered into a contract with his eyes wide
| open to remove "all animal and vegetable mat
/ ter, called garbage. and all dead animals from
the city Of Washington and its most densely
populated suburbs" for period Of five years
from the LIST of July, 1887, for Sis, 900 per year.
lie Is a shrewd business man and, it is fair to
presume, knew we'll what he was about.
REMARKABLY CONTRACT.
may be mistaken, but believe that this il
the first time in the history Of the District of
Columbia that any man was ever awarded five
years contract This remarkable contract WAS
signed by William b. Webb, Samuel N. Wheat
10y and William Ludlow, Commissioner. and
by Felix NJ Draney, contractor, with Philip
| II. Christman and Charles W. Huguely, as
sureties in the sum OF SIS, 600, for the faithful
execution of the work. Why talk about 1.-THE
inadequate appropriations They have been
| all that the contract requires. and even more.
Mr.. Draney has not only received regularly his
sl5, 600 that he agreed to do the work for. but
| even more than that sum. Nobody asked him
/ to take this five years contract. On what
ground, then. can he set up the claim that "the
| appropriations are not SUFFICIENT" Surely no
4 man was ever more favored. With this five
years contract unexecuted and the contractor
| standing in the position of "a delinquent the
| Commissioners on the 30th day Of last August
awarded Mr.. Draney another contract, called
| mo. 1901, by which they agree to pay him an
| extra sum OF S537.SS per month for collecting
garbage during the months of August,
| September and October 1890, and April,
| May and June, 1891, I'm strict accordance
with the specifications contained in his five
years CONTRACT" This contract is signed by
John W. Douglass, L. q. Hine and Henry IL.
| Robert, Commissioners, and by Felix II. Drany,
| contractor, with Francis Miller and John W.
| Schafer suretes in the sum of $3.50 for the
| faithful execution Of the work. 1t will be OBJ
served that this contract, giving the contractor
| an extra allowance, commenced on August 80,
| 1850. just at the close OF the heated term, and
ended on June 80, 1891, just at the commence
ment OF the heated term, showing that the con-
tractor Is granted an extra allowance during
| the fall and spring months. while during the
months Of July and August, the warmest OF
the whole season. no extra allowance is made.
The appropriation made for the collection Of
garbage by the last Congress was S24, 600. Con-
| gress adjourned March 4. The Commissioners
had four months between March and June 80
! in which to enter into another extra allow
| ance" contract with Mr.. Draney, to go into
/ effect when his other extra allowance con-
| tract expired. II would seem by this that Mr..
| Draney is getting the least pay when he has
| the most to do.
HOW THE CONTRACT rs VIOLATED.
By the terms Of the five years contract the
contractor is required to remove all garbage in
| "air-tight vessels Of uniform size and clearly
appearance" but it seems by a report of the
late health officer that permits have been
granted to the l96 farmer wagons to collect
garbage from private residences. No two OF
| these wagons are alike. They take away the
| garbage when it best suits their convenience.
| asserting over and leaving on the ground what
| they regard as not worth cartlug away. This
| is my experience, and / hear it is that OF
I others.
| The contract requires the garbage to be col.
| lected and carted away, I'm alright vessels. J"
but many Of these farmers collect garbage in
| barrels containing no covers. met one yes
terday. The wagon contained four barrels
without covers, and no two of the same size.
1t was in the most densely populated part Of
Washington. on q square built up with nice
houses, without q vacant lot The stencil those
uncovered barrels gave forth polluted the
whole square. 1t is bad enough to be obliged
| to endure this hot weather the foul odors
| from garbage that accumulates on ones own
premises, without having to endure the retail
| ing about the streets of noXious odors that
come from other peoples garbage.
| 1t is well for us that our streets are wide and
| open. We're they narrow and close like some
cities it would not take long with the present
state OF things to create q pestiience. Let us
| not fiatter ourselves because the death rate is
| no higher that we can continue to violate we'll
KNOWN SANITARY LAWS Win lnpuulty. 1ue steus
| Of disease are now being s0wn. The harvest
| will come in due time as sure as night follows
day.
THE HEALTH OFFICER has AMPLE POWER.
The contracts have cited make it the duty
Of the health officer to enforce their provisions.
| His power is ample, though he claims q lack of
legal authority to enforce them.
| The act Of the old corporation o. Washing
ton, approved Angus. l6, 1862, makes it the
| duty Of "all occupants of dwellings to deposit
| all offal or garbage in such place on or about
| the premises as the ward commissioner may
| designate in order to facilitate its speedy re-
movaI," under o penalty OF lot less than one
nor more than five dollars for each offense.
This law has never been repealed, and it is as
| binding today on that part of the District en-
| braced in what was the old corporation as it
ever was Said act also requires the daily re-
moval of all garbage from private residences
between "the first day OF May and the first day
Of December. and three times q week from the
FIRST day of December to the first day Of May"
| It will be seen by this that the old corpora
| ton" was much more watchful OF the health Of
the people than the present District govern
ment. The city is much more densely popu-
lated now than in 1862. The population has
| trebbled, but it seems that even if the garbage
contract were executed in good faith it is
only required to be removed one-haR as often
| a. then.
L 49, L.