The record-union., 1891-10-08
A BURNING QUESTION.
How Shall the People Dispose Of Their
Rubbish !?
The Smoke Nuisance-Should Fires BE
Permitted in the Public Streets
at Any Hour.

Sanitary Inspector Starr is credited by
a contemporary with having expressed the
opinion that people should be allowed to
use the public streets in which to burn
rubbish between the hours of 10 o'clock
a. II. and P. NJ, he holding that the or
dinance now permits the pollution of the
atmosphere only prior to 10 o'clock in the
morning and after in the evening.
About a year ago the RECoRD-U UNION
called attention repeatedly to the nuisance
caused by these rubbish fires of mornings
and evenings, and so many persons com
! planned of it that the matter was taken up
by the Trustees. The impression was lett
/ that an ordinance was passed providing
that rubbish fires would not be permit
ted before 10 O'Clock in the morning nor
after in the evening. Certain it is that
/ last fall Chief of Police Drew declared
/ his intention OF stopping evening fires if
! he had to arrest people by the wholesale.
1t is said that City Attorney Hart has
! informed Health Officer Nichols that
there is no ordinances PROHIBITING the
! burning Of rubbish in the public streets,
although there is one prohibiting the
| placing of rubbish there.
/ Our recollection is that the Trustees did
! last fall make sthe rule referred to, and
/ that Il dillgent search among the news
paper clippings in the scr4I-bool, which
alone constitutes the city'S compilation OF
! its laws, viii reveal such an ordinance.
The mere prohibition OF placing rub
! bish IN the streets VIII not correct the
/ evil complained OF, for most Of the tiGcS
/ Of the tail and winter months are built Of
| leaves dropped upon the streets ana side
walks by shade trees.
As a matter OF fact, street rubbish fires
1 should not be permitted at any hour of
! the day or night. No other city allows it,
and it is high time for Sacramento to cut
/ loose from her provincial aud shittlesS
/ habits. Mess some restriction be en-
! forced, The stranger coming into this city
abOut uigHtiali during the autumn
months viii iinu il submerged III smoke
( arising lT0:l hundreds OF yard and street
rubbish fires, which pcnctrales tho houses
and causes much distress, especially TO
! invalid.
Just what to do with all the rubbish
4 that collects from falling leaves. the trim
/ mings OF trees etc., is the question. fit
could al he gathered at regular intervals
and carried away, ii could readily be dis
| posed of; bUt the leaves keep on falling for
/ thespaue Of couple OF months. ifa resi-
dcnce front be cleaned up at O'clock IL
the morning. it viii be IL just as Suus@ @htly
q condition am hour later.
Poor people cannot afford to hire scav-
/ enGerS every hour. nor every Gay-nCr
scarcely on a week-to remove the col
lections OF leaves. Neither is it desirable
that rubbish should be piled away in
back yards to decay, for that would be to
propagate disease.
The question of the proper disposal of
street and yard rubbish is one that de-
! serves the attention o.. tho City Ho2rd Of
Health and City Trustees. If burning is
/ deemed necessary. it should be confined
to midday hours. and to back yards or
alleys.