Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-12

Areporser Of The sr.R called Commissioner
Ross attention to the debate in the Senate
yesterday relative to the deficiency appropria-
tion for garbage and the attack on Health
Officer Hammett-
Mr. Ross said. There is evidently such mis-
apprehension with regard 70 the facts connected
with the recent garbage complication that
Justice to the health officer and to the Commits
sonsrs requires something of detailed state
nent with regard thereto
SENATOR Blackburn of Kentucky lie reported
IN todsys Record as having said yesterday in n
debate. Now, I want the Senator from Florida
to state, As the Senator from Maine has already
stated, and as / have tried to say.
whetker the Commissioners did not admit
this morning that they did not do the work.
but, upon the contrary. there never was yea
in which complaints poured IN after suen
pands declaring that the work was not
done, notwithstanding more than " Tor one
were being expended beyond what nae
ever been expended before; whether the
Commissioners did not admit this morning
that. spending more than twice TIE thou-
sands Of dollars ever expended oeiore,
according to the testimony OF the people OF the
city of Washington. the most unsatisfactory, III
Sufficient and worthless service ever known was
being rendered to them
SENATOR MISUNDERSTOOD
The Senator evidently misunderstood the
Commissioner who had the honor to address
the committee yesterday if he placed any such
construction upon his remarks Inc garbage
service has been Sub beet of complaint ever since
have been Commissioner. In the early part
of last summer SO many complaints were sent
20 the Commissioners that II was deemed best
70 take some steps TO hold the contractor re-
spousible for the derelictiOn of duty, and with
that end in view letter addressed
20 Dr. Smith TownsheBd, the then health
officer dated June 2, 1881, requiring HIM to
keep an accurate account of each complaint OF
cereliction the part of the contractor for
the collection Of garbage, and to transmit copy
of the to the Commissioners at the
end Of each month The tirst report submit
ted after the transmission of said letter showed
for the month of May 81. and subsequent re-
ports for the months of June and July showed,
respectively, 18 and I0l complaints. Tins did
not include reports made to the contractor
himself who had otiioe in the health office
building.
Senator Blackburn also in error In
stating that the present health officer took pos
session the LIST day OF July. DIR. Hammett Was
installed on the lst OF August, 1891 1t will be re-
nembered that the growth OF vegetation during
last summer was phenomensL That all KINDS
Of vegetables were cheap and great quantities
were brought to the Washington marAet and
sold. From the LIST to the l4th OF August COM
plants became so numerous that some heroic
remedy had to be sppiied.
COMMISSIONERS AND CONTRACTOR.
at is fair here to state a cause of disagree
meut between the contractor and the Commits
sioners. While the contract for the removal OF
garbage was $4,000 per annum the con-
tractor requested that he should be
given an additional sum OF s3,221-2s
for additional garbage service rendered to
hotels, restaurants and green grocers establish
nlertsL The Commissioners doubted their
power to ~ add to the compensation OF the
Contractor without first advertising Tor
proposals. and upon q submission OF the
question 10 the assistant attorney for the Dis
trict, he held that we had no authority to grant
such extension OF the original Contract IN
this situation Of affairs. when complaints
were pouring IN every day, ana Wnen:
as the Commissioners thought. the health Of
the city was Imperfect by Accommodations OF
garbage. they deemed II best on tine 10th day
of August to instruct the health officer to
require the contractor for the removal OF
garbage to put on a sufficient number OF wagons
to remove the dead animals and garbage.
required by his contract, and that Ill default
thereof the health officer was authorized to
employ sufficient teams and appliances
to perform such service. In accord
ance with this the contractor increased his
number Of teams from twenty-five TO twenty
seven
THE ADDITIONAL FORCE ORDERED.
"On the 27th day of August the Commission
ers decided that the situation required the ap-
pointment Of ten additional garbage inspectors
at 50 per diem each, who should as
certain and report the failure OF the garbage |
contractor 10 perform his duty. About
the same time they ordered ten additional |
teams to be put on by the contractor. The re- |
port of these inspectors showed terrible state |
of affairs. There we're houses In the Residence |
PORTIONS Of the city where no collection |
of garbage had ever been made. and
ubara into
between collections were one month, and the |
total number OF complaints reported by the |
garbage inspectors from August "a to Septem- |
Der Ia period Of ten days aggregated ,OO2, or
Al average Of over 200 day.
The contractor seemingly was willing to
comply with the order OF the Commissioners, |
and kept the additional force at WORK |
until After his September check upon
his contract had been paid to him;
but on the Sd day of September the Commits
sloners received . written notice from
the contractor as follows: by reason |
OF not receiving the compensation for
the service performed by me for the |
month Of August the same the month Of
July. for which Congress has made addi-
tional appropriation, and after placing at work
the number Of wagons requested, 1 am COM
PEELED TO stop the collection OF garbage, &C..
THE SITUATION GRAVE.
The situation then was very grave. We had
no contractor for the removal Of dead animals
and none for the collection and removal
of garbage. Scarlet fever and diphthe- |
ria were prevailing to an alarming extent in
many parts Of the District. and failure TO
remove the garbage might have resulted in |
q pestilence- The Commissioners had but one !
duty before them: To remove the garbage
and dead animals at all hazards They accord |
ingly authorized the health officer to employ |
fifty teams with two men to accompany
each team At the best rates then obtainab!e |
namely, ESQ per diem, which required the
party owning said teams TO furnish at his own
expense for each team so employed eight bar
rels, two buckets and one scoop shovel The
Commissioners also employed scows and tug
boat TO remove the garbage TO some safe point
on the Potomac river. They also immed iateIy
advertised for proposals for the collection and
removal Of garbage and the removal of dead
animals for the remainder of the fiscal
year. The Only bid offered was opened on
the I'D Of September. which was proposal to
perform this service for the remaining nine
months for the sum of ga. 200 As the ac-
ceptAncs OF this bid impossible. the Com
Hissoners were compelled to continue the
service under the control of the health office at
the best rates that coaId be secured
DECREASE OF COMPLAINTS.
About the 18th Of October an arrangement
was perfected by which the price Of teams
with two men each was reduced to SIS per diem
and The rate for the scow and tug boat