St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-07-12

members of the committee listened
patiently to his talk, but did not seem
at all enthusiastic. Had Mr.. johnson
overheard the conversation among men,
bers of the committee before he put in.
an appearance as to the absurdltv of
his scheme the meeting would have
been much shorter and his oratorical
efforts saved for some future occasion.
s. DR.. Hoyt said all the points mentioned
in the Johnson ordinance had been tried
in large cities and found not to be prac-
tical. About one family in twenty would
do as the ordinance provided. When
the plan was tried here it cost Is cents a
visit for the carrying away of small
barrel of garbage, and 30 cents for
large barrel. The citizens would
not pay to have their garbage removed
in this way, and, as a result, the public
health was endangered. The doctor
figured there were 1000 houses in the
city inhabited. and under the system of
one weekly call at each residence at Is
cents per call, the expense of removing
garbage alone would amount to $l56, 900
per year. One quarter of the city would
want daily service for SIX months in the
year, which would cost Sl12,5O0, and
with weekly calls for that territory for
the remaining six months, an additional
$4,000 would have to be paid. The
other 5000 houses would have to paw
for weekly service S117,0O0, making a
grand total of S259,000 per year paid
should the scheme OF licensed scavengers
be adopted. The doctor explained that
a committee from the American Health
association had been appointed to con-
slider the question of garbage and re-
fuses in cities, and the report of the
committee had recently been made pub
lie. The committee consisted of such
well-knOwn Sanitarians, chemists and
DIR. Granville p. Conn, of New Hamp-
shire; Crosby Gray, of Pittsburg, aud
Rudolph Herring, of New York. The
committee III its report recommended
that the best plan was to have the gar
bage and all refuse collected and dis
posed of either by responsible con-
tractor or the work done by the CITY.
The statistics from 100 cities showed
the amount of refuse'per capita per an
nun was one cubic yard, which weighed
about 1900 pounds, and 20 per cent Of
this was garbage.
All systems had been tested. and in
large cities the minimum figures for
removing and disposing of garbage
alone was IL cents per capita per an
nun. For the collection and diSposing
mails and street SweepingS the cost per
capita per annum was 81 cents.
Figuring OIL population of 900 in
ST. Paul, the cost OF removing and dis
posing of the garbage alone, according
to these figures, would :cost So, Gee per
year, and for the collecting and dIspOs-
ing of all garbage, offal and refuse
S121 500 per year.
DR.. Hoyt said the contract should be
let to responsible bidder, and as the
above figures from the committee were
the smallest for which the work could
be done and done well. the committee
should not try any more experiments,
but be guided by the experience of
other cities. He advised the committee
they had chance either to make
record for themselves or a
big mistake. Aid. Copeland thought
as DR.. Hoyt did that the garbage prob
lem was not to be solved by the John
son ordinance. Neither did he think
the work could be done as some of tile
bidders put i'll proposals at the last time
for 500 per year. DR.. HOyt was pos
tive If the contract was let tor less than
the figures given the work could not be
done properly. -
The committee finally decided to rec
ommend advertising for proposals under
the SpeclncatlonS drawn up the health
commissioner and the city attorney.
The specifications provide for daily
collection in the more central resident
and business portion OF The city and the
collection every alternate day in the
other parts. The garbage. offal
and dead animals are to be re-
moved in steel carts or vessels
and under rules to be approved by the
health department.. The disposition is
to be by cremation, some system of re-
duction or all material to be removed to
some point ten miles outside the city.
Some discussion was had as to whether
the contract should be let for one or two
years, but 1t was decided to first adver-
tiSe for bids and then settle on the time
for making the contract