Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20
CONTRACTOR CLARK PROTEST..

OF ms S1roage contract.
Yesterday afternoon, shortly after 4 O'Clock,
the Commissioners received the following letter
from Contractor Clark with reference to the
construction placed upon his contract by the
police:
WASHINGTON, d. c., Aug. 10, 1892.
To the Health Officer and the Commissioners Of
the District of Columbia:
Gentlemen: am sorry to be forced to again
trouble you with q discussion Of the garbage
question. but it is unavoidable. The construo-
ton placed upon my contract by the police su-
thorities and attempted to be carried out by
them would be ruinous to me and Of no service
to others.
AT the time the police took charge Of my
teams tried to arrive at some definite under
standing as to how many teams 1 should fur
nish- Capt. Rossell thought il would take
hfty-four, and / contended that had about
enough already. After some discussion agreed
to put on as many teams was necessary to
remove the garbage, which was TO be deter.
mined by the average number OF loads made.
1t was agreed by oil parties that the teams
should make three loads a day each, except a
few teams that were working farthest from the
point Of delivery and where the houses were
scattered. i knew from experience that is
about what they ought TO do.
Now what is the result? Scarcely two full
loads to a team, because the garbage is not in
the city for them to collect. In other words
because they have more teams than the au-
thorities are able to furnish garbage to haul.
Now there appears to be q change Of 'front.'
The authorities claim, and they arc acting from
that standpoint. that am under contract TO
give a tri-weekly service to the citizens of
Washington city and Georgetown; that 1t is the
duty of my collectors TO call at every house
three times a week whether there is need
of garbage service or not. Now, in
consequence Of this understanding Of my
contract my teams are being sent about
the commons and sparsely settled sections
Of the District, calling at houses where
there was never a garbage service, where the
residents have never asked or expected or de-
sired service, they having other means OF dis
posing OF their garbage, feeding it to poultry
and pigs. For example, John Burgess, one my
collectors assigned to territory in the neigh
borhood of the jail, reported to me on the 10th
and 18th that he was going over the commons
collect garbage. that he would cover the
territory given him in the morning, and failing
to get his second load would go over the same
territory in the evening, that with all his
efforts, and he is one of the best collectors I
have. it was impossible for him to get two loads
q day. All my collectors working on the
outskirts of the city make reports sub
stantially the same, of which have a record
and about which there can lie no doubt.
Now the policemen are with my teams, they
know and they assert that my collectors do not
miss house in their calls, and that the terri
tory assigned to them is covered three times a
week, often every day, yet when the CON-
plants come In OF the non-removal Of garbage
my teams are taken from their reg
ular routes and carried from one end
of the city to the other to attend to them.
Why is this? No houses are passed, except
those where the collectors cannot get in. II is
not the contractors fault that the garbage is
1,,,< L.
holder, yet at my expense several teams are
employed daily to take up these complaints,
which is unjust and not called for by the terms
of nv contract.
l cannot think that the Interpretation put
upon my contract by the police authorities is
and District Commissioner 1 do not believe
that the Commissioners wish to build up a
garbage service in the fatherest limits Of this
city and Georgetown at this season Of the
year tiny expense. Where garbage service is
needed l am willing to give it, but cannot
call. and 1 am under no obligations to call at
every house in Washington and Georgetown
and the outlying sections of the city three
times q week, whether my collectors get gar
bage or not, with a regulsritys with which O
policeman goes on his beat. NY contract does
not call for this. II is useless loss Of time and
money which / am not able 10 stand; yet this il
what have had to stand for one week at q cost
Of many hundred dollars.
I stated to the Commissioners before I made
my bid on the garbage contract that I would bid
$40, 900 less on same IL they would enforce their
regulations, requiring householders to place
their garbage in suitable receptacles and to put
nothing therein except garbage, SO as
daylight to garbage collectors. This the Com
missioners agreed TO do and they made these
regulations a part OF my contract, and the
enforcement Of these regulations became q
condition precedent to the performance Of my
part of the contract.
commenced to do this service the first day
Of July, it is now the 18th Of August. and not
one householder out Of one hundred has COM
piled with your regulations, and no effort u
being made that I am aware Of to enforce
them. What is the result Of this failure on the
part Of the Commissioners to comply with their
contract? Ny teams have to wait In every
alley they enter about twice as long Is would be
necessary for them to do IL the reguls-
tons had been enforced. Ny collectors are
compelled to shovel tons Of garbage every day
from the back yards Of householder, causing
great delay, where no reoePtacles are provided.
and other filth il put into the garbage boxes, all
Of which is being removed at my expense under
the supervision Of the very same authority that
entered into Q contract With me 10 zee that
should not be compelled to do.
Nov, gentlemen, have tried and am trying
terms Of my contract, but you, in my opinion,
il I may be permitted TO cay 20, have. . duty
70 perform under that coutract, which I sin-
cersly hope you VIII consider before you can
make any just demand upon ne for moro
teams.
In the height Of ths season lass ysar, afssr
the city WIS cleaned mp, forty teams did the
work well. Thess teams were not 20 veil
equipped - the teams nou In the garbage serv-
ice, bssidss last year vss moro fruitful one,
there were more vegetables, moro
fruit and moro melonA Thirty tsams,
such ~ ! have nov In the garbage
service ere more than equal In eeRcisncy 70
forty-Avs teams such = were In The service Lest
year. contend, and am well sssixied, that II
you gentlemen bad enforced the regulations
which You made part Of my contract, thzrty
teams such - ! nov have would be more than
sufBcient 70 give Warrington city the best
ssrvice u ever I'D.
lido net give ~ - my opinion without .
reason. Whsn yea como 10 make . thorough
examination oe this matter, end get q Tie facSs,
Jon can cOms 70 no othsr eonclusfon yoursslvss,
esd vm rely h . srsat measure upon ths In
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