Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-11
The Garbage Question,
To the Editor of The Evening Star:

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
There is no question of more vital i'm
portance than the garbage question:; and
now that the factory is destroyed the SUBJ
ject in its entirety should be carefully con-
sidered and finally settled for the future
not merely for year or two,but for the
next twenty-five or fifty years. or until
some better system is devised, if such there
may be.
The party who has patented and manu-
features the most successful apparatus for
the treatment of garbage ever made-so
much so that 1t is not only used by nearly
all in this country. including the great
slaughter houses at Chicago and elsewhere,
but is also sent abroad and used there-and
who is necessarily familiar with every gar
bage-treating establishment in the country.
and with their methods of treating 1t and
the apparatus used by them, assures me
that the method used by the company here
is the best of any
Assuming this to be correct (and / have
full confidence in the statemenD, then OF
course We want it continued. The only
question remaining is how best to do it
OF course, If We want people to invest the
necessary capital to erect a plant sufficient
to do the work we'll. and to increase their
capacity as the future increase OF garbage
may require, We must make 1t an object
for the company to do 50.
That the business is profitable under prop
er conditions is settled and the first and
most important condition is that the COM
pany should have the whole of it-dead ami
mails and all.
Now. as at present the Commissioners
have not. or think they have not. absolute
control of the matter, suggest the follow
ed m la Congress-
and not in regulations by the Commission
ers, and which may be changed at any time
by them or their successors:
First. Requiring all persons to deposit all
garbage and refuse matter in a suitable
vessel preferably metallic and water tight.
with a cover, as often as once every twen-
ty-four hours.
Second. That the moment it is so deposit
ed ii shall become the property of the Dis
trict, absolutely and wholly under the con-
troll of the Commissioners.
Third. That all dead animals, except those
slaughtered for food, shall be considered as
a public nuisance as soon as dead and shall
in like manner become the property Of the
District and under the absolute control OF
the Commissioners.
Fourth. That all such garbage, refuse mat
ter and dead animals shall be removed
within specified periods of time under the
supervision of the Commissioners.
Fifth. That they shall have the power to
contract for a term of not less than ten
years with any company who, under proper
bonds, will remove the same as fast as gath
cred and treat 1t by any approved process,
free of cost to the District, and outside OF
the District.
OF course there would have to be regua-
lions as to the means and methods OF gath
ering, the kind of vehicles used for that
purpose, etc, but those are matters of de-
tail, to be arranged by the Commissioners
and the health officer.
the main idea as will readily be seen, is
to give by law absolute control of all gar
- NJ a a
the District authorities, that the whole
of it may be given to the company, which
Will thus have an inducement to invest the
necessary capital to erect suitable plant
outside of the District, and to increase the
capacity of their plant as the increase OF
material might require.
This is merely a general outline of what 1
think ought to be done, and which, IL done,
would solve the whole question, and as l
believe, for all time.
There is a great deal more 1 would like to
say on the subject, but what desire now
is to get these suggestions clearly before
the citizens, who are so deeply interested,
as 1 have already suggested them to the
Commissioners.
1t seems to me that 1t is a very proper
subject for the Sanitary League to take
hold of and assist the Commissioners IN
procuring the necessary legislation as soon
as possible and before the present company
decide upon location for rebuilding.
Under no circumstances should any such
plant be permitted within the limits OF the
city, or even the District; and 1 have no
doubt but that this or any other company
would readily agree to locate outside II they
could only be sure of having 1t all and for a
reasonable term.
| would also, If possible, have the same
company do the gathering. AS there is
profit in it. they would be interested in
gathering ii ALL whereas separate con-
tractor is interested in evading his duty in
that respect.
If properly managed the company could
in a few years afford to do the gathering
free or nearly so; but that is a matter dis
tinct from the securing of the needed legis-
lation. which is the first and most import
ant step W. G. DODGE.
December =, 1893.
CThere is subcommittee of the Sanitary
League to consider and report upon the
subject of garbage disposal, which, The
Star is Informed. has been investigating
the matter and will soon be ready to SUBJ
nit it's report