Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-07-08

and the good money Of the taxpayers
is being paid out at the rate Of over
$3.50 per month for most inadequate
and
INEFFICIENT SERVICE.
When the last garbage contract was
made, it was freely acknowledged by
Councilman, and by almost the en-
tire strength of the then Committee on
Health, that "the work couldn't be done
for the money" Yet the city entered
into this sort of q contract, and the pre-
dictlon was most abundantly fulfilled.
The work wasn't done. And yet with
this experience, Council has made an
! other contract with Mr.. Clark for less
sim than paid Mr.. Conrad, and as re-
suit the work is being, il anything,
more imperfectly performed than ever
before.
Complaints are made at police head
quarters and at the Office of the Health
officer, daily and almost hourly, while
scores and hundreds Of citizens suffer In
silence, allowing their garbage to ac-
cumulate from day to day, or burn or
otherwise dispose Of 1t as best they can;
and the collector, working under cast
iron contract, with good and sufficient
sureties, continues TO
VIOLATE HIS OBLIGATION
every hour Of every day, and Council
men look on with contentment and that
Christian spirit Of resignation which is
so becoming in city legislator.
The ordinance upon which Mr.. Clark's
contract is based says that he shalt re-
move the garbage from every house In
the city of Wheeling six times a week
during the months OF June, July, August
and September, and he has given bond
to fulfill that contract.
Not only has the contract been daily
violated, but it has never yet been car
ried out upon any single day.
Yet the Committee on Health and
Council continues TO do nothing, gar
bage accumulates, and the Contractor
draws his money with regularity, just as
though it had been earned.
Citizens complain; they ask to have
the Accommodations removed from their
residences; they go TO the police, to the
Health Officer and to Councilmen; they
write TO the newspapers, and they In
terview the Contractor and his men
but it all comes TO nothing.
The garbage contractor Is king OF the
realm and
COCK OF THE WALK.
The police cases are attended to once
or twice, and then things drop back In
the same old rut; the Health Officer is
given soft promises; the Councilman Is
laughed at, and the taxpayer who ven
lures to file a personal objection, is
abused like a pick.pOcket by the gen.
tleman of leisure who calls around TO
remove the contents of swiil barrel
which has been smelling to heaven for
week or two. II the citizen isn't at
home, his wife, the servant, or anybody
else within reach gets 1t instead.
The major portion Of the fault Is with
the Health Committee and Council. The
contract vas
AN INIPRoVIDENT ONE FOR THE CITY,
in the first place. because the ordinance
cannot be carried out for the money ex'
cent at a large loss TO the contractor.
The ordinance is faulty, in that it pre-
scribes what the contractor shall do,
but does not prescribe how he shall do
IL. the number of carts he shall work,
the hours he shall work, or anything
else which is essential. The ordinance
should contain a provision to the effect
that when the garbage is 10 be removed
six times q week, so many carts,
working so many hours in GER
tain districts or wards, should be
employed, and a proportionate number
of carts during the months when the
work 20 be done is less. At present,
when six removals a week from every
house is in contemplation, the contract
or employs but five carts, and according
to the Health Officer, they work but
about six hours day. No five cart
teams ever sent out can cover the eight
wards OF this city in day, stopping at
| every house, and
EVERY MEMBER OF COUNCIL KNOWS 1T.
It would take at least ten carts to do
this daily work, and perhaps fifteen
would not be too many, since the best
that can be done now with five is>an
average OF two removals n week, in
stead OF six.
or course the contractor is to blame
for not doing his duty; but he is, In
some measure, excusable because he is
but following the precedent set by his
illustrious predecessor. The real trouble
lies with Council, members OF which
body knew the work couldn't be done
when they let this contract, knew it
wasn't done under the former contract,
and know it isn't done now-yet DO
nothing to afford relief.
There is popular and growing de-
msnd for reform in this matter, and
Council owes it to itself and TO the
taxpayers OF the city that Contractor
Clark be brought up summarily with a
round turn, and THAI he be given to
understand, without delay, that his
contract, entered into with his eyes
omen, must be enforced. and that If he
can't do il the sureties on his bond