Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-11
DAILY GARBAGE COLLECTIONS
The Commissioners of One Mind in Their
Favor.
reports From the Inspector and CHIEF
Clerk-Health Demands q Daily
Service The Cost.


Service The Cost.
The Commissioners are now all Of one
mind concerning a daily garbage service.
They want It and will urge upon Congress
Its importance from a sanitary standpoint.
1t has not always been thus. Until re-
Gently the Engineer Commissioner was
opposed to any recommendation to Con-
gress looking to an increase in the amount
of money to be paid out under the existing
contract. His chief reason was that the
contractors had gone into the matter with
eyes wide open and should be made to COM
ply strictly with the terms Of the contract
There is nothing in the contract. how
ever. providing for a daily service and I'M
less Congress appropriates an additional
sum the garbage will only be removed three
times per week.
When this provision in the contract was
brought to the attention Of Capt. Powell
he promptly withdrew all objections and
voted for special appropriation for daily
collection OF garbage.
There Is no doubt In my mind" he said
to reporter Of The Star, that for five
months at least in the year a daily collec-
ton OF garbage is absolutely necessary as
sanitary measure
The civil Commissioners have never
doubted the expediency of such a thing.
They have spoken a number of times of
the good that had been accomplished al
annual report to Congress that hereafter
the daily collection Of garbage during the
summer months be made a regular thing.
when the Commissioners came to consid-
er the ACCESSIBILITY Of estimating for such
service they called for reports from the
health officer on this subject. In his re-
port to the Commissioners DR.. Hammett
submitted the reports of his chief clerk
and the inspector in charge Of the gar
bage service on this subject, with the state
ment that the limited daily service for a
has been SO beneficial to the community
that am led to believe that 1t should be
IN the future extended over the entire city.
as Indicated The people Of the District
nave shown by petitions and requests that
the service is desired and from a sanitary
standpoint and the interests of public
health l have no hesitation in stating that
Inspectors Report.
The first report submitted is that Of the
inspector of garbage and is as follows:
pursuant to your instructions Of this
date. herewith make my report as to the
ACCESSIBILITY Of a daily garbage collection in
this city during the six months from May
LIST to October 31Jt. The subject Of daily col
lection OF garbage during the summer
months has occupied the attention Of the
health officer and the Commissioners for
localities and where carried out the COM
plants have diminished and in some local
tiles ceased. That large proportion Of the
complaints of inefficient collection have
been well founded is true and in many in
stances the contractor was Justly blam-
able; but In the main. the contractor, be-
lieve. intends to faithfully perform his work
and the dereliction is due to untrustworthy
employees.
I'm a great many cases Of complaints the
fault Is on the side Of the householders, who
either fall to provide the proper receptacle
for the garbage or neglect to place II with
in the reach Of the collector
MY belief. forced from a constant SUPER
vision of the work Of collection and a care
ful investigation Of all the complaints for
the past two months and a half, is that
there should be a daily collection of gar
bagei throughout the entire city from the
|mrSf 0f May until the end Of October. While
this VIII involve greater expense to the
District, 1t ought to give perfect satisfac-
ton to the citizens and will undoubtedly
conduce to the health Of the community
and prevent the appearance of any epidem-
&c disease. These latter considerations
should, 1t seems to me, outweigh the mat
ter Of additional expense"
Chief Clerks Report.
Then follows the report of the chief clerk
Of the health Office. which says:
Il. During the months named more garb-
age Is made than at any other time of the
year. and 1t Is Of that nature (being more
on the order Of early vegetables, fruits.
melons, &C., which becomes offensive more
quickly than other materials, especially in
connection with the operation of warm
weather because of rapid chemical changes.
- In January last. when the matter of
daily collections above was under con-
sideration, the corps OF physicians to the
poor twenty in number. were asked to give
their opinions as to the need of such service
from sanitary standpoint, and they were
unanimously of the opinion that ii was
nQCpsoarv the health nf Thoao
opinions were also concurred In by many
other practicing physicians.
"a. Last year many Of our most tial
taxpayers joined in a petition for the daily
service, thus showing willingness to do
their share in paying the cost thereof. II
the question should now be submitted to the
people Of the District Of Columbia, they
woHM vote for 1t by a very large majority
dltion of this city can be maintained during
the warm season only by daily removal of
garbage and other germ-producing filth. BY
this means much of the danger of epidemic
diseases would be averted.
70. The system of house-to-house inspec-
lions carried on during the past summer re-
veals the fact that a certain class of citi-
zens have been brought to see the necessity
of absolute cleanliness about their premises,
and the salutary results have been greatly
beneficial to the entire community. With a
daily garbage service as indicated, these
habits would be kept In force, and the
Of sanitary inspectors would be reduced to
a minimum.
IS. The present cost of a tri-weekly service
from May to october, inclusive, is two
thirds Of the total contract price, $4,000.
or 1885, there being as many tons removed
as in the other months. Upon this basis an
additional allowance Of S16.266 should be
made, and the service should include the
public markets on Sundays.
Private Garbage Collectors.
There is considerable opposition to the
order Of the Commissioners relative to the
collection Of garbage by none but authoriz-
ed collectors, and 1t is expected there will
be several hearings before the Commission
ers before their order is made part Of the
police regulations.
In addition to the receipt Of q number of
protests, the Commissioners were appealed
to personally today by several citizens who
called to find out the real meaning Of the
order.
Commissioner Parker said in converse
ton with a reporter Of The Star today that
it was not the object Of the Commissioners
to upset good sanitary arrangements. The
object of the order was to place the matter
in the hands Of the health officer, and per-
sons who desired permit to collect gar
bage on their own responsibility must sat
| isfy him that they were prepared to do 30
in a sanitary manner"
The Commissioners, before deciding upon