Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-08
How Garbage is Collected and Dis.
posed Of Now.
GIVEN AWAY TO FARMERS
It's an. Ill Wind That Does Not
Blow Good to Somebody.
P RIV ATE COLLECTIONS

Little does a countryman down the river
imagine that the rinds of melons raised on
his place and sent here for sale will again
reach his farm and help fertilize his ground
for the next years crop, but such a thing
is not only possibility, but strong proba-
biity. IL the farmer uses garbage as a fer
tilizer. And many Of them prefer garbage
to more expensive fertilizers. and. indeed.
many of them claim that garbage has no
equal The garbage from this city is all
shipped down the river and given to farm
ers now that the Sanitary Company has no
reduction plant. In days gone by the con-
tractor was able to sell the garbage to
farmers and realize enough frcm the sale
to pay fer its transportation, at least, but
after the destruction Of the incinerating
plant the farmers realized that the con-
tractor had no USE for the refrse vegetable
matter. and knowing it had to be taken out
OF the District they concluded to take 1t
and use 1t to enrich their farm lands, but
they were not willing to pay for 1t. and 80
now they are reaping the benefits Of the
destructive fire. The garbage contract calls
for its removal from the District. unless. of
course, II is iEcinerated, and then an extra
allowance was made.
During the past two or three years. there
has been decided Improvement In the
| manner Of conveying the garbage through
service is better than IT was a few years
ago Instead of the low, gcose-neck wagons
and barrels. there are now in use steel carts
and one large tank wagon. These vehicles
are easily handled and may be cleaned
| without much trouble. cleaning them is
an absolute necessity during the summer
months. in order that they may not consti-
tute nuisance.
The voice of the "slop man. is no longer
heard, the drivers being required to use tin
horns, a sound which has proved an
noyance to some few late seepers.
Necessary Removals.
These wagons make early morning starts
end do not finish their labors until late in
the evening, when they are thoroughly
washed and put in readiness for the next
days service. Under the specifications of
the contract it is provided that "all garbage
shall be collected and removed from dwell
ings and boarding houses in the cities of
Washington and Georgetown and their
more densely. populated suburbs three
| times per week from the first day of April
to the first day Of November. and twice per
week from the first day Of November to the
first day of April in each year; and from
markets, hotels and other like places daily,
or oftener, as necessity may require"
Persons who are neglected by the collec-
tors are supposed TO send in their complaints
to the health officer. and the complaints
are duly recorded At this particular sea-
son of the year the number of complaints
to the large increase in the amount of
81 rbage to be collected This week, for in
stance. 200 carloads a watermeons have
reached here from the Auth. and two days
after the arrival of the first consignment
II became necessary to put additional
wagons, and since the beginning of the
week. according to the statement of the
garbage people five additional teams have
be en- put on the different routes The COM
plants this week have increased until more
than sixty of them have been recorded in a
single day. Each OF these complaints is
supposed to be Investigated. and when COM
plant is made, an inspector in the employ
of the District, well as one in the en-
ploy of the sanitary company, is pretty ap:
TO call and ask questions as well as to
Investigate the premises. There are two
sides to every story, SO II is said and
Certainly there are two sides to the garbage
question. The drivers are colored men,
whose salary is perhaps enough to keep soul
and body together, and not much more, and
of course they are sometimes certain to
miss house while. on the other hand, the
fault Is with a servant housekeeper or
householder As an illustration of this In
spector Howe made an investigation of $50
complaints, and found ninety-four without
cause. fifteen unlawful receptacles and
nineteen doubtful cases. AS In courts of
justice. the company is given the benefit of
the doubtful cases, leaving f1fty-two bona
fide complaints.
Police Regulations.
The health officer has full charge Of the
work of garbage collection. and on account
of the amount of trouble In connection
Herewith 1t was deemed advisable by the
Commissioners to make certain regulations.
which are embodied in the police regula-
lions, as follows:
Sec l. No person other than the con-
tractor his collectors shall engage In
collecting garbage. offal or dead animals
within the city limits, unless authorized by
the health officer
Sec =. Owners or tenants of each house
hotel, restaurant boarding house, commits
sion house or other place where there may
be Accommodations Of garbage, shall pro-
vide suitable garbage receptacles.
Sec 3. Garbage receptacles must be made
OF metal, water tight, covered, and of ca
pacity not less than three nor more than
ten gallons, and shall be so placed upon
the premises as to be acce ssible TO the col
lectors at all hours during daylight.
Sec I. 1t is unlawful to put anything but
animal and vegetable matter in such gar
bage receptacles.
Sec g. Collectors are not required to re-
move any garbage containing ashes, cans,
glass, straw or anything but animal or
vegetable matter
Sec :. Any person violating any of the
provisions of this article SHALL on convic-
ton thereof i'm the Police Court, be pun
ished by Il fine of not less than s. nor
more than $40 for each and every offense.
Under the regulations garbage receptacles
are required to be made of metal.
to hold from three to ten gallons,
and while many householders have
such vessels there are hundreds and
perhaps thousands who have not
and although unlawful vessels have been
found f.om time to time no prosecutions
have been instituted.
Heavy Collections.
Collections are made by the garbage con-
tractor from about $4,000 houses, SO it is
estimated and at this season of the year the
collections amount to from 100 to L., tons
a day. while IN the winter season they
amount to no more than half this num-
ber Then, too the contractor is not per-
mitted to keep any Of the garbage at the
wharf over night, but must haul IL away
every lay. The increase in the garbage
caused by the receipt of many water
melons gives the contractor more than
enough for a scow load a day, and all this
Is hauled to points on the river short dis
lance below the District lire.
The garbeg e service costs the District on
an average of about S3O.OO a year Just now,
the contract price being $4,000, with an
extra allowance in hot weather. This year
an effort made to secure from Con-
gress an appropriation of S60oo0 for the
cons truction of an incinerating plant and
the Senate acted favorably on the PROPOSE
ton but the item was killed wnen il reach
ed the conference committee. and now the