St. Paul daily globe., 1895-11-08
RESULT OF DEVELOPMENTS
Az YESTERDAYS MEETING a0F
THE PARKER INVESTIGATE 3
ING COMMITTEE.
BUSY MEETING LAST NIGHT,
Plans for Handling Garbage Next
Year-CoInO Avenue BOuIea u
ward Question. 10 Jd

assembly last night Almost the first
matter submitted was a communi-
cation from the committee on Ways
bill of the Capital Garbage company
for collecting and disposing of gar
bage during the past month The
reason of this refusal, as stated in
the communication, was to be found
in the statement made by Health
Commissioner Stone before the Par
ker Investigating committee, that he
CDR. Stone) had approved or signed
the monthly bills of the garbage con-
tract under protest.
In explanation Of the communica-
ton, Mr.. Lewis, the chairman of the
committee on ways and means, said:
After listening to the statement of
DR.. Stone this afternoon, that he
signed the garbage bills under pro-
test and that he was morally certain
that the work required by the con-
tract had not been performed, the
committee decided that it could not
audit the garbage bill. In the face
of such an admission on the part of
the health commissioner, we, as mem
bers of the council, would lay our
selves liable to Impeachment if we
passed any more of these garbage
bills without investigation.
Mr.. Strouse took exception to the
action of the committee.
THE very statement of the COM
mittee is inconsistent. This particu-
lar bill was not approved by DR..
Stone, His assistant signed it. More
over, we have paid all the preceding
garbage bills. Why not allow this
one? IN.
Mr.. Parker thereupon explained
that the committee on ways and
means did not learn until yesterday
that the health commissioner had
signed the garbage bills under pro-
test. This being the case, the COM
mittee felt that it could not audit the
October bill.
Mr.. Strouse moved that the bill be
approved, inasmuch as the city
comptroller had audited it,
Mr.. Johnson related what took
place before the investigating COM
mittee, and explained how the COM
mittee on garbage had advised DR..
Stone to sign the garbage bills.
The vote on Mr.. Strouse's motion to
approve the bill was then taken, and
the motion.was lost by 5 to s. On mo-
ton of Mr.. Lewis the bill was recon
sidered and re-referred- to the com
mittee on ways and means, with the
understanding that the committee
will confer with the health commits
sioner and garbage contractor re-
garding the bill. The amount is -SS97.
The perennial garbagequestion Gre
ated, as usual, a strong breeze. The
latest action of the joint garbage
committee was to appoint subcom-
mittee, consisting of Assemblyman
Reardon, Aid. Murphy and Chairman
Johnson to draft specifications in
conformity with which a contract is
to be let for the ensuing year. Chair
man Johnson, as he himself an
nounced, has no faith in a contract
IOl -oiopOSiilS VI Sooi OeiSS Ny ia III
ing it out of the city, when the. con-
tract is made under unfavorable cir
cumstances. Cremation is Mr. john
sons pet scheme, SO he did not assist
in drafting specifications. Aid. Muir
ply failed to meet with the subcom-
mittee and consequently it remained
for Mr. Reardon to formulate the
specifications with the aid of the
city attorneys office. He did SO, and
submitted the specifications last
night.
These specifications correspond
contractor is operating, in so far as
they require the contractor to haul
the garbage at least ten miles be-
yond the city limits, and forbid him
to transfer any load Of garbage from
one vehicle to another within the
city limits. The minor conditions
as to the nature of the barrels, ETC.,
are also the same. But there are
two important provisions not con-
tanned in the existing specifications.
In case the contract is annulled,
which can be done by a tWo-thirds
vote of the council, if the work is not
properly performed, the health COM
missioner is authorized to en-
ploy a force of men to do
the work until such time as another
contract may be let, and the expense
entailed by the employment of such
force shall be charged to the COB
tractor whose contract has been an
nulled The second distinguishing
provision is that the contractor must
state how and where he is going Ito
dispose of the garbage, his statement
to form part of the contract. at
AS soon as the clerk finished read
ing the specifications Mr.. Johnson eX-
pressed his opinion of them. He adj
mitted that they were an improve
ment upon the present specifications,
but declared that the work would
never be done satisfactorily under
them. So
At this juncture Mr.. Parker moved
that the matter be referred to the as
sembly as committee of the whole
for future discussion. Mr.. Reardon
objected to any delay, and after de-
nouncing the manner in which the
present contractor performs his
work, took occasion to say that it
was not DR.. Stones fault, but ''our
fault that the garbage bills were
passed.
Growing weary of the discussion,
MIR. Johnson arose and explained the
whole matter. He told how the gar
| bage committee had turned down the
| report of the subcommittee consist
ing of himself and the health COM
| missioner, which report recommend
ed that the garbage be cremated; !;
| that $40 900 be included in the next
tax estimate to pay the expense of
constructing a crematory, and that
no contract be let for 1896. but that
| licensed scavengers be authorized to
dispose of the garbage.
! "And So" continued Mr.. Johnson.