Evening star., 1895-08-28
As might have been expected, the Com

As might have been expected, the Com
missioners and the garbage contractor are
at logserheads over the garbage disposal
system to lie adopted The latter, having
been awarded the contract at fixed price
Irrespective of the cremation system to be
employed will naturally fight for abso-
luteIy the cheapest method of burning the
garbage which can be discovered. And
since 1t Is cheaper to dump haif-coilected
garbage into the river or deposit 1t upon
Maryland farms than to cremate 1t by any
method 1t is to the interest of the con-
tractor to delay in every possible manner
the employment Of any cremation or reduc-
tion plant, and to prolong indefinitely, If
he can, the period during which he or his
brother Is paid at cremation rates for
merely dumping the garbage. The money
has been appropriated by Congress to give
to Washington absolutely the best system
of garbage disposal In existence The peo-
pie of the city want such a system and
"tbey want 1t mighty quick" They will
back UP the Commissioners vigorously and
unanimously in speedily installing the very
best that can be found, and in refusing to
sacrifice the public interest in response to
the appeals of an already too greatly
favored contractor
1t has seemed to The Star that the ideal
system of garbage disposal is that in use
In number of cities, by which the gar
bage is reduced at plants located outside
OF the city's limits. Tho garbage is col
lected in metallic receptacles swung as a
cart body on wheels, which are lifted un-
opened to specially prepared cars, or to
barges for transporta ton to the reduction
works, or in emergencies are hauled there
on the carts without change. The re-
CentlclnS M
escape until the garbage is dumped into
the reduction works
Several crematories and the best reduc-
tlon plants be so operated as not to
taint the air with foul odors. even in their
immediate vicinity. But there is strong
popular prejudice, reasonable or unreasona-
BILE. against either a reduction or crema-
tion plant In the settled portions of city,
and there Is almost certain to be constant
agitation against such an establishment by
those living in the neighborhood. If a
reduction plant Is used the fact that the
profits of the business will depend upon the
amount of garbage collected reduced and
utilized will tend to cause the most thor
ough collection Of the garbage. and the
most complete cleansing of the city, and
the profits from the sale Of reduction pro-
ducts will compensate for the additional
tightly closed receptacles outside Of the
city's limits.
At some time Washington may, 1t is
hoped, enjoy the benefits of method
which best purifies the back yards and
alleys, least offends the nostrils of citizens,
and best promotes the community's health
while drawing the least from the COM
munity's pocket-book.
There is much, however. to be said in
favor of garbage disposal by cremation,
which the Commissioners have apparently
adopted. and the poorest, crudest crema-
tory is a thousand times better as garb-
age-disposer than misunderstanding river
dump or farm deposit. Washington WILL
therefore, wish to the Commissioners speedy
success Tn their efforts to install an i'm
proved system
Since there is no inducement under a
cremation system to make a thorough col
lection of the garbage, it will be the more
necessary for the Commissioners to pro-
vide for Thorough supervision and inspec-
tion Of the manner in which the contractor
Performs his duties. and above all to
Secure, first, garbage contract which will
hold water, and then to vigorously enforce
1t. The garbage contractor of the discredit-
able past has never apparently believed
himself bound to anything in particular
by the documents which he has signed, and
the grossest violations and even abroga-
ton of garbage contract have never been
adequately punished there has been no
reason why the contractor should feel 1t
necessary to do ar ything which he did not
please to do. AS matter of fact and of
law, when a man contracts to remove and
dispose of all the city's garbage in an
agreed manner and at fixed price, he Is
bound to do it whether he makes money in
the operation or not, and If the contract
is properly drawn and adequate bonds
men are required he cannot compel the
community to permit him to slight his aon-
tract duties at pleasure. ON the pretext
that he is losing money, by the threat Of
abrogating the contract and Of quitting
work entirely.
Corbett and Fftzsimmons may save them
selves and their hackers considerable ex-