Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-27

After hearing everything that the health
officer and the garbage contractor have had
to say about garbage disposal. and after
making some personal examinations. the
District Commissioners appear at last to
have decided upon method Of disposal
which will. they believe be satisfactory to
the people of the District. Whether the
system finally selected will be all that is
claimed for it by It's friends, or whether 1t
shall fail to satisfy in some important par
tcular. 1t cannot be irtimated that the
Commissioners conclusion was reached too
hastily: on the contrary, it Is already
limited in behalf of the contractor that the
delay has been sufficient to operate as an
obstruction to such an extent as to render
1t improbable that the necessary structures
can be erected and equipped by November.
1t Is to be presumed that the Commission
ers have satisfied themselves that the sys-
TEN they officially endorse Is the very
best: anything less than thoroughly salts
factory method will find but few friends
at the national capital. no matter how eX-
cellent the plans may appear on paper.
This idea that the best is not too good for
Washington has not until recently had any
grip upon Congress and the other official
components OF our municipal government,
and even now there IS evident 4 disposition
toward inefficient cheapness and anti
economical mediocrity where the public in
terests would be much better served hy
liberality, of Judgment at least. This mat
ter of garbage collection and disposal is
one that deeply and personally interests
every resident of the District, for If the
service be poor, then the public health is
threatened and the same condition prevails
If the method of disposal is not entirely
ia AnIt. hi 70 hs-
Meve that the Commissioners have taken
definite action only after the most thorough
Investigation, that the complaints against
the Smith crematories in Philadelphia will
not attach to those to be erected IN Wash
ington, and. that the District of Columbia
Is to rejoice in a variety of garbage disposal
which will not be of itself nuisance.
1t is unfortunate that the Commissioners
did not make the Investigation necessary to
an intelligent decision and did not decide
the vital point of the best system of gar
bage disposal before awarding the garbage
contract. The award of the contract at an
agreed price, without selecting in advance
the method of disposal, amounts to the
creation of a middleman. whose interest 1t
becomes to use the cheapest system that
the Commissioners and people will put up
with. And every day after that award
used by the commissioners IN making up
their minds what method shall be employed
by the contractor, who has the assurance
of all the profits of the transaction what
ever they may be. means so much addi-
tional delay to the people of the city In the
enjoyment of modern and effective sys-
TEN, and so much longer of grooming under
the evils of the present antiquated. insult
ficient and dsgraceful method. The last
Congress provided the money and the au-
thority by virtue of which Washington
should at this day be: enjoying thorough
system of garbage disposal by reduction or
cremation. Since the beginning of the
fiscal year Washington has been paying
at the increased rate required for such
improved service. 1t receives for its money
only the old puisanoe-committing alleged
service and even the time when 1t will
profit by an improved system Is left In
doubt and Is steadily postponed by inactlon
on the part of the Commissioners. Mean
while the city has temporary contractor
and a permanent contractor though with
out a system of garbage disposal. and 1t is
evident that the money appropriated for
the reduction or cremation of the garbage
x-IIl ia oasily diSnosad oF no matter what