Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-10
THE GARBAGE CONTRACTOR
A Big Price to Be Paid for the Four
Months Service
On u Contract Awarded without Com
petftiOn-COmplaints of Men Who
Wanted to Bid.


new contract for the removal of garbage
during the months of July. August, Septem-
Der and October, which the Commissioners
awarded to the present contractor without
inviting proposals. Adverse criticism on
the part of would-be contractors seems to
have stirred the authorities to action, and
an extra effort is being made to get the
contract settled as soon as possible.
All information regarding this new con-
tract is being zealously guarded, and when
a reporter of The Star asked Commissioner
Truesdell how much money the present
contractors would receive for the four
months contract, he declined to reply, add
ing that when the contract was signed that
information would be given out.
1t Is right here that the greatest objec-
ton on the part of those who contemplate
bidding under the new specifications for the
removal of garbage for five years arises.
1t is claimed that the compensation to be
paid for this four months contract is so
greatly in excess Of a pro rata distribution
that the District will lose considerable
money when bids are invited. Although
information as to how much the present
contractor was to receive for the temper
airy contract could not be obtained through
official sources. 1t leaked out that the mu-
nif1cent sum of S2S,jO0 was to be the price
paid. Only $4,000 was appropriated by
Congress for the collection and removal of
garbage per year. and $4,000 additional for
its destruction by cremation or reduction.
According to the opinion of a gentleman
who has studied this matter thoroughly,
and Is one of the best informed men on the
subject of garbage removal in the city, this
is an eXorbitant price to pay.
why. It's the easiest thing in the world
to see through" he said to a Star reporter.
1.-THE contractor is Maryland man and
In touch with Senator German, who, as is
we'll known. worked night and day for this
increased appropriation. It's childish for
the Commissioners to claim that this four
months contract had to be made with the
present contractor to get him to abrogate
the current contract. Every citizen who
read The Stars account of the hearing
given by the Commissioners to the garbage
contractors mean the one where the
press was grac:ously admitted-knows that
Manager Bayly, representing the contrac-
tors stated that they We're willing to cam
Gel their contract on the list day of July.
The contractors made no secret of the fact
that they wanted to get out of the bust
ness, because they were losing money. In
fact. the contractors after agreeing to can
eel the contract on the 1st day of July
openly stated they would not accept a new
contract. for fours months under the new
specifications. So 1t would seem that this
new contract was forced upon them. Why,
as a matter of fact. l would have taken
that new contract under the new specifca-
tons and regulations. which. by the way,
are marvels. at a much lower figure
Another contractor. who has been study
ing the situation for some time with a
viNw of bidding for the new contract. called
at the District building this morning and
expressed himself forcibly on the stua-
ton:
This four months contract at a compen-
sation of S2S.5O0 is an outrage on the tax
payers. One Of the Commissioners, I I'M
strongly of Senator Germans influence.
Now l. am a prospective bidder for this
new contract. and I tell you plainly that
If the Commissioners had advertised for
would have submitted bid much lower
than tie price they have agreed to pay
would have erected crematory and then
made money"
attention to a statement attributed to Com
missioner Truesdell to the effect that the
present contract could not be nulliiied ex-
cept by mutual consent Of the contractor
and the Commissioners, and says:
IF Mr.. Truesdell Is correctly quoted he
is misleading. In the District appropria-
ton bill! after the word consent appear the
two words or otherwise. This little joker
has a meaning which will no doubt be ap
parent to Mr.. Truesdell if he will study the
paragraph for just a moment. In the
month of March the Baltimore Sun said
that Mr.. Warfield would continue to col
lect the garbage after the list Of july at
the Increased allowance, for the full five
years. People laughed at the statement
then. but subsequent events suggest that
the Sun was right. The same issue also
said that Mr. Warfield came from Howard
county, Maryland and was being warmly
supported by some very influential persons
from that section Of the state
The Commissioners Statement.
Last evening, when the attention of the
Commissioners was called to protests of
prospective bidders against the awarding
of the temporary contract to Mr. Warfield
without competition. they gave out the fol-
lowing statement:
"The appropriation act, which provides
for the increase of the service, confers upon
the board the authority to make a tenn
pcrary contract, and 1t has been ordered.
1t also provides for the annulling of the
present contract, and that has been ac-
complished by agreement upon terms
mutually acceptable. 1t might have been
very different. The period of four months
will give prospective bidders ample time to
make their preparations. select a site for
the proposed reduction works, and in the
end the arrangement will prove to be- adj
vsntageous to the District There is no
doubt of the authority given to the Com
missioners. and, at the close of the tenn
Eorary contract. which also closes the daily
service for the present year. the new con-
tract for the remainder Of the five years
will be ready Bids will be advertised for