Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-25
The Much-Diseussed Affair Up in
the Senate.
PETITION FROM SOUTH WASHINGTON
Senator Stewards Resolution for
an lnoury.
LOCAL LEGIS ALTON

manner and from a totally unexpected
source. During the morning hours Sena-
ator Stewart of Nevada presented a num-
ber of petitions from citizens of South
Washington in regard to garbage and other
matters affecting that locality, accompa-
MED by resolution, for which he asked
immediate consideration. This resolution
was as follows:
Resolved, That the committee on the
District of Columbia Is directed to call
upon the Commissioners of said District
for a full report OF their action under the
act Of March 2, 1895, IN the matter Of the
removal of the garbage Of the cities of
Washington and Georgetown. with trans
mission Of all papers, and the said commit
tee is further directed to investigate the
subject of the disposal of the garbage for
large cities, with special regard to the
health and comfort of the people and the
location of garbage crematories or reduc-
ton plants, and to report what, II any,
legislation is necessary
When the resolution had been read Sem
ator Hill asked what reason there was for
such an investigation. Mr.. Stewart an
swered that the reasons were set forth at
great length In the papers accompanying
the resolution, and added that the Com
mlssioners are very much embarrassed
over the girhage question. He believed
that an investigation could do no HARM
and might be of material aid to the Com
miSSionerS.
Senator Harris suggested that the reso-
luton be printed and go over until tomor-
row, and this was acted upon, and the
matter will come up for consideration to-
morrow unless something intervenes.
The Petition.
The petition accompanying the resolu-
ton is signed by e. C. Winter, president;
Henry Storey, secretary, of the South
Washington Citizens Association, and the
committee: John B. Trout, Maurice Fftz-
gerald, John Quinn, James Martin, Bernard
Leonard. James F. Shea and Charles
Schafer. The facts contained In the peti-
ton are already we'll known, and are set
1ortn more at length in document that
accompanies the papers, In the nature of a
brief, which recites the law and the regu1a-
tions concerning garbage disposal. 1t con-
tinues: Until the use of the reduction
plant at the foot of South Capitol street,
the garbage had all been transported out
OF the District by land or water. 1t had
been the policy and intention of Congress
that the garbage should be collected and
removed out of the city and at distant
point disposed Of" The paper then speaks,
of the various steps taken to secure the
garbage disposal plant, recites the facts
leading up TO the establishment OF the
former reduction plant at BuZZard's Point
which, the petitioners state, proved such a
nuisance that the citizens were about to
take the matter into court, when the plant
providentially burned down. Continuing
the record of the case the paper cites the
facts of the passage Of the appropriation
act last year, the opening of bids under the
provisions therein contained, and the ac-
ceptance of Warfield's bid at $4,000, not
withstanding that there were bids even as
low as $4,000 from reputable and reponslble
bidders-'
Points of Opposition.
The document concludes with a recita-
ton OF the following points raised by the
citizens:
"Crenatories and reduction plants are
everywhere regarded as per Sc nuisances
and reegated to distant points; the claim
that the Brown crematory, now being con-
struc.ed at the foot of South Capitol street,
at Wilmington, Del, which is tolerated
only because it Is in locality given up
to various noxious and Objectionable
trades. Garbage crematorias, Irrespective
of their character, are repugnant, and their
mere presence is destructive OF property
values: the spirit of congressional legisla-
tion, from first to last, is to remove the
garbage outside Of tho city and thickly
clearly prohibit the burning or reduction
of garbage within the city or thickly pop
ulated suburbs; the building regulations
require the written consent of residents and
property owners: the Commissioners re-
quired the consent of occupants and own
ers in adjoining states, but did not require
the consent of such within the District,
and even ignored their protests; the Com
missioners could not pc convinced that
the former reduction plant was a nuisance
although a similar plant has been re-
strained by the court, and several hundred
citizens subscribed a petition and me-
mortal declaring the former plant here to
be an odorous nuisance: the desire and de-
mand of the press and the public Is that
the garbage plants be located outside Of
the city limits. either in Maryland or Vir-
gtnia, and In approving sites within the
city the Commissioners are acting against
the will of those whom they are delegated
to represent; the crematory at the foot of
South Capitol street Will be a menace to
the new bridge from that point across the
Eastern branch, a survey for which has
been made by order of Congress; the act
was passed before Congress had full in
formation upon the subject Of the disposal
of garbage; the location of the garbage
crematory Is within the control of Con-
gress. inasmuch as there Is no provision
of contract tying the hands Ct Congress,
and Congress can pass law governing
the whole subject and providing that such
erematories shall be located outside the
city limits
James Creek Canal.
The Same signatures were appended to a
petition asking that sufficient sum of
money be appropriated to enable the proper
authorities to arch over James creek canal
Inc petitioners state: This open sewer
by reason of it's foul waters and filth. is
fatal to the health and creates a frightful
mortality in this vicinity. 1t is character-
lied by the health officer and other physi-
clans as deadly plague spot, and i.y it's
presence blights large section of South
washington. driving residents away and
destroying the value of property"
They object to the plan recommended by
Maj Powell to divert the sewerage from
the canal, leaving it open as q waterway
They say that this will not be effective or
economical. and add: THE canal will never
be of any considerable value to commerce
or business, tnasmuch as 1T is too narrow
and shallow to allow the passage Of any
vessel larger or of deeper draft than a sand
scow, and there iS an abundance of unused
water front on the Eastern branch which
would answer every demand Of the COM
merce or business which uses or would use
the James creek canal"
South Capitol Street Bridge.
There was third petition from the same
citizens, favoring the passage OF the bill
now pending providing for the erection of
Q bridge across the Eastern branch at
South Capitol street and the granting Of a
charter to a railroad company to use that
structure.