New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-06
TROUBLED OVER GARBAGE.
CONTRACTORS WILL HAVE HARD WORE
IN oBEYING ORDERS.

THE WAR DEPARTMENTS NEW RULE REdARD.
ING DUMPING AT SEA DOES NOT DISTURB
THE CITY AUTHORITIES. BUT THE PEG
PILE WHO DISPOSE OF THE REFUSE
ARE HOPING FOR AN ExrEN-
SION OF TIME.
The decree that has recently gone forth froU
the War Department that the dumping OF gar
bage in the waters near New-York shall cease nas
filled with CONSERVATION the Brooklyn contrac-
tors who have the Job Of disposing Of the city's
refuse The work IL now done by the Daniel
O'Connell estate. and the contract will expire on
December 81 Mr. OConnell had the city contract
for nearly ten years. He died last fall and the
work Is now being carried on by his executors
According to the terms Of the contract. all re-
sponsibi!ty for the removal Of the garbage ana
the finding of q pace where 1t may be dumped
lies with the contractor and the Department OF
City Works has nothing 70 worry about as a re-
suit Of the War Departments order When Aeu'
tenant Delehanty, representing the Wasninsuo"
officials informed Commissioner White OF tne
new regulation, Mr. White informed the con-
tractor. What will be done by the OConnell es-
tate remuin0 to be seen. 1t appears, however
that the contractors are at present seeking 10
discover some legitimate course OF action py
which a temporary suspension OF the order may
be obtained. It has. In fact. been intimated that
the OConnell estate will vigorously ngnt the
order in hopes Of having the rule set ASIDE unus
its contract expires.
An air Of secrecy surrounds the Deliberations OK
the contractors, none Of whom appear to be will
ing to give definite information concerning tneir
plans, If they have any to give. T. X. Martin OF
NJ Cor al SuOer1ntenQlnR
work for the OConneIl estate. admitted to .
Tribune reporter with great reluctance that an
order had been served upon him giving warning
that the old system Of dumping the garbage at
sea must soon be changed. Mr.. Martin at first
pleaded ignorance OF any such action at WASH
ington. but later admitted the impending change.
He would not however confess that ne wouio
soon have to find some other dumping grouno'
but said merely that Mrs. OConnelrs attorney
was investigating the legal complications In the
case.
Anthony Barrett. Mrs. O'Connells attorney,
said That dumping In the sea would soon DC priv
hbted but he was not sure wnetner the ne"
law would 60 into effect on the first OF April or
in June. When asked what his clients wouio
probably do with the garbage, he refused 10 re-
ply, on the ground that he had no right 70 MAKO
a public matter of his clients private affairs.
limit Of dumping in the sea will be extended be-
cause IL was next to impossible to build crema~
tory or find another dumping ground within the
time allowed He remarked that the building OK
q crematory would require heavy expenditures
and much labor, and that consequently tnat
course out of the difficulty was one to be AVOID
ed II possible.
The innression conveyed by Mr.. Martin and
Mr. Barrett was that determined effort would
be made to retain the present system until uc
end of the year. when the OSonneai co snm ~r
will expire, and the responsibility VIII Ao' "~
other shoulders.
This will not be an easy thing to accom-
plish Ten months os the year remain, and II y
not Considered probable that the new rule win
be pushed ahead until the end OF that time.
THE CITY SECURE IN ITS CONTRACT.
Failure TO comply with the law soon az Il
goes into effect would make the contractors II.
able to severe punishment, while. II In seeking
a new place 70 dispose OF the refuse there should
be any DELAY in the work. the Department OF
City Works could refuse to make its payments
on the ground Of breach Of contract. Mr.. Mar
tin said on Wednesday that no move has been
made toward changing the method OF disposing
Of the garbage. and was unwilling to admit
that the time had come for making change.
1t has been said that these statements seem
peculiar in view Of the fact that change in the
system must be made within a month ard .
half. and the more so when the extent OF the
work and the difficulty that would be certain to
arise in securing new implements for the work
are considered II would be no easy matter to
decide upon a new means Of disposing OF over
400. 900 cubic feet Of refuse monthly, when the
stuff has to be put out OF the way IN such .
manner that Il will be offensive 10 nobody.
Nicholas G. Flocken. Superintendent Of Streets
in the Department OF City Works, explained his
position in relation to the new law In the follow
ing words yesterday: In our contract with tho
OConnell estate, nothing Is said as to the dispo-
sition OF the garbage, except that II shall be
placed where 1t will not threaten the health Of
the public. As soon as the scows which bear the
garbage enter the waters Of the Bay my interest
ceases. and the Government must watch the
contractors to see that they take 1t far enough
out to sea. II the Government tells the contrac-
tor that he can no longer dump the refuse in the
water the contractor must find another place for
1t. II he decides to burn 1t. he must erect the
crematory at his own expense We shall insist
upon a strict compliance with the provisions OF
contract, but at present am borrowing no
trouble by worrying oyer the affairs Of the con-
tractor Were to ask him what he intended to
do With the garbage he might properly tell me
that II was none of my business"
SEES NO REASON FOR CHANGE.
Mr.. Martin. the manager Of the OConnell es-
tate says that he is unable to understand why
any objection should be made to the present
method OF disposing Of the garbage I'VE are
never allowed to dump spoonful Of 1t in the
water" he explains, unless there Is a Govern
ment boat on hand to watch us and see that We
carry II out beyond the established line. We
have always been careful to go nearly mile PEE
yond the line in order that there could be no
doubt as to our opeying the rule. Then again.
there is another regulation which says that wS
cannot dump the garbage except wnen .re stS
is running out We leave our pier while the tioe
is coming In and calculate to reach the Inc Juse
about the time when the tide turns ana eoes ous
Then we wait for a signal from the Government
boat and when the whistle Is blown. the ievsse
are raised and the whore load 10 cast INTO ,ne ~:
ont en- Thoroughly that you could eat meal tnefN
The tide takes the refuse and carries out to sea
and you can't make me believe that me , ssn .n
the system carried out by Mr.. OConnen - me