The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-04
RIVER AT s A. NJ.

Davenport 49,. ........ls u 81
St Louis ..............S0 6.S "a
Note-Barometer corrected for temperature
and elevation p. F. Lyons, Observer,
HE THAT is filthy.
When the agent OF the humane So
ciety or any other charitable persons
undertake. the work of relieving desti-
tutiop. the first feature of cases that
come under their notice to attract COM
ment from them and others is the I'M
kempt condition in which they find the
premises that they are obliged to visit
Individual restitution insufficiency of
clothing and of food are not as quickly
remarked upon as the absence of the
common decencies OF life. If the old
precept that cleanliness is next to god
Illness be not literally true, it is at
least accepted as such in the common
opinion of the majority of people. To
find family living in building or in
rooms without any sanitary appliances,
to discover that the corners of their
abode were full of bones and potato
parings and table refuse generally and
that they threw the contents of wash
basins and other vessels upon the first
convenient spot on the floor, would be
to settle in most minds the opinion that
such creatures have gone back to saw
agery. Indeed, the first removal from
utter barbarism is the awakening Of
the instinct and desire for personal de-
cency and household cleanliness.
We do not know why the rule which
applies so forcibly to the Individual is
not a good one for the community. Yet
few communities and certainly not our
own, of which we are in many respects
so justly proud, will bear the test. The
plain truth of 1t is that that condition
of affairs which we reprobate and re-
gard with horror as applied to the in
dividual household exists, apparently
without objection and without effort to
remedy it, in the municipal household
In other words, it has been impossible
up to date to secure the enforcement
of certain regulations for the sanitary
care of this city. 1t has been impossi-
bic to make the first step toward de-
cency, which consists in the removal of
the city's garbage. If there were any
difficulty about accomplishing this, the
matter would not be a remarkable or a
serious one. But there is none The
whole reason why the service is not
performed is because the city council
supposed to represent the average opin-
ion of the city's voters, has refused
year after year to have it done. The
same thing which is happening now
has happened season after season, until
1t has become an established rule.
The regular order of exercises is this
The city council, after an indefinite
period of squabbling, recrimination and
advertising for bids, proceeds to let a
contract for removing the garbage Of
st. Paul. The conditions that are in
corporated in this contract are alto
gether admirable and complete. If
complied with, there would be no room
for criticism or Improvement The
lowest bidder for the work comes up
smiling with prices so much below the
actual cost of perfo GAeace that every
body knows he cannot and will not
carry out his share of the bargain. The
friends Of some other bidder call at
tention to this circumstance. There
upon arises the indignant and injured
party. who asks if his bond is not good.
He stipulates to render certain services
under certain penalties, and he Is the
lowest bidder. If, after accepting the
job at his peril, he does not succeed in
having it awarded to him, then he de-
clares that the peoples representatives
must rest under the unpleasant aecusa-
ton of having awarded q contract for
motives of their own to higher, in
stead of lower bidder. Sc the con-
tract is let and the contractor assumes
his responsibility.
By beautiful arrangement for MAX
ing imperfect performance certain.
year, and the first months of work un-
der them come at season when there
is little to be done. AS time goes on
1t becomes apparent that the garbage
cannot be removed for the sum speci-
fed, and it is not removed. The health
officer of the city then refuses to au-
prove the monthly bill presented by
the contractor. on the ground that the
terms OF the contract have not been
complied with. The contractor then
appears before the council. showing
that he has done the best that he can.
ana arguing the obvious financial i'm
possibility of fulfilling the stipulation.
He is tllereupon regularly released
from his obligation. and his bills are
audited and paid Nobody seems to
remember at that time that precisely