Evening journal., 1897-08-06
ROW OVER CREMAT DRY.
Smith and Robertson Get To-
gether Over It's Acceptance.
ROBERTSON SAYS 1T IS NO COOL
SPIRITED DEBATE INDULGED IN
BY THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL
AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT.
THE REPORT FINALLY ADOPTED

AT THE MEETING LAST NIGHT.
THE REPORT FINALLY ADOPTED.
Mr.. Smith, member of City Council
from the Eleventh ward, and Mr.. Rob-
ertson, member from the Fifth ward,
figured conspicuously at last night s
session of that body. They became
involved in a fight over the acceptance
of the Crematory Committees report.
After a little preliminary business
had been passed upcn, Mr.. Hsaly,
member from the Tenth ward, and
chairman of the Crematory Committee,
offered the committees report on the
crematory. Upon being read by Clerk
Morrison, Mr.. Healy moved for its
adoption, and to allow the company
which built the crematory $4,000 for
the work. The question was about to
be puI by President Leitch when Mr..
Robertson raised an objection. He said
that he was present at the first test
given the crematory, and in his judg-
ment, it was unsatisfactory. The sec
ond test was like the first, unsatisfac-
tory.
THE committee" said Mr.. Robert
son, then decided that another test
was necessary, making the third, and
IL was also unsatisfactory. The crelma-
tory consumed nearly fifty-six tons Of
garbage The report does not say what
amount of coal was used or how much
time to consume that amount of gar
bage. / inquired of one OF the men en-
ployed at the crematory il the plant
had been running all night He said
that il had, while another said that il
had not. The crematOry, / know, had
been burning all night, as the furnaces
were in full blast when / called at the
plant a little after Z o'clock"
He said that he thinks more of the
taxpayers than he does of the Dickson
Company. 1t takes S1.50 per day to burn
the coal, and it uses five and five
eighths tons, which costs 1920 a ton
according to the bids. II costs 40 4-lC
cents a ton to destroy the garbage
Take labor as paid by the city Of Will
mington. The laborers at the crema-
tory got 20 cents per hour. This did
not include the extra money which the
superintendent of the crematory got.
Are the people of Wilmington going
to ACCEPT a crematory which only con
sumes sixty tons when they are paying
lCI one Nudl EillOL.u LAs- IL N'4,AAN9 -iAA
Robertson continued. 1T does not dI
the work, although IL is a good plant.
throw down the gauntlet and let th'
Dickson Company take it up" HI
wanted a committee appointed to se'
thai what he said was correct
Mr.. Robertson's statement brough
.Messrs. Healy and Smith to their feet
The chair recognized Mr.. Healy. VIII
asked that the report on the cremauor!
be read.
The report showed that from o'clocl
a. m. to p. m, the day of the test
54 ,430 pounds of garbage had beer
used: from 1 o'clock p. m. to O'clocl
D. m, 45,O95 pounds had been burned
and from O'Clock p. m. to o'clock p
m, 1880 pounds had been consumed
making 55 tons 1,719 pounds. Cost pc
ton for cremating, "a cents.
Mr.. 0berly said that some OF the gar
bage had been dried.
Mr.. Robertson said that the garbage
before being used, was dried and drain
ed and nearly a barrel of water wa
taken from each load hauled in to b.
burned. Two-fifths Of Ahe garbage CON
sumed, ale said, was drained. Wha
would be the result, he asked, IL th'
garbage was to be taken off the stree
and used? 1T is a wonder to me- sai'
Mr. Robertson, "thslt the Board o
Health does not get after the Cremator.
Committee. There are four men cm
ployed at the crematcry and yol
cannot do without them. Tn
SO 500 appropriated annually 70
the EXPENSES Of the crema.tOr
will fall short $1,000. 1t takes five mel
to run the place as it should be run.
He concluded by saying that the repor
may be taken in BY cyclOps, but no
the generation that is existing nova
days.
Mr.. Smith said that the charges o
Mr.. Robertson were made thrOug
prejudice against the Dickson Crema
tory Company. He said that he ha
watched the building of the plant eve
since the first stone was laid, and
he thought that the crematory was nc
what It should be. he would not shiel
the Dickson company one bit
! "I don't propose. said Mr.. Smith, "t
allow any man OF men to impose on tn
taxpayers. am here fer lheir interest
as we'll as Mr. Robertson. The report
OF the crematory can be substantiate
| by affidavits. l can vOuch fer the re
port. do not care fer the Dickso,
Crematory Company n do not propos
to allow the company TO cheat the pee
pie of wilmington out of one cent. w
defy any man to say shat the oremator
is not Sanitary. We have net been abb
to keep up to our contract. We hav
not been able TO furnish the cremator
with eighty tons of garbage. The oil
! crematory consumed twenty tons day
Here we have a plant that burns nearl
fifty-six tons in seventeen hours. TIL
garbage that was sent to the crema.or
to be burned was the worst that cOul
be gotten. II is the old case Of Ch
Board Of Health fighting City Counci
We hold the Dickson Company's tOn
for the faithful carrying cut Of thei
contract with the city"
Mr.. Robertson stated that he wOul
favor the appointing a special commit
tee Of disinterestei parties who have n
affiliation with either side and let theG
decide as to the merits of the plant.
/ Mr. Robertson's remarks brought Nj
Smith to his feet again. He said tina
the appointing of a special committe
to inquire into the workings Of the ere
matory would mean that the man whoI