The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-11
BUTTE News.
THERE is OPPOSITION
Objection Made to the Contract
Scavenger System.
1T MAY PROVE FRUlTLESS
The Bill Has Been Carefully Drawn and
Is Undoubtedly in the Interest of
the Public Some of the OBJ
jections Made.

Some opposition has developed to the
health ordinance providing for con-
tract scavenger system. but it is inn
possible as yet to foretell whether or
not the opposition will prove sufficient
TO defeat the measure at the next coun-
ell meeting. Certainly the measure is
in the interests of the public health.
has been drawn up carefully by the
board of health and is in line with the
system Of doing scavenger work now
used in advanced cities.
One of the objections urged against
the measure is that it gives monopoly
of the business 10 the firm obtaining
the contract. and will drive all others
now engaged in scavenger work out Of
the business.
THAT is the advantage of it," said
Health officer Shultz yesterday i'll
speaking of this objection I'VE want
to drive irresponsible parties out of the
business and place this important work
in the hands Of a responsible firm so
you will know who TO go and see when
the scavenger work is not properly
done. At present people can make
their arrangements with any scaven-
ger. Sometimes the garbage and night
soil is dumped into the creek near the
Holland street rink and sometimes bar
rels of il is scattered along the road
and the city has to remove it, All seaY-
engers disclaim responsibility for these
things and we have been unable to find
out who has done it. But under the
contract system one firm will be re-
sponsibe and we can see that every
thing is done right. The wagons will
all be numbered.
Another objection urged against the
ordinance is that the time of the con-
tract, three years, is too long. 1t is
argued that a contract for one year
should be enough. The reason we name
5hree years is because we believe better
terms can be obtained. Contractors
will be put to much expense in getting
their outfit To do the work The gar
bage wagons must be alright and of
metal Contractors who have to pur-
chase these wagons will certainly ask
higher rate if they bring them here
on one years contract than If they
are assured of using them three years.
Instead of getting their money out OF
the wagons in one year they viii only
figure on getting it OUT in three years.
] find that this system of scavenger
work is in vogue in most cities and the
contracts run from five to ten years.
Boston has just advertised for bids for
the scavenger work for 10 years from
May l. 1895 the city having the right
TO purchase the plant and run it after
five years.
There is a provision in the ordinance
by which in case none of the bids are
satisfactory, the city can do the work
itself through its health department
Then the entire cost would be charged
in the yearly taxes. But that does not
seem so fair because by charging up
the entire cost To the property a private
family would have to pay a dispropor-
tionate share. Certainly a private fam
lily does not have the amount of gar
bage which the Hale house has with it's
500 men or any other hotel or restaur-
ant. A hotel or a restaurant has far
D Fa1f
goods store. bur If the assessed valua-
ton of the property is the basis for the
cost of garbage removing, the dry goods
store might pay more than the restaur-
ant Under the system proposed in the
ordinance however each hotel each
restaurant and each family must pay
for removing its own garbage. 1t must
make its bargain with the contractors
VINO are limited in their charges by the
bids they put in in their contract with
the city. Those who have no garbage
viii OF course have nothing to pay. If
people refuse to clean up then the
board of health orders the seavenger to
go ahead with the cleaning and the cost
or such cleaning is taxed up against
the property by the city. All the
trouble of arresting people who refuse
TO clean up and taking them into police
court will be dispensed with.
The chief hardship under the pro-
posed ordinance would be to the land
lord who has a dirty tenant. If the
tenant refuses to clean up the con-
tractors will do the work and charge 1t
70 the property and the landlord will
thus have to pay. This hardship can
not be avoided for there is no way of
the city compelling the tenant to pay
while the landlord can compel him IL
Will be necessary for the landlords to
see that their tenants clean up at the
proper time. We will try TO have il so
arranged that when one tenant moves
out the premises must be thoroughly
cleaned before another tenant gets in.
There is some opposition on the
ground OF the expense to the city of
extra assessment work. But even If
the eity's expenditures are ii few thou