Evening star., 1898-12-02
Examples for Us.

To the Editor of The Evening Star:
According to a recent publication. Lon
don now burns her garbage at a cost of "a
cents per ton. and saves 81 cents on the
former cost.
Not only that, but with the heat from
the furnaces steam is generated for op-
Grating an electric plant, which furnishes
electric lights free for the city, and the Gin
der and ashes from the furnaces are used
for making good roads. -sfE
Why should not the District do the same?
AS the contract for the garbage service
will expire soon, this would seem to be a
matter worth considering. There is no
earthly reason why the District should not
do this work Itself, and the profit
which now goes into the pocket of con.
tractor from the outside.
In Oldham, Ell gland, they burn their gar
bage, and with the waste heat generate
steam in nest of large boilers and sell the
power TO manufacturers, thereby adding a
considerable sum to the annual revenues
of the city.
By plan recently devised. the electric
&C mpany of Toledo, Ohio, uses its exhaust
steam to heat water with which 200 build
ings are heated. 1t has been in operation
for four years, and has proved so success
full that company has been organized,
and it Is being introduced elsewhere.
Just think what a luxury it must be to be
rid of the house furnace boiler, with its
coal ashes and dust, and be able to turn on
the heat when wanted. just one turns
on the electric light, without labor or care,
other than the opening of single valve!
If all the larger steam plants in the city
We're thus utilized the steam that now goes
to waste would heat large portion of our
dwellings, and add largely to the revenues
of the companies operating the plants. 1t
is strange that the companies have not
seen how they might thus add to their in
come In Springfield, Ill, the electric light
company uses the exhaust steam for heat
electric plants do not run uniformly
throughout the twenty-four hours, there
being much less demand for electricity
during the daytime than at night, the hot
water plan used at Toledo is considered
much better
Because of the irregular work of the
boilers and engines in electric plants they,
much more than others, need additional
employment. They must have the plant
necessary for the largest output demanded;
and as during a large portion of the twen-
ty-four hours only u portion of it can be
used they get but a partial return upon
the capital invest ed, and hence the neces-
sty for employing it otherwise during
those hours in which it now is but partially
used.
Another means for thus utilizing electric
plants is in operating an Ice plant for the
II manufacture Of artificial ice.
The fact is, we Americans are the most
wasteful people in the world, notwithstand
ing all that Is said about the shreWdness
Pile. In municipal affairs We are a long
way behind European cities, especially those
of Great Britain and Germany There the
municipalities own and run their own
plants garbage, gas and electric lights
street cleaning and paving, and, in many,
the street railroads also; while with us all
these things are done by corporations who
generally pay nothing for their valuable
franchises, and contribute but little to the
municipal revenues Or by contractors who
pocket large profitsi and contribute still
less to the city revenues.
This condition of iaffairs is due to two
causes-first the deuagogue cry against
what is called "panernalism''-as though
governments were designed for the benefit
of special classes, instead of for the gem
eral public: and, second, the control of mu-
ricipal legislation by corporations and con-
tractors.
That the city can do it's own work cheaper
and better has been So clearly demon
strated by the street sweeping operations
of the past year that there would seem to
be no room for doubt ON that point.
The national capital oaght to set an ex.
ample in these respects that other cities
would be glad to copy. No doubt the time
will come when there will be vast i'm
provement in our municipal affairs in these
respects: but why should we not avail our
selves now of the experience of European
cities. instead of waiting for years before
doing it? Why not?
December l, 1S0S. OBSERVER.