The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-10
CITY COLLECTION OF ASHES.

CITY COLLECTION OF ASHES.
An article which was printed in The
Sunday Spy concerning the collection
and disposal of ashes and general re-
fuse, dealt with long standing public
abuse. That more serious results have
not followed official negligence in this
matter is to be explained only by the
good sense and responsibility of indi-
vidual citizens and the alertness of the
board of health in suppressing such
nuisances as came under it's observa-
tons. There may be other cities of
similar standing where ashes are not
periodically collected at public expense
and disposed of according to express
municipal regulations, but such in
stances are few and none can be cited
here. It is matter that clearly be-
longs among the functions of city gov
eminent, as much as the collection of
garbage. That this is a recognized fact
is proved by the countless cities
wherein provision is made for it, and
by the repeated recommendations OF
our own board of health and the vigor-
Gus words of the chief of our fire de-
partment.
A rigorous reform by the adoption OF
an ordinance controlling the collection
Of ashes is dictated by three considera-
tions-public economy, danger from
fire and peril of the public health
The danger from fire is obvious en-
ough. and the fremen can cite con-
crete examples of it. A canvass of the
city would show that ashes are less
often deposited in sheet iron recepta.
cles than in wooden barrels and boxes
or thrown loosely in bin in the cellar
Into the same heaps go waste paper
and the bulk of the refuse of the dwell.
ing house or other building, and the
ashes are not always cold when thus
deposited. But in any case, the accum.
ulation of infammable material be
comes a perfect magazine in case fire
actually breaks out, and fires in waste
heaps are among the common expert.
ences of city life.
The menace to the public health is
equally certain. All sorts of things 70
into the ashes heap, and only intelli.
gent and vigilant domestic discipline
can prevent the accumulation of decay.
ing animal and vegetable matter
The mass is allowed to lie from one
month to six months, or even longer
while whatever forces of corruption
there may be in it go on without inter.
ruption, directly under the living, eat
ing and sleeping rooms of the family
or families. Some households have suf-
ficient regard for their own convent.
ence and the common rules of health
to make sure that no deleterious mat
ter gets into the ashes heap, and thai
the mass is removed with requisite fire.
quency, but such wisdom is more thar
can be reasonably expected, taking
the city through. An inspection of the
common dumping grounds would seen
sufficient to show the folly of it.
No doubt the cost of the enterprise has
seemed to some the one serious OBJ
stacle to the municipal collection o.
ashes, but this must be a mistaken no
ton. No special insight is required t.
show that the cost of private collec
ton and disposal must be in the ag
gregate far in excess ofwhat it would b,
if the city undertook the work. II
some cases, the expense to the individ
ual represents a financial burden in ad
dition to the personal Inconvenience
imposed. The common charges o
teamsters for removal may easily brinl
the cost up to six dollars a year, anC
instances of higher charges must bt
common enough. Supposing, then, i
should be necessary to increase taxa
ton in order to provide for municipa
collection of ashes, the greater econ
omy of the system should still make {
saving in the gross expense throughout
the city, and though it is conceivabl,
that a few individuals might find theil
tax bills larger than before, they are o.
the class who, as a rule, would fee
the increase least, while a majority Of
the taxpayers would be apt to find tbs
increase more than balanced by wha
they saved on carriage.
The present system is wrong from
every standpoint, being faulty il
theory and expensive in practice. Here
is an obvious opportunity for some OF
the statesmen at city hall to disJin-
guish themselves and perform a con
spicuous public service by bringing
about the needed reform.