Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-13
Draft of a Bill Providing for Future
Contracts.
CONGRESS ASKED TO ACT At ONCE
Provisions of Measure Submitted
by the Health Officer.
REFERRED TO ATTORNEY

DR.. VIM. C. Woodward, the District
health officer. has forwarded to the Com
missionerS the draft of bill designed to
enable the Commissioners to enter into a
contract or contracts for the collection and
disposal of garbage and dead animals on
and after July 1, 1900. The present con-
tract for this work expires the 30th of next
June and it is important the health officer
states, that such legislation as is neces-
Sary be enacted at once, SO that the spec-
ficatiOns for the proposed contract can be
drafted in accordance Herewith and bids
for performing the work be invited. DR..
Woodward explains that it will take sew
eral months for any new contractor to in
stall the necessary plant to carry out the
terms of any contract which may be made,
and unless action i. taken promptly he
thinks the present contractor will have an
unfair advantage over competitors, even if
he be not the ony one who would care to
bid for the work.
Provisions of the Bill.
The bill drafted by the health officer au-
thorizes the Commissioners, on and after
the passage of the proposed measure, after
due advertisement, to enter into contract
or contracts. under such regulations as they
may prescribe, for performing the work for
a period of five yeaIs from July !, 1900.
The collection of garbage shall be made as
follows: ID Within the entire District daily.
including Sunday. during the entire year.
from such hotels. apartment houses. mar
kets and other like places may be des-
ignated by the health officer e., within the
city of Washington from all places not in
cluded in the foregoing paragraph. daily,
not including Sunday, from April II to
October 81. inclusive, and tri-weekly from
January l to April "A, inclusive, and from
Nov otNxr- ,,1,
within such suburbs or parts thereof as
may be designated by the health officer
from all places not included in paragraph
1. tri-weekly, or, If in the opinion of the
health officer ii be necessary in the interest
of the public health, daily, from April II TO
October 81. inclusive, and weekly, or. il the
health officer believes it necessary in the
interest of the public health. semi-weekly
or tri-weekly from January l to April IA
inclusive, and from November l to De-
cember 81. inclusive.
The proposed bill provides that the col
lection of dead animals, under any con-
into by virtue of its provisions. shall be
made daily. including Sunday, during the
entire year, from every part of the Dis
trict.
Cost of Service.
1t IS also provided that the gross amount
to be paid under any contract or contracts
which may be entered into by virtue of the
act shall not exceed $4,000 and from the
amount of such contract or contracts there
shall be deducted such sum or sums as
may be necessary to pay for the service of
Sucn inspector or inspectors as may be
needed to keep a proper record of the
amount of material collected and to main
tain oversight of the sanitary condition of
the place or places of shipment or disposal
or both; such inspector or inspectors to be
appointed by the Commissioners on the
recommendation of the health officer, and
TO be paid at rate not exceeding s.. so per
day from the amount deducted as herein
before authorized.
In the event of the inability of the Com
missloners to enter into any such contract
or contracts. or in the event of the failure
OF any contractor or contractors who may
have entered into any such contract or
contracts to proceed with the work on and
after July l, 1900 the Commissioners are
authorized to make a new contract or con-
tracts, without advertisement, for the re-
moval and disposal of all such material for
such period or periods as may be neces-
sary to secure the continuous collection and
disposal of garbage and dead animals not
exceeding one year. until a new contract or
contracts can be entered into and the work
commenced Hereunder at rate not tn
exceed the amount named in the act
Recommendations Approved.
Commissioner Wight, who has immediate
supervision of the subject, has recommend
ed that the proposed measure be referred
TO the attorney for the District for an ex-
animation and opinion as to its legal
phraseology, and then forwarded to the
chairmen of the two District committees in
congress In making this recommendation
which has received the approval of his as
sociates, Mr.. Wight explained that, an
tcipating the necessity of advertising for
new contract, the attorney fro the District
having decided that under the act of Con-
gresS the Commissioners must have addt-
tiCnal authority to enter into a new con-
tract, request was made of the appropria-
ton committees of Congress to include in
the current District appropriation act such
additional authority For some reason I'M
known to the Commissioners their request
was not granted. Hence it became neces-
sary to prepare such a bill as the health
officer has drafted. 1t is believed by the
Commissioners that Congress will promptly
act In the matter, so to grant them am