Evening star., 1900-04-11
FOR REDUCTION PROCESS
PROPOSED AMENDMENT RELATIVE
To DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE.
Comm issiOners Express a Preference
for the Method Outlined in the
Pending Bill.

The attention of the District Commits.
sioners was yesterday invited by Senator
Mcmillan, chairman of the Senate Dis
trict committee, to a proposed amendment
to the pending District appropriation act
submitted by Representative Corliss of
Michigan, relative to the collection and dis
posaI here of garbage. This amendment,
which it is proposed to insert at the end of
line IS, page 40, of the bill as presented to
the Senate last week, is as follows:
Said Commissioners shall definitely fix
the collection districts in the city of Wash
ington and District of Columbia and specify
the number of collections to be made,
whether daily, semi-week,y or tri-weekly,
so that efficient collection may be enforced:
Provided, That all garbage collected under
the provisions of this act shall be disposed
of through a reduction process in such
manner to entail no damage or claim
against the District of Columbia for such
disposal. and subject to the sanitary inspec-
ton and approval of the Commissioners.
All contracts shall expressly provide that
no garbage or other vegetable or animal
matter shall be dumped into the Potomac
river or any other waters, fed to animals
or exposed to the elements upon lands"
The Commissioners today informed SEN
ator Mcmillan that the provision in the
pending bill relative to this matter was
submitted by them after very careful
consideration of the subject and is, in their
opinion. the best form in which to leave
the matter at present.
Expiration of Contract.
The existing contract for the collection
and disposal of the garbage of the District
expires the Both of next June, and the Dis
trict appropriation act, as reported to the
Senate, provides the sum of $4,000 for the
collection and disposal of city waste, in
Guiding garbage and dead animals, and au-
10. III n
vertisement, to enter into a contract or
contracts under such regulations as they
may prescribe for the collection and dis
posal of such waste for a term of five years.
In the event of their inability to do so. or
in the event of the failure of the contractor
or contractors to proceed with the work on
the 1St of next July, the Commissioners are
authorized to enter into a new contract or
contracts, without advertisement, for the
performance of the work until new con-
tract for the period of five years can be en-
tered into and work commenced thereunder
at a rate not TO exceed the amount named
in the bill
Referring to the amendment proposed by
Representative CoTlss the Commissioners
informed Senator Mcmillan that there is a
very strict law in force under which prose-
cLtions have been made and persons pun
ishcG for dumping garbage In the river.
No additional legislation on that subject
seems to them necessary. Continuing, the
Commissioners say:
II
very great mistake to limit the disposal of
garbage to a reduction process. There is
much difference of opinion regarding this
process. and il seems preferable to leave
the matter open, it is at present, SO that
all kinds of proposals may be received
from which a selection may be made and
determined upon by the Commissioners and
Congress as to which is best. You will
notice that the present provision in the
District bill leaves the matter flexible at
present, to be decided upon later.
Impossible to Define Districts.
be almost impossible. as the growth of the
city during the period covered by the con-
tract would render it necessary either at
the present time to collect from districts
not requiring such service. or hereafter to
leave without collection service places for
which such service would he really neces-
sary. A copy of the specifications under
which the proposals are new being asked
for is herewith inclosed, and the present
arrangement was made after consultation
with Senator Gallingcr. chairman CT the
subcommittee on this subject, and with his
approval
The Commissioners hope that the legts-
latfon will stand as it now reads in the Dis
trict bill. The Commissioners would add
enCe to the dumping of garbage in the
river Is concerned this has never been a
practice and never countenanced by the
Commissioners. 1t was believed That a for
ner contractor surreptitiously disposed of
garbage in this way, but If so, 1t was only
for 4 short time, and was stopped as soon
as discovered"