The age-herald., 1901-08-09
CITY MAY MOVE ITSOWN GARBAGE Mayor FaVOTs Doing Away With
 Contract System cONTENDSIT WILL BE CHEAPER Has Been Proven That City Can Care for Horses at Lower Figure
 Than Is Paid Out.
 elders.
CONTENDS II WILL BE CHEAPER

It Is probable that before January, 1902, the city will make arrangements to take care of the garbage problem. A large number of Aldermen and city officials are said to favor doing away wit the annoying contract system and the plae- ing of the work under the supervision of the street commissioner. The matter has not been discussed sufficiently, however. for an accurate forecast to be given.
 The garbage system in Birmingham has been a source of trouble for years and 1t is said by officials of both past and pres- ent administrations that it has never been on satisfactory basis, There has always been trouble between the city in spectors and the contractor. People were at a loss to know who to blame for their unhappiness. but one thing they did know and that was that garbage was of ten allowed to remain on their premises an abnormal length of time. This Is the condition that has often been experi- fenced without reference to what may exist now.
 Can Do Work Cheaper.
 Mayor Drennen is very enthusiastic cover the proposition to have the city do away with the contract system, He con- tends that the city can do work cheaper and more satisfactorily.
 By the action of the City Council on tu In the hands of the police and sanitation and finance and street committees, Burk- halter & Company continue to collect the garbage, although their contract expired sometime ago and the city has not re- newed it.
 The joint committee will begin their in- vestigation at once. There can be no de- lay because if the city takes charge of the work an estimate will have to be made in time for the budget of annual appropriations. In support of his conten- ton that 1t will be cheaper for the city Mayor Drennen said:
 ''Before sending In the recommends ton which was referred by the council Wednesday evening, I ascertained from Street Commissioner McCartin the num- Der of teams now owned by the city and in use by the street department. On August 1 there were eighteen mules, fif- teen horses and fourteen wagons. This Is a pretty good start toward equipping a garbage department.
 ''But there Is another interesting fea- ture. The city hires about ten addition al teams. These teams with the drivers cost the city s2.50 per day each. The average cost of caring for the teams owned by the city has been H.4s per day each, for the past six months. One can readily see where the saving comes in when the fact is taken into consideration that the city already has number of teams to start with.
 Other Benefits.
 s.Besides the financial feature believe that we can coz1e nearer covering the city in the way that it shossld be covered. The work should be under the street commissioner, with force of inspectors under him.
 In his annual report to the City Coun- cil in January Mayor Drennen said re- garding sanitation:
 "In my last annual report I directed your attention to the numerous evils at tending the performance of this work.
 These evils still exist, and am certain will continue to exist as long as we per- sist in carrying on the work in the pres ent manner.
 Fully two-thirds of the complaints that come to the Mayors office grow out of the defects of present sanitary meth9ds.
 'I do not believe 1t possible to secure thorough and efficient service in this de- partment under the contract system. New conditions are constantly arising that cannot be foreseen, at the time of making the contracts, and 1t is mani festly unfair to exact of the contractor more than he has covenanted to do.
 My experience In this field convinces me that this work should be put under the direction and supervision of the street commissioner, who should have the as- sistance of two sanitary officers to look after the detail work of the force.
 Expenses of Department.
 "The annual expenses of the sanitary department. as now constituted, are as follows:
 Garbage contract ...............S9. 9.S66 CO Salaries sanitary officers ... .... 1,605 % Miscellaneous expenses ,,...... .. 3,456O0
 Total .....- .....s14,927, ,00,
 The largest item in the above account is the sum paid the contract for remov- al of garbage, $9.S66.
 Under the direction of the street
 commissioner. with the usual percent
 age of profit eliminated. there would
 probably be a salvage of tweny five
 per cent in this item alone, and the
 increased percentage of efficiency in