New-York tribune., 1902-05-15
AS TO BROOKLYN RUBBISH.

There has been n lot of trouble in Brooklyn
over rubbish Rubbish, it may be explained in
passing, is the technical, generic and compre-
hensive term for waste paper, rags, bottles, cx
Cesior and all other domestic debris which IS
neither ashes nor garbage. Time was, when
we made bricks in Egypt, when rubbish, ashes
and garbage were all dumped together into
common receptacle to be carted away by the
city's golden, or brazen, dustmen. \ happy de-
liverance from bondage came when system OF
separation Of these things into three classes was
devised and enforced Since then there has
been little trouble, save with the rubbish At
first this was put loosely into barrels and boxes.
which were placed at the curb line Ragpick-
ers and others then came along and pulled one
third out upon the sidewalk to litter the street
Then the collectors came and scattered another
third in similar fashion, cartng the remaining
third triumphantly away. That was pretty bad.
So the order came for people TO keep the rub
bsh barrels inside until the collector came
around an artistic prayer card" in the window
indicating TO the collector that a call from him
was desired. This avoided the ragpicker nui-
sance, but still left a wide margin for the scat
tering Of rubbish on the street by the collector
himself. Besides the barrels. boxes and what
not were unsightly, cumbersome and unneces-
sary.
SO the other day word went forth that. IN
stead of putting rubbish into barrels, people
should tie it into bundles and keep 1t within
the stoop line until the collector called. over
this there has been lot OF fuss. Some have
misunderstood the order. Some have rebelled
against 1t. Some have sarcastically inquired
whether the bundle should he sealed or un-
sealed. and what kind of wrapping paper and
twine should be used. The fact Is, however,
that the rule is an eminently sensible one I'm
posing nc hardship upon the householder and
greatly facilitating the collection of rubbish and
the preservation Of the streets from unsightly
litterng. 1t is a small job TO tie waste paper
and the like into bundle. The housekeepcr
who is too lazy or too clumsy 10 do so is not fl [
to keep house. And when that is done the
necessity of handling unsightly and cumbersome
barrels or boxes IS obviated, and there is no
danger of spilng rubbish upon the street In
handling 1t or OF having 1t blown from the cart
by the wind. In little time, IL is to be hoped
and expected, people will become accustomed
to the new system and will wonder how they
ever tolerated any other.
Meantime it may be we'll for the city authori-
ties 70 look into the matter of deliberate scat
tering of rubbish upon the streets under the
pretence of advertising. 1t is dull day when
men do not go through the residence streets
a visiting card to that of a four sheet poster
Sometimes these are stuffed into letter boxes,
which should be made a penal offence. Some
times the doorbell is rung and the "dodger' Is
handed to the person who responds, which
should Justify kicking the intruder down the
steps. Oftenest however, the placards or cir
culars are simply tossed into vestlbules or base
ment areas, or upon the steps or upon the grass
plat in front of the house, to be blown about
by the wind until the whole street resembles
the waste paper department of junk yard on
bargain day. It is abominable nuisance.
Such deliberate littering Of private property
is trespass, and such defiling of the streets is
a nuisance, and a penalty of fine and perhaps
Imprisonment should be imposed upon both the
agent who does the dirty work and the
ployer whose business is thus advertised-ad-
vertised, but not, let us hope, commended to
any right minded persons.