The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-06-17
4 GENUINE ISSUE.

The City of St Louis should have authority to call
upon the qualified voters. at any time, to approve
bond issue for municipal garbage disposal plant, for
municipal streetghting plant, for public build
ings, for any public enterprise which may be
ranted by conditions by public requirements This
authority the city will acquire if the Charter amend
ment. 10 be voted upon next Tuesday. is adopted
The proposed amendment presents genuine issue.
which, If thoroughly understood, will assure both
large vote and favorable vote at Tuesdays special
election. The principle involved may be clearly illus
traed by reference the garbagedsposal question.
which once more engages the attention of Mayor
Wells and city officials.
Disposal of garbage is expensive undertaking
under the private contract system. Besides il forms.
under existing circumstances, problem that is al
most chaotic. Relief of some kind is possible by pri
vae contract, but there is doubt that public and
municipal interests would be best served by radical
change.
Hereafter the city and not private concern should
dispose of the garbage; hereafter the city should col
lect the garbage The city should construct and op-
plant. The city should own the collecting wagons and
cars The city should not only have the supervision
over the collection and disposal of garbage it should
own disposal plant. wagons, and all accessory
apparatus; it should do all the work of collecting and
dsposng of the garbage.
Probably the revenue from the sale of by-products
from the garbage would come close to paying the
operating expenses of the whole system including
both collection and disposal. Yet, if there were no
revenue whatever, if the city should only destroy the
offal and not attempt derive any income from the
utilization of waste. the expense for all of the work
would be far less than at present. The city swould
save money and perform more efficient service. in
addition to holding mastery even if there moth
Ing to show for the garbage but smoke.
Mayor Wells has certainly given consideration to
plan of this kind as he believes in extension of the
muncipal-ownership policy whenever practical and
and it would be well if he would promise
that. in case the Charter amendment be adopted next
Tuesday, he will submit to the voters with the sane
ton of the Municipal Assembly, proposition to in
crease the bonded Indebtedness for the purpose of
constructing municipal garbagedisposal plant,
Should the city desire in the future to construct
such plant to build public edifces, it would be
unable to do so unless the Charter amendment be
adopted. This amendment does not provide for the
issuance of bonds debt could not be contracted
for permanent public improvements without the eS-
press approval Of the voters at another special cleo
ton The amendment only establishes principle.
The point be made plain by illustration. Say
for example that the people in favor of garbage
disposal plant and that the city would build the plant
if funds available. The requisite money could
even submit bond-issue proposition to the voters
because the authority to issue bonds for permanent
public work. according to Constitutional provisions
is not sufficiently defined. The market value of the
bonds if issued, would be impaired by legal technical
tiles.
The Charter amendment will remedy this deficiency.
1t will not provide for the issuance of bonds But it
will empower the city to submit bondssue PROPOSE
ton to the voters, at any time in the future Apply
ing the example the effect of the amendment is ex-
planned.
Say that the amendment is adopted that the peo- |
pie are in favor of garbagedsposal plant; that the
city is prepared to build the plant if funds avail
able The matter could be settled to general satisac
ton by submission by the Mayor and Municipal As |
sembly of bondssue proposition to the voters.
The necessity for the amendment must appeal to |
all citizens The Charter should be suited the Con-
stitution Even should the authority to submit bond
issue proposition never be exercised. the city should
nevertheless possess it. The principle involved is so
apparent that the amendment should receive unani-
nous approval.