The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-03-02
GARBAGE MIDDLE.
It Will Be Threshed Over in
Council Meeting Tonight.

When Councilman Jack" Blossom
said that there were clouds coming up
on the horizon, and that a storm would
break out when the 20-year garbage
contract came up for passage. he evil
IDENTIFY knew what he was talking about.
The storm is here.
Everything indicates that at the meet
ing of the city council this evening Q
strong effort viii be made to defeat
the proposed new contract which car
ries with It the provisions for tank
system of collecting garbage from every
house in the city. The council IS divided
into two hostile camps.
One faction wants the new company
to be given a franchise, or contract, Tor
~ years, giving the company the exclu-
slve right during that time to handle the
garbage business OF the city Another
faction holds that 20 years is far too
long, and that the city is already tied
up with too many 20-year contracts.
The city attorney has advised the
council that there is grave doubt as to
the power of the council to enter into
such a contract, but in spite of this fact
the committee to which the matter was
referred voted to recommend the cons
tract faVOra bly, 1t Will come up before
the council this evening in that shape.
1t IS claimed that the city has no right
to enter into contract of this kind for
longer period than one year. It is
also claimed that the city has no right
to give contract to one firm exclu-
slvely. An effort was made in the COM
mlttee to leave the field open for COM
petition, but the committee refused to
accept this plan.
The Garbage Reduction company, on
its part, claims that in order to warrant
the investment of $40 000 in a plant it
must have the exclusive contract for not
less than twenty years
In this connection it is interesting to
observe that Kansas City. No is now
wrestling with the garbage question, the
same as Topeka Its city council will
have the question up before it this
evening In speaking of the situation,
a Kansas City paper says:
The special committee, appointed by
the city council to solve the garbage
question, arrived at a decision yesterday
The proposition of R. H ThOrne of FL
RasO, Tex, was accepted and contract
Will be prepared next Monday This
contract viii be submitted to the cOun-
ell for approval.
The committee had received several
bids in response to their advertisements
for a method of disposfng of the city's
garbage. Only three of the bids We're
seriously considered. One was sent by
e. :. Edwards, representing local cap
ital and provided for the incineration of
garbage and the conversion Of by-pro-
ducts into fertilizer. The second bid
was by J A. WOrthiugton, who has the
contract for removing garbage in Den
yer, Colo. 1t is understood that none of
the bids was material reduction below
the present cost to the city of caring for
the garba ge.
The bid which met with favor in the
committee was presented by r. II
Thorne of the firm Of Momsen & Thorne
of El PasO. Texas. The amount of the
bid was not disclosed yesterday but it
is said to be more than 1000. and
higher also than the bids of the others
+ The contractor agrees to care for all the
I garbage, however. and his plans seemed
+ SO good that the committee accepted his
proposition eagerly. Mr.. Thorne made
/ several supplemental propositions to tbs
committee, showing what he intended tC
4 do if he secured the contract. and it is
i possible that the arrangements with
him viii conclude many features addi-
tional TO those mentioned in the speci-
tications. The details of the contraci
have not been decided upon AIr Thorns
asks a five year contract with the option
+ of extending it to ten years ut the ex-
piration of the first period Thu power
of the council TO make a contract foi
more than one year was questioned ans
this feature viii be inquired into"