Evening star., 1903-07-02
OBJECTS TO THE FINES
WASHINGTON FERTILIZER COM
PANY ENTERS PROTEST.
Pay Deducted for Alleged Failure to
Render Proper Service in Col
lection Of Garbage.

The WASHINGTON Fertilizer Company,
through its secretary, Louis Boyer, 1r., has
protested to the Commissioners against be-
ing fined $8O6.25 for the month of May for
alleged failure to render proper service.
The superintendent of street cleaning. War
ner Stutler. reported recently in response to
an inquiry from Commissioner West, a
statement OF the amount estimated to be
due the company June go the end of the
last fiscal year.
I'VE do not" says Mr.. Boyer. recognize
the justice of Mr.. Suffers infiiction of a
further fine of 1896 25 for failure to render
proper service during May, as the records
of the Office tend to disapprove his claim.
TO nave you bear in mind the fact that suf-
hc1ent service can be obtained to comply
fully with the terms OF our contract by
the ADDITION OF such teams as an appended
statement shows. When the deduction of
$oU was made from our April account for
the alleged failure to render proper serv-
Ice we increased our force to the extent
SHOWN In my following statement. The
statement speaks for itself. as it was COM
piled from the official records of the Office
OF the Commissioners
Number Of Teams Increased.
The statement shows that from April 16
to June 15 the number of teams employed
was Increased from forty-fve to fifty-six,
whereas there was no increase in the
amount of garbage collected
we would refer you," continues Mr.
Beyer, to the records of your Office for the
number OF complaints covering the above
PERIOD, and we believe you will find that
the daily average is SO small as to be hard
~ noticeable. AS a matter of fact, we in
vlte comparison on this point. We think
the time has arrived that the Commission
ers give this subject some personal atten-
non. From the reports furnished us from
Mr. Stutlers Office it would seem rfiat this
company is not giving the service the con-
tract requires. We might say that this
company has inspectors of 8 own. en-
Whom we believe we can depend for re-
ports and that we are able to say positive
performed
We would again cali your attention to
the statement and would ask that YOU
please note the amount Of teams at pres
snr snr,,;a IN use as compared to the number in
service during the latter part Of April. We
wcuid also ask you to note that the amount
OF garbage collected during the first fifteen
Gays OF June and the last Of May Is smaller
tnan ms that collected on the last Of April
Mr. Stutler states that fines were not i'm
posed Tor the months Of April and Nav be-
cause OF the lump sums deducted for those
months Mr.. Stutler errs in this
v,.ed Snder hn th date % OF March 25 we were ad-
months OF April and May the Washington
Fertilizer Company shall be exempt from
fines 1t will, therefore, be seen that this
matter has no connection whatever with
the fines imposed during April and Nav
Tor the alleged failure to render proper
service as the subject matter and cause of
these fines had not at that date developed
Claims Fines Are Unjust.
From a business standpoint we cannot
fall to recognize the fact that 1t Is entirely
too costly not to comply with the terms
OF our contract. and we believe that the
injustice of Mr.. Suffers fines must be
apparent We cannot understand why the
penalties to the amount imposed by Mr..
Stutler can be SO readily approved by the
commissioners. We think them unreason-
able, unjust and excessive. We have earn
estly endeavored to comply in every way
with the requirements and terms of our
contract. and since eur service shows an
increase in collection over the former con-
tractor of 1888 tons in four years without
any particular increase in population, we
are justified in believing that we are en-
titled to some credit for the work now
rendered. We would request the board of
Commissioners to remit the fines imposed
by reason of their being unjust and excess
Sive."
The matter has been taken under con-
sideration by the Commissioners, together
with other papers in the case.