The St. Louis Republic., 1903-10-28
HArIING GARRAGE-

The success of a municipal plant or economic
system for the disposal Of garbage and waste de
pends greatly upon the methods pursued in collect
ing and hauling garbage. Probably the necessity
for 4 municipal system for collecting and hauling
garbage is even more imperative than a municipal
disposal plant, although both are desirable
Three means are at command Tor delivering
garbage to outof-town reduction and incncation
plants-by wagon over country roads by rail on
specially equipped cars or by the river on scows.
and Of these three the last appears tc be the best
Should the city own the plants. it would own the
scows; should the disposal Of garbage DE done by
contract. as has been explained in The Republic.
the scows would be owned 10y the contractors but
they would be under rules prescribed 10y the
city This part Of the plan relates To the disposal
OF garbage and waste.
Modern ideas 10 the disposal of garbage par
tcularly in the United States. look to the utilza-
ton of waste and the requirement Of profit from
the by-products Of offal Utilization Of waste and
by-products cannot Dr. achieved unless the differ
ent kinds Of waste and garbage are put by house
holders in separate reccpiaces This mode OF sep
aration is success in New York and has even
been impressed upon the dcnizens or tie foreign
settled sections OF the city therefore, it is i'm
practicable
We're the city to do the collecting and hauling.
it could afford TO provide the recrpaccs; anyhow.
it would compel the installation of proper receI,-
tacies and the separation Of waste and garbage.
With the hauling done by private contract the city
would be subject TO the periodical exhibition Of
obstnacy personal interest by the contractors.
Great advantages would cnsue TO the city and
the public If the city would own the wagons and
do the collecting and hauling Collections would
be made every night and garbage and waste would
be really collected. The cost would be reduced
and the results would he better. Scows could he
located at points along the river. thus doing away
with the long haul. The work could be done under
the direction Of the Street Department and the city
would have improved street-cleaning system.
What the citizens desire. II seems. is that the
city should own the wagons and do the collecting
and hauling; that it should own and operate scows
or cars for delivering the garbage and waste from
the city 10 the reduction and incneration plants;
that it should own and operate these plants: that
it should derive revenue from waste and the by
products of ofTal. This would constitute COM
pete municipal system for collecting. hauling and
disposing Of garbage ana waste.
There objections to the operation of the
plants. the ground that their management de
mands scientific skill and that the commercial as
pect Of the work would afford opportunities for
grating. Perhaps there is reason in this contcn-
ton Nevertheless il is clear that it is possible
establish system whereby the expense can he
enormously reduced and better results De achieved.
II possible tie complete municipal system should
be tried; If it is unadviSahle 10 have complete
system. the pclicy Of municipal ownership should
be carried out rs far as may he consistent with
sound business judgment. The people desire The
best and the most economic system.