Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-11-19
DISPOSAL OF CITY REFUSE
ssms Light on the Problem Vs1ing Many
Communities
METHODS IN V0GU- IN LARGE CITIES
Two Available Methods of Disposal
COmpared-Preferenc for city
work over Private Con-
tract.

The finance committee Of the city coun-
ell Of Chicago has under consideration the
collection and disposition Of city garbage.
Several bids for a ive-year contract for
the work were received the price ranging
from $780, 900 to 81 100000 for the first year
Of the Ave with varying reductions for
each OF the succeeding four years. To as
sist the committee in reaching a conclusion,
Commissioners Patterson compiled the re-
suits OF investigation OF methods in vogue
in other cities, and the facts thus gathered
are Of great value to all communities. Mr..
Patterson says:
Those who have interested themselves In
the problem Of garbage disposal in Chicago
are agreed on this propositions The dumps
must go. Dumps poison the air for miles
around; and II ground made by dumping is
dug up years afterwards It is found still
putrid. Dumping Is a barbarous anachron-
ism for twentieth century city.
There is also general agreement that
garbage must be collected daily from all
houses in, the city. For while swill under
twenty-four hours old is comparatively in
offensive and harmless, stale swill which
has been left to decay for two or more days
becomes unpleasant and dangerous to
health Especially is this true in hot
weather
Methods of Disposal.
Shall garbage collected be disposed Of
by reduction or incineration? Reduction
consists in squeezing the liquid out Of the
garbage, skimming the grease from this
liquid and converting the dry residue into
fertilizer. About per cent Of the liquid
can be saved for grease, the remainder run
ming off into some large body of water
But this liquid Is perfectly sanitary and
comparatively odorless because it has been
cooked at a temperature of 313 degrees
Fahrenheit for twelve hours.
'Incineration is simply burning. The ad-
vantage Of this method is that such waste
material as paper wood. etc, is disposed
II at the same time while under reduction
Il requires separate treatment.
Garbage, however is difficult to burn,
since over 80 per cent of it is water. So
much coal is used that the process is ex-
)ensive while there are no by-products
which being sold can reduce the cost OF
'eduction. Garbage can probably not be
burned for under 81 a ton, while 1t can be
'endered for considerably under 81 a ton,
,nce the rendering plant is built.
Boston. Philadelphia, New York, Balti-
more, Pittsburg and Cleveland render their
garbage. while the instances Of success in
economical incineration are rare and not
we'll proven.
"On the whole, therefore. until the case
or incineration is better established In this
country 1t would seem that Chicago would
10 wiser to try reduction
Shall the rendering be done by the mu-
licipality or a private corporation? There
IRE many trade secrets in the rendering
process of which the city is not yet master.
rhe business Is an exceedingly intricate
one in it's present stage of development. I,
therefore. strongly advise that for the
present the rendering be done by private
enterprise.
But, in the specifications for garbage
disposal lately drawn up by the finance
committee, II was provided that the coll
lection OF garbage also be done by private
contract This. in my judgment, would be
great mistake.
Ways OF Two cities COntrasted.
New York collects it's garbage and turns
It over to the rendering concern. Phila-
ielphia let's out both collection and reduc-
ton to a private concern.
Now, the requisite for success in rem
lering is proper separation. The swil
proper OSitchen refuse) must be in a diff
ferent receptacle from the ashes and rub
Dish paper, wood, cloth, cans, etc.
Ashes and rubbish ruin the rendering ma.
rhinery quickly.
I'm New York, BY its contract. the citJ
contracts to deliver to the rendering fiTn
Is per cent pure garbage. The city use
It's police TO compel householders to sep
arate their refuse Police cause more i'm
preston on householders than employees o
a garbage firm. So, as a matter OF fact
New York delivers garbage to the render
ing firm which contains less than 2 per con
OF foreign matter. Collections are mad
daily, with mathematical accuracy. Their
is never a complaint on this score. Unde
the present New York government there
no politics in garbage collection nor Il
street cleaning
In Philadelphia, on the other hand, he
cause the machinery OF the city govern
ment IL not used to enforce separation
separation is far less perfect. Frequent
there Is as much as from 20 to IS per cen
u foreign material in Philadelphia gar
bage.
The city has tried TO enforce daily col
lection In the following way Whenever
complaint Is made by a householder tn