Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-25
GARBAGE COLLECTION
Fertilizer Company Must
Comply With Contract.
CIV EN- A WARNING
COMMISSIONERS MAY INAUGU-
RATE SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICE.
Complaint Made That Many Parts of
the District Are Being
Neglected.

Unless thewashington Fertilizer Company
makes collection of garbage according to
the terms of its contract. the District Com
missioners declare they will institute a
supplemental service at the expense of the
garbage company. This warning has beer
issued in the nature of an ultimatum to the
fertilizer company in order to secure for
the residents of the District an improved
service more in accordance with the terms
of the contract entered into by the garbage
company with the District of Columbia.
Numerous complaints have been coming
into the superintendent of street cleaning,
and Superintendent Stidman has been con-
Quoting an investigation and making an
effort to secure a better service from the
garbage company by filming the company
for violations of terms of the contract and
also by calling its attention to complaints.
Late yesterday afternoon, however, he
took up the matter with Commissioner
West who recalled the trouble occasioned
by the unsatisfactory service of last year,
and determined to have no dallylng IN the
matter.
Mr. Stidham's Report.
Mr. Stidham reported that many parts OF
the District are being neglected by the gar
bage company and that the complaints from
citizens are numerous. Some of the resi-
dents have written that they have been
obliged to burn their garbage all winter be-
cause of the lack of service, and in one iso-
lated district it is said, garbage wagon
has been for three months. With reference
to fines, Superintendent Sudham says:
Fines imposed upon the contractor during
the two months since | have been in office
have aggregated more than in all the ten
months outside of July and August for each
of the past two years. He explains that
kn,.1 hnA,n tr1h n
individual instances as for lack of service
to an entire neighborhood as disclosed time
after time by investigation"
Mount Pleasant. Washington Heights,
parts of the northeast and southeast sec
lions of the city. and all of the District
outside of the existing fire limits have suf-
fered worst from what Mr.. Stidham terms,
apparently no attempt to give regular con-
tract collections. Through the central por-
ton of the city the service is pronounced as
fair.
Letter to Company.
In a recent letter from Supt. Stidham to
the garbage company he says among other
things:
"All that / am demanding now is a BIZ
weekly service when such is called for by
the contract, and not collection once in ten
days. as is now the case, and a tri-weekly
service when such is called for, instead of
the present bi-weekly one. The instances
pointed out to you in my letter of the 10Th
instant were not those of sporadic COM
plants, and l was careful to explain that in
every case they represented long-continued
conditions, showing extremely poor service
throughout the entire locality. The service
through the entire neighborhood was of the
most desultory character.
ut is a serious question in my mind
whether this department is doing right in
continuing to certify to vouchers issued
twice each month allowing you .-the full
price of your contract when the service IL
not being rendered according to the specf-
fcations. If you only would make even
an attempt at collection on regular con-
tract schedule no one would be more
pleased than myself to be able to write
to complaining householders that there
was some special reason for the neglect
in their case and that their neighbors were
receiving the regular specified collection so
far as it was practicable or possible"
Awaits Summer Schedules.
In presenting the matter to Commissioner
West Mr.. Stidham says that at present he
was loath to advise more vigorous meas
ures until the summer schedules have gone
into effect, April 16 next, and the DISPOSE
ton of the contractor over reasonable
period thereafter has been noted. ut is
certain however" says Mr.. Stidham, that
we cannot think of permitting the con-
tractor to enter on the summer months with
the character of service now being rendered.
! greatly regret that the company is losing
money, as seems to be the case, but this,
while Invoking my personal sympathy, can
not change my official responsibility"
The contract of the Washington Fertilizer
Company will expire November 80.
Mr.. Vests Endorsement.
Commissioner West in approving the in
dorsement of Supt. Stidham recommends
that 1.-The company be notified that 1t will
be required to fulfill the terms of Its con-
tract under penalty OF having the District
institute a supplementary service at its ex-
pense."
Mr.. Parker of the Washington Fertilizer
Company called on Commissioner West
this morning and assured Mr.. West that
the company desired to do everything In
its power TO make the service satisfactory.
Mr.. Parker expressed the belief that the
service given to the people of Washington
is as good or better than the service given
by other companies in other cities