Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-29
UTILIZING THE WASTE
VIEWS OF COMMISSIONERS WEST
REGARDING REFUSE.

Commissioner West and Superintendent
Stidham of the street cleaning department
yesterday visited the new plant which has
been installed at the foot of South Capitol
street as an experiment in utilizing the
waste of the city. Under the ole arrange
ment the District pays contractor for the
work of removing the city refuse, it being
the custom TO take the material to what
is known as the crematory. where it has
been DESTROYED. In other cities, however,
the waste paper, rags, etc, are not only
atihzeds but are made to yield a profit to
the municipal government, and instead Of
paying for its removal the privilege of col
lecting it is sold to the highest bidder. At
the plant which Commissioner West visited
yesterday. there has been installed consider
able machinery, including a. broad travel
ing belt, upon which is deposited the refuse
as the latter is unloaded from the wagons.
A force Of twenty-five colored women is
employed to sort this material as it passes
before them, the newspapers being thrown
into one hopper, manila paper into another.
ra gs of various kinds into another, while
separate disposition is also made of pieces
OF rubber hose, tin cans, bottles, etc.
Amount of Material Handled.
Some idea of the amount of material
handled can be gathered from the fact that
every day from 10000 to 1900 pounds of
common paper is put into large congresses
and baled, as many as thirty-five bales be-
ing shipped daily. This material averages
from 30 cents to 40 cents hundred pounds
Old Carpets and sacking bring 10 cents
hundred pounds, while wooden rags bring as
high as IS a hundred pounds. A thousand
pounds of tin cans are collected and picked
out daily, and this tin also has considerable
value, although the machinery for its utili-
cation has not yet been installed
The number of beer bottles thrown away
| In the city annually aggregates as high as
100000, and these are all understandable,
while other bottles have a substantial value.
Even old shoes can be sold, to be used
again in the making of the cheapest grades
of shoes, and it is said that they can even
be utilized in the making of a powder
founda ton for jelly.
The stuff that is absolutely valueless goes
into the furnace, and SO much excess power
is obtained therefrom that it would operate
a dynamo to light several hundred incandes
cent lamps. At present this power is going
to waste. Even the ashes taken out from
the furnace have their value, for they are
sifted and sold to truck farmers for fer
tilizing purposes.
MI. Vests Suggestion.
"A visit to the plant" said Commissioner
West today, lis an instructive lesson in
municipal economy. At present the work is
being done as an experiment and In con-
junction with the contract for removing
city refuse. 1t does not now yield a profit
to the District, but as it has been demon
strated that all this waste material has a
pecuniary value we hope that when the
next contract is awarded instead of paying
for the removal of the material the District
Will sell the privilege for a considerable
sum. This is a practical matter and ought
to interest every citizen.