Evening journal., 1905-06-01
Matter Of Vital Import
ance to Wilmington
HOusekeeperS = Con-
tracts Were Awarded
to Highest Bidders Be-
cause They Were Demo-
cratic Workers
This Action Of Council
Cost the City About
Ten Thousand Dollars.
Over Four Thousand
complaints Against the
Collectors in One
Year

One of the most vital and important
matters which City Council and the
Board of Health have to deal with is
the garbage question, as it concerns the
health of the entire city. This fact
should be thought of and the way the
garbage of Wilmington has been taken
care OF during the past seven or eight
years should be well considered by ev-
cry voter before he casts his vote on
Saturc ay next.
Since 1897 the collecting of all the
garbage in the city has been under the
control of either a Democratic City
Council or Board of Health and it is
a well-known fact that the service has
been the poorest and by far the most
expensive that the city has ever had.
The part that Mayor Charles d. Bird
played in regard to the garbage ques-
ton shortly after he was elected to
office, is not consistent with the great
reoorL which the Democratic party
claims should entitle him to a second
term.
The garbage contracts are given out
every thfee years. When they were
awarded in 1903 it was at an increased
cost Of about $4,000 over the previous
three years. The awarding of these
contracts at the time brought out
hundreds of objections from the tax
payers, as Council received bids al
the same time from responsible bid
ders. which would amount to about
$4,000 less for the three years, than
the bids OF those who gothic contract
IT is said the Democratic members OF
Council, when the time arrived foi
awarding the contracts, went into eau
Gus. the same as they would for a
salaried officer, and then gave out the
contracts irrespective of the amount
of the bids. The result was that the
city loses $4,000 in the three years
The successful bidders were we'll
known Democratic workers and prac-
tically the same ones one had giver
such miserable service during the pre-.
vious three years.
The Board of Health awarded the
contract for the removal of garbage VI
until February 1900 At that tim'
City Council was Democratic but thu
Board Of Health was Republican
Several months previous to Februar!
of that year. Council passed an ordi
nance taking it out of the hands of th'
Board of Health and vesting the powe
to award the contracts in City Coun
ell. The original ordinance stated
that the Board of Health could maxi
what rules and regulations it saw ii
in regard to the collection of garbag
and had the authority to impose fin
on the contractors if they did not d.
their work properly.
The new ordinance gave City Council
the right to make the rules and regu
lations, but no rules were even sc
down. Joseph Wigglesworth. who a
that time was secretary Of the Boar
of Health, refused to take any com
plants because he had no authorit
whatever over the collectors under tn
new ordinance. Within two month
after the awarding OF the garbag
contracts by City Council in 1903 an
other ordinance was passed compellin
Mr.. Wigglesworth to take the com
plants. but gave him no right to fl
any rules.
MAYOR DECLINED TO ACT.
When Mayor Bird went into offic
July 1. 1908. the Board Of Health wa
Republican and remained Sc until III
first Thursday of the following Ma
(about ten months) when he appoint
ed the present board. Mayor Bir
was informed by City Solicitor Har
man that Council had no right to pas
the ordinance in regard to garba-
Notwithstanding the fact that huT
dreds of complaints were made ever
Continued on Page Five.)