The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-07-14
CITY TO TRY IT.
Takes Over the Management of
the Crematory.
An Effort to Solve Yexing Gar
bage Question.
CONTRACTORS GIVE UP.
Whole Business Is Turned Over
to Municipality.
Sanitary Policeman Placed in
Charge of Plant.
CONTRACTORS GIVE UP.


ment viii last until Monday evening
when the council meets to pass an
ordinance creating the office of city
scavenger.
The experiment was taken by action
Of the council last night which was d.
vided upon the expediency of revoking
the contract with the Topeka Desiccat-
ing company Immediately. Though
the members of the council were unan-
imous in their belief that the contract
should be annuIled. some of them
thought that 1t would result in a fall
ure to properly handle the garbage un-
til a new arrangement could be made
for the disposal of the garbage and
offal of the city BY continuing the
contract the city would supervise the
plant of the desiccating company and
have the advantage of their co-opera-
ton in the use their wagons. teams
and men for hauling and collecting the
garbage from over the city.
Councilmen SwendsOn. Griiey and
Holiday insisted that the contract be
annulled at once last night, but finally
agreed to accept the supervision or lhe
crematory plant by the city until Mon
day evening when the contract viii be
probably revoked and the city attempt
to arrange for different management
Of the disposal Of garbage.
Sanitary Policeman H. Hill was
placed in charge of the plant this
morning by the sanitary department TO
oversee the disposal and burning OF the
garbage. The surroundings OF the
plant are to be cleaned up under ms
direction The city viii further as
sumo the expense, If any is necessary,
in buying sufficient coal to insure
thorough cremation of everythlng
placed in the furnaces 5. M Evans
appearing for the topeka Deslccdtli's
company. agreed to this arrangement
and expressed the desire of the com
pany in adopting every method when
might tend to handle the plant salts
factorily to the people IN the second
ward who have been complaining at
". A. -Neiswanger stated that he was
the agent for the owners of the land
on which the crematory plant stood.
That the Topeka Desiccating company
had disposed of its site includlns the
nfant and were now operating it under
a monthly lease which had until the
f71-st of August TO run. The real own
er Of tn property Is the Santa Fe rail
road which has purchased the iand AoI
its shop extensions. Mr. NeisWanger
said. We are ready to close up the
gates and keep these people out II the
council wants to annul the contract
right off. But it seems better way 90
me for the city TO place some one ~
-AA~~N
are run right and until you can make
some other arrangement to take care
A large number OF people living in
the vicinity Of the plant were present
at the council meeting last night and
stated to the council that the plant mad
been a menace to their health for years
and that the stencil was as bad now as
previously.
fnallv which prevailed-that the city
should assume charge until MONDAY
when further plans might be devised
on the motion OF Mr. Swendson, the
CITY attorney was instructed to prepare
an ordinance which should PROVIDE Tor
the creation of a city scavenger- Goun-
Gilman Csriley's resolution introduced
at the beginning of the meeting Gaming
for the revocation of the contract was
not nut to a vote. the other motions
taking precedence. Councilman Holt
day claimed that the desiccaung com
many did not care for the contract.
Councilman Holiday made the open
ing explanati ton to the council
He said. Matters down in the east
end of the Second ward have been get
ting in serious condition. My tele-
phone has been kept busy by people
complaining of the stencil which has
arisen from that dump down there py
the desiccating plant
.eThings have been getting from bad
10 worse Not only have the people
down there been annoyed by the stencil
but the general health Of the city is
q Know that it Is a condition that
the other councilmen don't want TO
place this load on the Second ward
Councilman Swendson argued Tor
revocation saving. 1T looks al If there
is little difference whether We have any
contract or not. If we are not gettlng
anything out Of this contract It doesn
make any difference If we don't nave
any We can start something for the
city and handle it so that won't be
menace to health of city. 1t looks like
it has come to this My notion IS that
we should annul the contract ana then
nrovfde of creation of the Office of
city scavenger.
I am not familiar with the situa-
ton" said Councilman Green. What
provision for relief have we got in re-
scinding the contract Have we made
any arrangement to take care of th1s2
/ think some other arrangements should
be made to have some people step IN
and take charge of this before We re-
scind this contract.
Councilman Griley; We ask FOR re-
lief in this right now.
1.-The cure may be worse than the dis
ease. Mr.. Griley. remarked Mayor
Davis 7 think that Mr. Green re-
Mr.. ciriley: 7 want to state that the
people won't stand this any longer
Speaking in behalf of the board of
health City Physician Hogeboom said
This question of cremation is not new
one. The board of health and city ply
stefan have attempted to correct the
hygenic condition of the city You as
legislators and we as board OF hygene
are required to provide for hygehIc sur
roundings for the preservation Of the
health Of the citizen Of the city The con-
dition OF che plant down there is a dis
grace to any first class city of the United
States. We have tried to get them cor
rect this and have failed Mr. Pattison
and I went down there to the plant and
we never did strike the bottom where they
had buried rotten eggs It affects not only
the Second ward but the whole city.
believe some action should be taken to-
night T am in favor of the municipal
penSe'
y am Ia favor Of annuliing the con-
tract" said Mr.. Green in explanation Of
his position 21lt4What are we going to
10 tomorrow. the next day. next week
We have got to have some definite ar