Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04
MAKES TART RESPONSE
WASHINGTON FERTILIZER CO.
REPLIES TO CRITICISM.

Arraigning the District health officer
fully as severely as the health officer criti-
cised the methods of his company few
days ago. Harrison Stidham. secretary and
manager of the Washington Fertilizer Com
pany. today wrote to Commissioner West
formally protesting against the methods of
the health officer in giving publicity to the
report on the fertilizer company without
giving the latter opportunity to be heard
either in explanation or defense. Mr.. Std
hams letter read as follows:
THE health officers arraignment of our
company given to the public press last
week has inevitably worked US serious In
jury. Any one reading the attack and
without knowledge of the conditions could
hardly fail to regard our management as
incompetent and the owners as conscience
less offenders against the public good. Ger
tainiy 1t would be supposed from the wild
and unmanly threat of indictment and the
giving of this publicity that we were per-
sistent and incorrigible In evil doing.
What are the facts? We were first per-
mitted to learn the nature of DIR. Wood
wards report from the public press; We
received neither warning nor opportunity
to be heard in explanation or defense; we
were not even asked to remedy anything
and thus. at least. to show ourselves re-
calcitrant. You must know, il DIR. Wood
ward does not. that we would gladly do
anything that lay in our power to correct
what might seem to you or your sub
ordnates a fault. We have done everything
this summer that money and unremitting
labor could do to give Washington the
best garbage collection service in the
United States. and we believe we have
with preceding years will tend to show.
Officially Inspected Daily.
Until July last the street cleaning de-
partment has maintained there during all
these years one of that departments in
spectors who was required to certify each
day whether the yard and It's appurtenances
were In sanitary order. We have every
reason to believe. since the present contract
went into effect relieving US from the
noisome task OF handling dead animals.
that this yard has been In better condition
than ever before. Certainly we have spent
money and tried hard to make 1t 50. And,
from the favorable report OF DR.. Wood
wards own inspector few weeks ago, we
were confident OF our success in holding
down to a minimum the admittedly un-
savory and disagreeable features of our
work, and totally unprepared, therefore,
for what seemed to US a reckless and wan
ton attack upon our competency and In
tegrity. ..53.Y.. -.ss.....s
ut is uncomfortable. IN the light of this
sudden discovery of an ordinance which
makes our yard unlawful, that DR.. Wood
War0 mas permitted IL 10 exist lot Six years,
and, equally not understandable, has allow
ed the Commissioners to enter on another
five-year contract. having as its essential
basis the continuance of the yard in its
present location. Something might also be
said of the part the District thus plays in
accepting low bid based upon the present
location of the transfer station and then
summarily notifying US eight months after
we have begun on fiye-year term at this
location that. il persisted in. will render
Is liable to Indictment
Enters a Protest.
Surely in view of the foregoing, common
fairness would have spared US the public
pillory until we had proved ourselves de-
serving of it; and we would respectfully
ask for this communication the same
prompt publicity accorded to the health Of
ficer's report.
1--WE would add, in conclusion. that the
indictment strengthens our conviction, pre-
viously expressed to you, that the District
ought to perform this disagreeable but nee
essary work directly, and not through the
intermediary of contractor. We would
again urge upon you our offer to turn over
the garbage collection to the street clean
ing department or. IL hesitation Is still ex-
pressed as to the desirability of this, to
any individual or corporation you may Sc
n act for -