Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-01-30
AiscELLANToOs REcoRD


The Garbage Problem.
The City Council Of Wilmington is now
facing the same old evil Of a sure deficit in
The public treasury, at the close of the cur
srent fiscal year, that it has faced for nearly
a dozen years IN succession. The only
difference is that the deficit threatens TO
Pie larger this year than il ever was before.
The problem involves ways and means
of reducing the expenses Of the city gov
eminent and Of providing additional
irevenue; and with respect to the former
requirement the City Council now has
under consideration a proposition which
may 20 a considerable ways towards solv-
ling the difficulty That proposition is in
relation 10 a change in the existing system
Of collection and disposal Of garbage
Il has been shown, by--oflicial figures
and careful estimates printed in Every
Evening. that the cost of the collection
+ and disposal of garbage in this city under
existing arrangements, will closely APP
proximate $4,000 a year during the next
three years, should the City Council de-
eide 20 make no change and to award con-
tracts for the collection Of garbage under
the proposals now pending. But a pro-
position has been made by which, IL is
claimed, the city may make a large rcduc-
ton in this expense. if not wipe It out
altogether
AT present the city pays contractors for
collecting garbage from the homes Of tho
people and conveying il to the garbage
crcmatory, where IL is burned. The Gre
matory is operated by the city This SER
vice costs the city over $4,000 a year,
and as has been stated. will cost nearly
$4,000 a year during the ensuing three
years, under the proposals for the collec-
ton of garbage now pending IN tho City
Council. Recently a proposition was
made to the City Council by representa-
tives OF a garbage reduction concern, to
take in hand the collection and disposal
OF garbage at terms which win enable the
city TO effect a considerable saving from
existing arrangements.
II is now an assured fact that, by
modern processes Of reduction, garbage
may be converted into money. Under
the process which prevails in Wilmington
the garbage is collected and burned at q
heavy expense, as the revenue derived
from the sale Of the ashes at the crematory
viii not amount to $500 in year. In
other communities the by-products o
garbage are extracted and sold at gooc
prices, while the solid matter left aitel
the reduction processes is utilized as fuel
Tho claim is even made, and supporte,
by actual results in some cities, that th,
garbage service may be made fairly re
munerativo in other words, that enough
may be realized from the sale Of by-pro
ducts and refuse 70 mono than cover thl
Expenses Of operation and Of collecting
the garbage
Such q system is well worth trying
Among other advantages is that Of a clos
and careiul collection of the garbage,
service which win be appreciated by al
housekeepcr. Under the proposed new
system the garbage is money 10 the con
sTactors, and 'hev carefully collect ever,
scrap Il, SO aa' nothing may be wasted
What a great diG er co this will mean Il
the service cve,s aousekeeper will under
stand. Now, when an infinitely bette
service, at a greatly reduced cost, is prom
ised under the new system--to say nothin
OF the probability of a profit it would b
criminal for the City Council TO refuse 4
give the new system a trial II can cos
no more than the present service is costin
and there is reason 70 believe that il woul
effect a large saving.
Tho City Council is investigating IN
new system, and the probabilities are tina
new garbage collection bids win be in
vited, under conditions that will perm
promoters Of the new system to state i
cnhghtening figures what the cost Of m
change win be- And II the arguments ,
the promoters are 70 be relied upon, a
opportunity for large saving in the ga
bage service win be offered the City Cout
ell. In view Of the desperate conditio
of the city finances, no such offer shout
be lightly rejected