The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1907-07-20
ASHMEN
PAID FOR WORK,
OFFERED GRATIS
About TwoHundred Wagons
Collecting Ashes and Re-
ceiving Fees.
Fully One-Third of People
Don't Know Service
Is Free.

That there should be thousands Of
families in the District who pay out
weekly good money for private service
IN the removal of their ashes and refuse.
when there is a public service free of
all cost provided for by liberal ap-
preparation OF Congress. seems strange
Yet such a condition exists and TO an
extent that is surprising.
There are in the city probably as
many as 200 wagons. owned and operat-
cd by aged colored men and others, who
collect refuse and ashes, going from
house 20 house and charging a small fee
for each service performed. They exist
simply on the ignorance Of the people,
who seem to think that the only public
service performed by the District Gov
eminent free OF cost to the people Is
the removal Of garbage These collec-
tors are satisfied with small fees and
small annual income. Their capital In
vested is small. as the horse or horses
they use are not worth SIS a head and
the wagons these frames OF animals pull
are wrecks OF former usefulness.
Louis Colwell. general manager OF the
old retaining plant that was destroyed
by fire last January. said TO a Times
reporter today in this connection that he
was OF opinion that not 80 per cent Of
the householders OF the city are aware
of the fact that the District government
provides a free public service for the
removal OF ashes and refuse; that he
personally knew as many as one hun
bred owners OF teams that devote their
entire time. six days IN the week, 20 the
collection Of refuse and ashes from
private residences, and that all these
collections were brought 10 the reclaim
ing plant, IN addition 20 the mass OF
stun that was collected By the regular
contractors.
In proportion TO that gathered by the
regular contractors, these independents,
existing on the ignorance OF the people.
brought 10 the retaining plant daily as
much as S355 per cent, and this did not
take into consideration large quantities
of refuse and ashes collected by these
independent collectors that was dumped
on the Rock Greek and other dumps.
A woman living in the northwest sec
ton or the city wrote letter 10 the
contractors some time ago In which she
said something like this:
| PLEASE discontinue your collection OF
ashes and refuse at ms house l can
not afford 10 pay your rates, and will
| have TO make some other arrangements
I 70 get rid OF my refuse and ashes An
/ inspector called al the house TO see II
/ one Of the contractors men had been
I charging fee for a service that should
/ have been free II was found that the
I collections had been made by one OF the
| many Independent collectors. This man
/ was collecting 10 cents a day for his
| services. When told the Government
| collected ashes free she was astOnished
! Another example shows that the peO-
/ pie are being imposed upon by these In
/ dependent refuse and ash collectors
! There resides in one OF the best resi-
/ Dental sections near Iowa circle a man
eighty-fOur years old, who has been a
| resident of the city for fifty years. He
/ is man above the average Intelligence
holding a position OF trust He has beer
paying for this service for years, and
/ had never heard that the Government
! moved anything except the garbage
/ that he thought that he was required
| 70 pay fo- removal of ashes and refuse
| Harrison Stidman. former supertn-
! tendent OF street cleaning, now with
\ the Washington Fertilizer Company as
! general manager, Is credited with say.
/ Ing during his administration OF tn,
! street cleaning department that no
| over 40 per cent OF the people OF tbs
/ city took advantage Of the public ser
| vice in collecting ashes and refuse By
reason Of the fact that they did no
! know there was such a free service.
/ At the first session Of the Fifty-ninti
! Congress the sum OF Sl6s.3 was ap
| propriated for this and other similar
/ public services. The District govern
/ ment paid last year S16.500 for the col
| lection and disposal OF refuse and $54.0o
| for the ashes.
| II you are not getting the benefit o
! the public service, and are forced Z
pay some one for It. report the case Z
John T. Twohey, superintendent o
street cleaning, District building, and
you will secure a prompt and free ser
| vice to which you are entitled.