The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-10-01
CITY MONOPOLY
NEEOS THE
PROBE
c r en- TORY DEPARTMENT
ABLE TO COMPEL ALL THE
WORK 1T CAN HANDLE, STILL
UNABLE TO PAY ITS OWN
EXPENSES At FIXED PRICES.

from the crematory department,
and 1t does mot entirely emanate
from the character of the material
handled, either. The sooner the
city councils finance committee
brings in that schedule of crema-
tory charges that it has had in
preparation for some months the
better pleased will the people be
who have any relations with this
branch of the city's activities.
Along with the new schedule OF
prices the committee should make
some recommendations for better
system of operation, one that will
secure the best results for the city
and public support and endorse
ment
Much protest continues to be
heard over what are considered ex-
cessive charges for crematory
WORK. A health inspector in the
pay Of the crematory department
goes along a certain street in the
outlying sections where there is
no sewerage and the percentage Of
homes with modern conveniences
Is small, and nearly all places on
such streets will be ordered clean
ed within three days. Another
representative of the crematory de-
partment will then come along and
inspect the job reported by the first
inspector and tell the householder,
you're bill will be so much; our
wagon will be along tonight and
do the work" There is no solicita-
ton for the order and the property
owner seems to have no voice in
the matter at all.
Under this system it would seem
that the crematory department
ought to be a paying proposition
for the city, yet the report is that
It is not even self sustaining. If
It is not self sustaining at present,
when 1t has all the work it can
take care of, what hope is held out
of ever putting the department on
a paying basis in the future?
When concern, either public or
private, Is in q business wherein
the orders are secured by simply
going out and compelling a whole
street to pay tribute, and then can
not break even, 1t must need in
vestigation. There must be heavy
tks along the line somewhere or
this condition could not exist.
Among one sample of theh business
methods employed in the crema-
tory department 1t Is cited that the
work of running up the brick stack
Mt the crematory cost $50 per
foot.
AT the crematory office 1t is
stated that private scavengers are
responsible for the dissatisfaction
existing as to crematory charges.
The crematory officials claim that
the scavengers bought out by the
city have again gone into the bust
ness and are cutting under the city
prices, whereas the city's present
prices are as low as were those
of the scavengers before the city
took over the business. 1t is urged
in support Of the crematory de-
partment that the work Is done in
n much more sanitary manner now
than under the private plan and
that refuse is all taken to the
crematory for incineration instead
of being thrown in any old place
that was found convenient.
Yet with all this the fact still
re mains that the city is getting
as much money for the work as
the scavengers did before, have all
that they can do, and yet lose
money while the scavengers made
n living and at least one man in
the business grew wealthy on the
old prices.
A crematory ordinance just
adopted by the city council gives
the crematory monopoly. If the
past experience of those who have
paid tribute to the crematory Is to
be taken as criterion then the
unfortunates who may fall within
Its range in the future will have
to pay all the traffic will bear.