Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-08-22
Agitation on Question Brings
Some Pertinent Suggestions
From RuIon S. Wells.
NEED FOR NEW ORDINANCE
Along the Lines of the Measure Nc-
tocd by Mayor Thompson Dur
ing His Administration.

Anent the agitation of the garbage
question. now occupying leading
place in the minds of the city council
and others, the views OF Rulon 5. Wells
formerly ~ member of tho city couhcH
and author OF an ordinance governing
the disposition of garbage which was
passed by the council and vetoed by
former Mayor Ezra Thompson Is
timely and interesting.
Mr.. Wells said this morning thae
there was just as much need Tor the
passage of an ordinance similar TO the
one he introduced several years ago as
thore ever was. "rhe condition, IN
fact" said Mr.. Wells becomes more
aggravated as time goes on and inc
CITY Increases IN population The gar
baRe question is one which the CITY
authorities and tho health department
cannot afford to ignore, as the puphc
health Is either endangered or pre-
served In proportion TO the ethcleiCy
of the method adopted for the dlsposl-
ton of the oity's refuse. The cry OF
economy, raised by members of tbs ad-
Ininistration when the idea of putting
on a few extra teams to assist In clean
ing IN the garbage and making Boou
lob of It, is, in my estimation, very
fiimsy excuse for not enforcing SAM
tary measures In the solution Oh lhe
garbage problem. l think IL the city
fathers were as economical upon all
questions as they profess to be In re-
gard to this mater, 1t would be better
for the municipality provide ample
means to enforce an efficient system
for disposing of the refuse.
MIR. WELLS ORDINANCE.
1.-THE ordinance which 1 introduced"
said Mr. Wells made 1t unlawful for
any garbage can or bucket to be placed
in the streets, The present law re-
ouires householdeTs to place their gar
bage buckets in the street, in front of
their residences. where the filth oozes
out and ferments in the sun and IL Is
sometimes permitted to stand a day or
Two before being gathered up, ana
becomes and extremely nauseating OBJ
ject to phssers by and to the people
themselves. l have heard of strangers
in the city passing these foul smelling
buckets, and wandering II the city per-
nlitted such obnoxious conditions to ex-
ist In this otherwise beautiful city, NO
other city in the country allows the ac-
emulation of garbage TO be placed IN
the streets In front of the residence
premises to my knowledge. 1t might
Dc argued lIltAN bAlltl NlAlt9 nave botiN
alleys running through the blocks. and
that all garbage Is gathered through
these alleys. This may be true, and II
is to be regretted that we have not
similar alleys In all instances. But
inasmuch as we haven't the alleys, we
should do the next best. In my opin-
ION, that would be to compel the gar
bage gatherers To go into the lot, per-
haps az far as the back yard, to gath
er the cans, and this would make the
property owners more Vigllant to see
that the cans were gathered at the
proper time. as well as the men de-
tailed TO do the work, because the or
dinance would provide that neglect
to SO gather the receptacles would be
punishable by a suitable fine.
"The people Of this city have become
so accustomed To putting their cans
ont In the street, that they think they
are compelled to do so. If the council
would adopt some such means as that
suggested, and see that the health de
partment enforces the regulations,
there would be no complaint OF foul
smells and disease breeding conditions
arising from neglected garbage cans
MS has been the case of late | sim
cerely hope that some means will be
adopted, and that promptly for the
proper handling of the garbage bus
mess. even II Ii does entail little eX-
ira expense upon the taxpayers OF the
sity.'