The morning journal-courier., 1908-07-30
TIME TO CALL A HALT.

TIME TO CALL A HALT.
 It Is rank folly for the health officers or the members of the board of health, to take any credit to themselves for the fact that the number of complaints as to the collection of garbage in the city during the month of July has been less than for the month of June. There may be many good reasons for this. In the first place during July far more of the families of the city that care most whether their garbage Is collected In the right way and whether the sur roundlngs about them are healthful or not, are away from the city, at the sea shore or in the mountains. It Is quite natural that many should not be heard from just at present upon this import ant question. Again. 1t is undoubted- ly true that many In the city have become dlsgusted with the lax way that the garbage collections have been su- perintended and have been convinced that to complain longer to the board of health is a waste of time. Health ofn- cer Wright makes mention of first complaints" and "second complaints" but Is It to be supposed that there are never third and fourth complaints.
 New Haven need take 1t as nothing less than a disgrace that 777 first and second complaints should be received by the board of health during one month upon the collection of garbage alone, and that that board should make mention of the number with swell of satisfaction because there had been more the month before Can they, indeed. be proud of their record, when in the city of Providence. which Is about twice the size of New Haven. an average of only one garbage complaint Is received day? Nor need the board take any satisfaction in the fact that 1t decided to fine one contractor s4l and the other s7. for the month. IL had been supposed that even heavier fines than that had been imposed as a result of Junes greater number of complaints. The public Is not inter ested in the fines but in the service If fines cannot bring service, the public asks for a more radical move, possi- bly the cancelling of the contracts and the forfeiture of the contractors bonds
 It makes no difference if the contrac- tors are losing money or not; 1t makes no difference if they are inexperienced in the collection and disposal of gar bage and have not the proper equip ment. As matter of fact there Is good reason to believe that the contrac- tors did not want the contracts at all and that they were the most surprised of any one when the contracts were awarded them. The Farnhams. who had the contract before, had the neces- sary rolling stock and needed garbage to feed to their pigs. The present con tractors had neither at that time. The conclusion Is forced on one that the latter must have expected to sub-let the contract at a profit or else that they would be handsomely paid not to contract at all.
 But The Journal-Courier doee not care who the contractor is as long as the work of collecting the garbage Is done properly. as long as conditions are not such that correspondents write 1t of being "glad to have some place to air their grievances" as is the case now, It Is too much when the residents of Fair Haven complain that they are unable to open their windows because of the smell of the garbage nearby
 when, in New York extensive opera tons have been started even against ill-smelling automobiles, which have chauffeurs that are none too careful I with their oil supply It Is time tc call halt.