Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-18
GARBAGE COLLECTION EVILS
THERE ARE MANY THEFTS OF
RECEPTACLES.
Then There Is Difficulty in Getting
Waste Material Taken Away.
Attitude of Driver,

There is one class of petty thieving in
this city which. while comparatively in
consequential as to the amount of money
involved. is nevertheless exceedingly an
noying to housekeepers. and I refer to the
theft of empty ash and garbage cans
said a northwest resident.
within the past year l have had
stolen from my alley gate two ash cans
and three garbage buckets. losing two of
the latter within month. While the en-
tire loss aggregates under $40. the annoy
ance occasioned by being without the re-
ceptacles until the new ones were supplied
is beyond mere money value.
These thefts may be effected with
comparative ease and security from ar
rest. But it seems to me that the police
men on the regular beats. or the precinct
detectives. might. with propriety. demand
an EXP lanation from any individual whom
they may encounter in the residential dis
tricts perambulating along. apparently in
nocently swinging an empty garbage or
ash can with the nonchalance of work
man swinging his full dinner pail
I'm nine-tenths of these instances the
cans are stolen. Some arrests and work
house sentences would have a wholesome
deterrent effect upon this class of work.
Is easier to work others than to work
yourself.
Then I desire to call attention to an
other annoyance to householders in this
city regarding the collection from and
disposal OF these cans and buckets. If
we place the cans in the alleys the police
call at the front door and warn us that
we are violating an ordinance.
If we don't place them out the men
on the wagons won't take them Thus we
fhor orIi IT, Ia >sv o.
them for all improper time upon the
premises.
And. when we listen with our ears to
the ground for the toot. toot of the
merry garbage mans gladstone horn as
he starts in upon his wild hunt at the
top of the alley. scramble down the area
steps with can In hand to head him off
In his mad chase. and miss him by
length In the home stretch. do you sup
pose he .halts his foaming steed and am
bles back a foot or two to take the can?
No. indeed: he makes for the mile post
at the other end of the alley with the
calm serenity Of the jockey who rides
the winner.
The law requires that our buckets
shall be topped with covers. which is
good provision. But the jolly garbage
man grabs the handle throws the cover
east ten degrees longitude, empties the
contents of the can in his wagon and
pitches the can twenty degrees latitude
from the equator where once the can re-
posed
Naturally, when the householder later
ascends the quarterback to take on OBJ
servation of his own reckoning and that
of his can, he finds both himself and the
can out of their proper course The
language which ensues isn't fit to print
In the instance of a man and somewhat
scarlet and fiery when it comes to the
opposite sex.
Again, the men do not seem to think
1t is necessary to empty the entire con-
tents of the cans in their wagons. If
they leave a third or a quarter of their
contents sticking to the bottoms it seems
to be all the same with them But this
practice is extremely insanitary and I'M
satisfactory.
While the general service Is much i'm
proved over conditions existing several
years ago, nevertheless the points to
which I have adverted might be taken up
and remedied'