Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-03
CONTRACTS FOR
GARBAGE MADE
VERNON ASSOCIATION WILL
MAKE COLLECTIONS
TABLES TURNED ON MCCLURE BY
w. M. HUMPHREYS
Chief Inspector of Public Works, After
Day of Hard Work, Makes New
Arrangements for Gath
erIn1 of Refuse

W. NJ. Humphreys, chief inspector of
public works, neatly turned the tables
on contractor who thought he had
the city "by the neck" and yesterday
the city's garbage was collected by a
new contractor. and Sam Mcclure has
about ninety head of horses to feed
and nothing for them to do.
Wagons and teams were yesterday
sent out by the Vernon Live Stock as
sociation and the garbage gathered.
This association will continue to gather
the city's garbage until a new garbage
contract can be let, and they may even
continue, as it is understood they Will
put in bid to handle the refuse peri
manently.
Not only did Mr.. Humphreys teach
Mcclure that hereafter it would be
more to his advantage not to be too
grasping when he had a city contract,
but the contract with the Vernon asso-
ciation is much more to the advantage
of the city. The association charges
only 81 a day per team and wagon for
gathering garbage and $3.50 day per
team and wagon for gathering tin cans
and ashes.
The price paid Mcclure has been $40
a month per team and wagon for all
| classes of hauling, and had he not
| overreached himself on one little item
of about 500 a month he would have
received $50 a month per team and
citation will receive about $2S month
for garbage and $34 for cans and ashes.
Composed of Hog Breeders
But the Vernon association receives
as much advantage from the contract
as does the city. This association is
composed of the hog breeders in Yer
non, against whom the residents of
portions of the Sixth ward made COM
plant because of the alleged odors
from the pig pens. These complaints
| induced the city council to adopt q
clause in the specifications requiring
| that garbage must be hauled five miles
from the city limits when the general
| contract is made for the next five years.
| But until this general contract is let
| the Vernon live stock men have the
privilege of feeding garbage to their
hogs, and they will use the city's refuse
for this purpose. Heretofore the hoS
breeders have sent out their wagons in
advance of the city garbage wagons
and gathered the garbage at no cost to
| the city, Now they will receive 81
day for this work which they formerly
did for nothing, and in addition the city
will pay the wages Of the drivers OF
the teams, as has been the case under
the Mcclure contract. This amounts
to about 1925 a day per team and
wagon for what was formerly done for
the garbage alone But as it also rep
resents a saving of about $500 a month
to the city the board of public works
has no complaint to make
Quick Change Made
The change of garbage contractors
was about the quickest action ever
taken by the board of public works.
and the rapidity with which 1t was
made is credited to Mr.. Humphreys
| Friday Mr.. Humphreys asked sam NC
Clure to take off two teams and wagons
from the garbage collection, as they
were not needed. On the basis of $50
a month this represented saving to-
the city of $100 a month, but 1t also
represented that much more in Nc
| Clure's pocket He refused TO do 50
unless he had ten days notice. This
was the last straw. and Mr.. Humphreys
was about as near to being indignant
| as he ever comes, for he is the most
even tempered man in the city hall
When the council met in the morning
Mr. Humphreys introduced resolution
giving the board OF pubhc Works pomet
| to make a temporary garbage contract
as 1t should see fit. The council passed
the resolution. Mr.. Humphreys told
that body he had gone about as far
with Mcclure as he cared to. He sald
the board had Pade concession atter
concession to the garbage contractor
and still he asked for more.
First the board allowed him over
time, then because the price of feed
had increased they agreed to pay him
| $50 a month instead of $40 an increase
of 25 per cent. But the little item OF
the few dollars and the two teams was
too much.
New Teams Better
After the council had passed the
resolution Mr.. Humphreys was kept
busy until 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon
| At that hour he met representatives OF
| the Vernon Live Stock association and
was in conference with them until IL
o'clock Friday night After rev
| hours sleep he arose and was again IN
conference with the live stock men at
6 o'clock yesterday morning. AS re
suit different garbage wagons were sent
out Yesterday morning, and MI Hum
phreys says the teams are much better
| than those furnished by Mcclure.
October 1S is the date fixed by the
board for receiving bids on the general
| contract Bids are to be submitted for
| two terms, five and ten years. 1t is eX-
pected three classes of bids Will be re-
ecived-for incineraton, reduction and
hog feeding. Bids for hog feeding must
stiplhate the garbage Will be dlsposeu
| of not less than five miles from the
city limits. After bids have been re-
ceived the contractor who is adJudged
the lowest is allowed ninety days III
which to construct an incinerator or
reduction plant, and during TINS time
the contract with the Vernon assocla-