Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-10


out cost to the city by the hog men and
fed to their hogs. The real questions
which your committee has tried to
solve have been two, viz:
| Il. Could a contract be entered into
by the city with our local hog men as
an Incorporated company under which
| they could be compelled to gather class
A garbage daily in a thorough and sat-
! lsfactOry manner; could they be COM
PEELED to erect feeding yards and pens
in Vernon that would be kept clean and
sanitary; and could they be compelled
to finish off their hogs on corn and
/ other grains in order that their pork
will be harder and more desirable?
2. If these questions are decided in
| the negative and the feeding to hogs Is
eliminated, what would be the most
economical and sanitary method Of dis
posal?
DenVer's Experience
1.-THE city Of Denver entered into q
contract with the Denver Hog Breed
ers' association four years ago to re-
move all class A garbage for four years
for 81. 1t has been SO satisfactory that
1t has been renewed. Mr. Edwards
| showed your committee a letter from
| the mayor Of Denver and another from
the health commissioner of that city,
each speaking favorably of the results
Of this contract.
rs per cent Of the Denver garbage fed
hogs were condemned as tubercular
This is almost unbelievable in view Of
! the Endorsement Of the Denver Health
commissioner and the action Of the
Denver city authorities in renewing
their contract with the hog men for
four years more. The additional ar
| gument has been made that because
we have a large number Of tuberculous
clt1zens and visitors among us that
there was more danger for us in feed
ing garbage to hogs on this account.
But the same argument applies to Dem
yer with greater force, and they do not
seem to have discovered such a danger.
| In fact, our own citizens have been
feeding garbage to hogs more or less
for ten years, until now we have 10000
or $1,000 hogs being thus fed Zone man
owning 2400). Surely IL these objec-
tons were we'll founded our own active
and watchful health commissioner DR..
| Powers, would be able to overwhelm
us with the local evidence and proof of
the danger lurking in feeding garbage
to hogs. Let it be frankly stated that
the present condition of most Of the
| hog yards in Vernon is filthy beyond
description. No contract could be en-
! tertained for moment that contem-
! plated a continuation of such condi-
tons, which are offensive for many
blocks away. The above statements
tract can be made which would COM
pei the collection and feeding in SAM
tary manner. The question as to wheth-
er such a disposition Of our garbage is
| wise or not is one upon which our citi-
Zens may easily differ. Even your COM
mittee are not agreed upon this point.
! We are agreed upon the fact that I'M
less it can be done in a sanitary man
ner it should not be done at all. For
mer Commissioners Edwards believes
| this can be done, and because of the
saving to the city, which he estimates
will be $4,000 year, he advocates 1t.
Other Methods
IF this method of disposing Of gar
| bage is eliminated, there are but two
others that need to be considered-the
tncinerator' and the reduction
process The former we are familiar
with, as we have had one in operation
for some years. Your committee have
been pleasantly disappointed in their
visits tofand examination of this plant
as we labored under the impression
that 1t was failure. On the contrary,
We found that it is successfully burn
ing all the garbage or refuse that is
| cOmbuStible and that is not hauled
away by the hog men. There has been
an ample supply of paper, straw, ETC.,
to furnish all the fuel necessary for
/ some months past without using oil.
1--WE are incinerating an average of
six horses, mules or cows per day, and
many cats, dogs and smaller animals
| We believe, however, that 1t can be
| conducted more economically than at
present, because Of the small amount Of
| garbage being consumed. The cost per
ton Is altogether too large. Seattle and
| Vancouver have each installed a new
| incinerator since Los Angeles did, and
we believe they have some improve
ments over ours. Should Los Angeles
L.
present incinerator would be overtaxed
and an additional one would be neces-
sary. This should be located in the
northern end Of the city, to shorten
the haul. Seattle installed a sixty
seven ton daily capacity incinerator
for $4,000, and Vancouver ffty-ton
| incinerator with steam disinfectant
plant for $4,000. Probably one of this
size would be the most economical for
us because they can be located where
most needed, thus shortening the haul,
as they are not offensive to the neigh
| borhood on account Of the odOrS, as
are some other methods.
Reduction Process
1.-THE process Of incineration makes
no effort to save any part of the gar
1 bage while the reduction process aims
| to evaporate the water, extract the
grease, amounting to about per cent
of the whole, and use the balance,
called ''tankage," as a base for fertil-
izer This plant is an expensive one to
build and operate, but is coming into
favor in the largest cities. Some cities
| have contracted for this system Of dis
posing of their garbage by the ton,
others by the year, while others have
preferred to own and operate it by the
municipality.
There does not seem to be any meth
cd Of disposing Of garbage that is yet
generally recognized as being superior
| to all others. Many cities have had
vexatious and costly experiences along
this line.
I'm fact, it is only twenty years since
| inventors in the United States have
been working along this line, and they
are still improving and perfecting their
methods. This is an additional reason
why, if we can safely make such a
contract with the hog men as has been
! indicated for five years, we shall then
doubtless be able to secure a far more
! efficient and satisfactory and econom-
| ical plant for the disposal of garbage
| than we can now.
1--WE have received considerable data
bearing upon the methods, cost, and
! results secured in other cities which
we have not incorporated in this re-
! port because it would be too lengthy"