Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-28
VERNON LOSES
GARBAGE FIGHT
REFUSE MUST BE TAKEN FIVE
MILES FROM CITY LIMITS
CONTRACT WILL BE SIGNED BY
C. A. ALEXANDER TODAY
Collection Under New Ordinance Must
Be Made from the Rear of
Premises in Residence
District

BY the terms of a contract for five
years entered into between the board OF
public works and Charles A. Alexander
yesterday the Vernon hog raisers must
move or get their garbage somewhere
besides in the city of Los Angeles the
residents of the Sixth. ward will rest
more easily in their beds in anticipation
of better times to come, and the
troublous times at the city hall over
the odorous problem, it is to be hoped,
are ended for good.
The bid submitted by Mr.. Alexander
is for $48,000 a year for collecting gar
bage and rubbish and was the lowest
of the two regular bids submitted. AL
exander also made proposal for hand
ling the garbage for ten years, but the
figures were so indefinite the city at
torney ruled that the ten-year propo-
sition could not be considered.
Contract Signed Today
The contract will be signed today
and after it is approved the contractor
is allowed ninety days in which to Sc
cure his equipment for handling the
garbage. Mr.. Alexander said yesterday
he did not intend to take the full time
allotted him, but hoped to be ready to
begin his garbage collections before
Christmas.
Under the new contract garbage must
be collected from the rear of the prem
ises and not from the curbs, as has
teen the case under the old contract.
This Is a part of the specifications for
which the women of the Cosmos club
are given credit, as they have demand
ed this consideration of the board of
public works for several years. 1t adds
several thousand dollars to the cost of
the collection, but persons interested
in civic improvement believe the
amount will be more than made up by
eliminating one of the city's most hid
eous features and one that causes un-
favorable comment from tourists.
Five-Mile Limit Goes
1t is Mr.. Alexander's intention to use
the garbage to feed live stock, chiefly
hogs and chickens, and under the terms
OF his contract he must take the gar
bage at least five miles from the city
limits if it is used for this purpose.
This will please the residents of the
Sixth ward who have waged a hard
and continuous fight against the hog
pens in Vernon, just over the city line,
that are alleged to produce such moi
some odors that property values had
greatly deprecated.
The price of $48000 a year to be paid
for the collection and disposal of gar
bage is about three times as much as
the present COHlTdCl price, DuI uHder
the present contract the garbage does
not have to be removed five miles and
it is not collected from the rear of the
premises.
Dead Animals Provided For
While the board of public works was
awarding the garbage contract the
council was awarding the contract for
the collection of dead animals to the
United Phosphate company, a fertilizer
concern. Under the terms Of this con-
tract the phosphate company is to col
lect all large dead animals, such as
horses, cows, mules, sheep and calves,
and for this privilege is to pay the city
5000 a month for five years. But this
company is privileged to charge $3.50
for each animal 1t collects, as we'll as
using the animal matter for fertilizer.
The person whose animal dies and Is
carried away must pay the price. The
contract gives the council the right to
reduce the fee for collecting the ami
mails at any time it sees fit.