The Washington times., 1911-11-10
A MUNICIPAL GARBAGE RE-
DUCTlON PLANT.

There is reason to expect hard
fight will be made against the estab.
lishment of a municipal garbage re-
duction plant, which the District Com.
missioners and the House District Com
mittee are going to recommend in con-
nection with the next Congressional
budget for Washington. The proposal
is SO entirely in line with modern
municipal management that it deserves
the most careful study by Washington
people who believe in the best possible
administration of the city. It is a
step toward the municipalization oi
those functions which nowadays are
well-nigh universally regarded as
proper duties of the Government in
behalf of the public.
At present the business of collecting
and disposing of garbage is done by
contract, let for five.year periods. The
contract is understood to be a highly
profitable one, though its detailed fiscal
results are known only to the people
directly interested. It is, however, a
good enough thing to justify the expec.
tation that the innovation will arouse
opposition.
The first consideration entitled to
attention, in connection with any sug.
gested change of method, has to do
with the efficiency of service. There il
no serious complaint of the present
contractors operations; universal salts.
faction of course is quite impossible
in such business, but it is fair to the
contractor to say that the work i,
probably causing as little dissatisfac.
tion now as it would under municipal
management.
1t becomes financial question. II
the work can be done enough cheape,
to make the saving an object, the
change should be made. On this poin,
pretty careful investigation has beer
made by the District authorities, and
their recommendation of the municipa
plant is based on the conclusion that
they can save large item by making
the change.
About $4,000 tons of garbage are
gathered up in Washington annually
Experience in many plants has de
veloped that 8 per cent of this tonnag,
can be turned out in grease. Thi,
grease sells on the present market a
500 per ton. 1t is used in the manu-
facture of glycerin, nitroglycerin
stearin from which candles ar,
made), and various articles. Tha
means that approximately $l29,OO'
would be derived from the grease.
In addition to this, one seventh O
the, tonnage, or approximately 7,OO'
tons, will be turned out as tankage
which is sold to fertilizer manufac
turers at SO per ton, present markc
prices. That means $4,000 revenue
from sale of tankage.
The total products thus figures, $l29,
600 for grease, plus $4,000 for tank
age; total, $ls5,OOO of product value.
Under the present contract methot
the city of course gets none of this by
product. The contractor gets whateve
he can, with the methods now employ
ed, from it. In addition he is pai,
$8S,OO0 year by the city. Add tina
to the potential revenue from produe
sales and it appears that there is il
sight $253,000 of revenue, or saving
with which to meet the cost of main
tanning the business as a municipa
function. If the cost is kept within
this figure there will be saving; if i
exceeds the figure, there will be loss
This, of course, is only rough calcu
lation,' in which interest, depreciation
ETC., are not considered.
The District authorities have made
careful study of the probable expens
of collecting, transporting, and reduc
ing garbage under municipal manage
ment. They believe that the product
will pay the entire cost. In Columbu,
which has only about third as muc
garbage as Washington and that nc
of as valuable character, the reductio
plant has actually proved source of
small profit to the city. Transports
tion would be cheaper in Washington
so would be labor at the plant, becaus
it would be, in the main, convict labo
The financial results are more profit
able as the scale of operations is Ell
.larged. 1t is insisted by those who hay
studied the cost of collection that tn
city can do this work considerabl
cheaper than the contractor is able [
do It.
| Altogether, then, it is confidently b,