The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-23
No GRAFT SHOWN BY
GARBAGE PR0BtRS
Winston Farm Used When City
Inctnerator Could Not Take
Care Of Refuse.
LENGTHY HEARING OF CASE
Administrative Board Hears Half
Hundred Witnesses and Takes
Matter Under Consideration.


yesterday evening, the board took the
matter under consideration. In the
meantime Mr.. Creery. assistant
superintendent of the Street Cleaning
Department. stands suspended.
The result of the hearing Will prob
ably mean that the City Council Will
get busy and provide an incnerator
and crematory which will be able to
take care Of the city refuse.
While there was no evidence show
.1ng graft, and none to even show ir-
kegularities, 1t did chow that the de-
0artment was forced to take short
cuts in order to relieve the city OF
much OF It's garbags and other refuse.
4 1t was stated by Superintendent
sCohn that the incinerator. which was
purchased over five years ago with a
guarantee that IL would consume fifty
kons OF garbage a day. and would re-
sQuire no fuel but the garbage itself.
A. now able to handle but thlrty-onc
lind one-third tons day. 1t was
IBhown. too. that the department Is
Handicapped for men. That the In
Ginerator should have moro men, and
That there should be more at the
6rematory.
I, In carting tho refuse into the coun
nry It was recognized that the Street
Cleaning Department had been doing
komething for the good OF the city.
No Graft In Department.
. The evidence a. given by half a
hundred witnesses all tended to show
THAT there was no graft IN the depart
under instructions from higher
hAuthority, when he permitted men
gfrom the West End stables to carry
xarbage to a farm at Taylors Cross
king, owned Jointly by himself and
1h!s brother in law, Fl. E. Winston.
The evidence also showed that the
Investigation had been investigated
mainly by persons who had felt az
xrieved because they had not been ac-
and by others who objected 70 such
loads being carried by their places.
Activity Of Citizens.
It also tended to show that public
spirited citizens. who had heard
rumors that something was doing
in the street Cleaning Department,
and wanted the city's skirts kept
clean, wanted the matter looked INTO
and settled. before harm could come
10 the city government, through the
rsimors. mainly. but also. through
possible indiscretinns or u1tsdeeds Of
any city official
j, was shown that prior 10 the date
Of the suspension Of Mr. CreerE
Henrico County officials had notified
the Street Cleaning Department that
rn garbage could he hauled from
Ytrhnond through that county, and
that If IL were the city would subject
Itself to sait This NOTICE WAS given
tf,a department by Deputy sheriff
S.dnor and Chief Of Police seay-
The notice was given because OF
complaints of residents of the county
on Eroad Street Road and on Fulton
Hill in the East End, The notice.
xwSh
haul garbage To any section OF the
county.
Mr.. Creery. Knowing the condition
CT the incinerator and the crematory,
and knowing that both places could
not take care of the city garbage,
suggested that perhaps II the garbage
were properly handled So as Haf-s Ia
be Objectionable 70 any one. the STU
alton might be relieved
Immediately following that notice.
Sunerintendent Cohn, who was at his
wits ends To provide a place for the
refuse. which could not be handed
by the department. got In touch with
Mr.. winston. and asked him over the
Telephone TO come to the relief OF the
city
Winston's Agreement
M~ Winston agreed to take the
garbage off the city's hands. az ne
had done last year, and the agree
ment was consummated through cor
respondence.
After The arrangement had been
made with Mr.. winston the garbage
which could not be handled by the two
incinerattng plants. was carried 10 the
West End stables, according to the
superintendent OF tina, stable, Mr.. Cohn,
Mr.. Creery and the men working In that
section. from which place II was carried
TO the Winston Creery farm.
According 10 the statement OF MT
Creery, when he learned that the tie
partment had made arrangements Tor
the dumping OF garbage on the farm,
he disagreed with Mr., Winston. this
brother-iu-law) and set forth the fact
thar his wife and children lived on the
farm, and he thought it ili-advised for
thar reason to have the garbage dump
ed there. He, also, said that II would
eventually place him in bad light
with the city.
This, however. was ali explained to
Superintendent Cohn. and the dumping
continued.
Clamor For Manure.
Then the citizens got busy. A num-
Der who testified. and who had seen
the garbage carts pass along the roads,
began to clsmor for manure. Because
the garbage carried covering of ma
nure, the citizens in the county be-
1ieved the carts ana wagons were niled
with good fertilizer. and they. wanted
some Some Of those who believed they
were being discriminated against got
In touch with the Superintendent and
the Administrative Board. They stated
they had seen wagon after wagon OF
manure being taken to the Winston
Creery farm Some were willing to
buy the manure. while others wanted
IL A. gift.
All these complications brought the
matter to head. and Commissioner
Hirachherg. who appeared to he the
Administrative Board goat, took It up.
He did a little "Foxey CUTLER" work.
In company with electrician Speights,
OF the Electrical Department. he went
to the farm. On the way he met one of
the city trucks. loaded to the muzzle
with what appeared to him as being
manure. He dug his hand into II to
the depth of aeveral inches. and found
nothing but manure. Then ne asked
the man in charge Of the truck. who.
II was testified. did not know Mr. /
Hirschberg. what the van contained
Manure was the reply. "AII right
said Mr.. Hirschbsrg. /.
At the farm. both the commissioner
and Mr. SUefRhtn teAtifAd thar eau,