The Washington times., 1917-11-21
LAW BARRING
REMOVAL OF
D.C.GARBAGE
TO Be TESTED
ny BILL PRICE.


Joseph Letter, the millionaire
washingtonian, purposes to make a
legal test of the police regulAticns
of the District that prohibit the re-
moyal of garbage from the District
by any other than the regular gar
baEe contractor, and IL he persists m
his determination, the only course
that will bring the test will be to
make a case against him for viola
ting the regulations.
Mr., Letter recently sent his private
secretary to District officials to as
certain why he cannot send the gar
baEe from his Dupont Circle residence
in this city to his farm in Virginia
10 feed hogs there, declaring that in
the present national emergency he
thinks the use OF garbage OF more
ylkue in feeding hogs than other
wise. The visit resulted in some cor
respondence in which Mr.. Letter IN
formed the District officials that he
believed the garbage to be his own
property, and that he had the right
10 send It to his farm twice each day
when he sends there for milk for his
Use. He was prepared, he said, to
defend his legal rights, and would
continue to send the garbage to his
own farm, where he has a large herd
of fine hogs.
Question Already Tested.
Replying to his last letter. Mr..
Letters attention was called to the
Fact that the District has on several
occasions tested the question OF its
regulations governing garbage in the
local courts and has been successful.
Particular attention was directed to
a decision Of the Court OF Appeals OF
the District rendered in 1902 by JUS
tice Shepherd. which upheld the ex-
listing regulations. That was a case
in which the defendant was pIrchas-
ing garbage in this city and hauling
It to his farm for feeding pigs.
It deyelops today that the existing
garbage system of the District came
into clash some time ago with Her
bert Hoover's food administration,
and Mr.. Hoover freely handed out
advice that the raising Of pigs upon
garbage was the best way to handle
the question. Since, that advice there
has been going on a surreptitious dis
posal OF garbage in Washington, the
extent of which is not fully known,
but large enough TO cause the gar
bage contractors for the District, the
Washington Fertilizer Company, 10
Intimate that II they are not allowed
to have all the garbage here, they
Will not again bid for collection and
disposal, leaving the District in bad
shape. .s-,.
Authority On Question.
\ The official under Mr.. Hoover who
has been succeeded, it is now stated,
al
authority on these questions. Mr..
Osborn, according to District officials
today, will object to hogs having Dis
trict garbage. both for sanitary and
economical reasons.
]. w. Paxton. superintendent OF
street cleaning in Washington, said
today that there is no question among
experts that the reduction of Wash
ington garbage to greases and fer
tilizers is of immensely greater value
to the country at this time than the
feeding of hogs. The collections here
are too rich for hogk, he said. and the
danger to them would be considerable
in the presence of glass in the gar
bage.
Collection Rather Large.
It is admitted today that Washing
NeAA NoAANNlAOh 10 EoLlt"HdL G.
compared with that in other cities for
the reason that there is a large tran
sient population here and a large pro-
portion Of the population living in
hotels, restaurants, and boarding
houses The waste in these places is
always large as compared to a private
home, where the housewife prevents
waste and makes use Of nearly every
thing Of food value. Washington, II
IS estimated today. has a larger tran
sient population than any other city
in the United States with the possible
exception Of New York
Mr.. HOover's original estimate of
Washington's waste was, il was said to-
day, based on tonnage collection OF
garbage in all cities. divided by pop
ulation, no consideration having been
given TO the fact that Washington is
the only city in the United States
that does not permit private colIec-
tions and. confines il all to the one
contractor.
Mr.. Letter has referred the oues-
tions involved to his Washington at
torney, and it will be known in a
few days whether he purposes to
stand pat on his original declaration
that he will continue to send Rarha0e