Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-05-06
WHY HEALTH MEN
BALKED ON BIDS
Increase of 1871 Per Cent in Price
of Garbage-Lifting Too Much
for Retiring Board.

They couldn't sec any reason Tor bind
ing the city tn n contract which meant
that il would have to pay about IN per
cent more for thing than IT paid under he
last contract for It, especially when the
now agreement should bind the municipal J.
itv for three years.
There. in a nutshell, lies the reason FOR
tbr rejection bv the retiring Board ct
Health. on Wednesday. Of the bids sub
mittcd for the collection of garbage
throughout the city. Mayhap had the
boost been 50 per cent, or even lOO per
cent. the board might have shut ITS eyes
and swallowed hard, getting the dose
down like = mouthful ot EVERLASTING mcui-
cine. But showing the POO per cent marx
in the rise IN the cost ot garbage-ti'lhg
was too much for the members To approve
and they very promptly baked like inc
mule attached to old ncle Josh Jones
applicant. which, when invited by oblur-
CATION and stick Ia SO forward, caS'laiIN
but efficiently kicked the SAID applicant
over
And when Won come to look at il, it
does seem like \ foolish custom. rCguia-
tIon. ordinance. or whatever II Is that SO
arrangcS. that II should he up to re-
and large thing rs a contract binding the
city to nay a large sum OF money for work
done for II. especially when he agreement
runs io a period 81 much longer than the
body original time oi administration, MS
we'll as that OF the city government then
IN the saddle.
Tho action Of the board in rejecting the
hid of the Wilmington SANITARY Co. the
present holder of tho contract, which did
The lob Tor Sis, i4SS4. but wanted
Slq2 .:1,J to do il for the next three wears,
may have suggested 10 folks who look only
on the surface at things that the retiring
cansCrvators Of the CitvS health were
doing what The artis, IN slang calls pass
lng the, buck or the policy OF let George
do II
TIM potRn's POSITION STATED.
To any lmphcation of this sort, Or. S.
& Frederick. The head Of the old board.
returns vigorous and weight carving
negative sand he yesterday. 70 an Every
Evening man
There was largo and grave problem
before tho hoard when il went into tho
matter al the garbage buds and the mem
hers took the action they did after full and
trec consideration of the subject Il
seemed to them tho only thing that they
could do IN justice - themselves and tho
city.
Here was the clty made liable for a
contract OF close lIj,oU 5000 600 extend
ing over q period Of three years. according
e. which ii would have q pay about 80
pcr cent more for garbage collecting than
Il had paId under The last contract nc
increase was a startling one to SAY tho
least. and We did not feel that We should
bind the municipality 10 such an agree
mcnt. involving such a sum and Such q
period of time.
OF course. We recognized that these arc
unusual times in THE labor market and
what the demand for men ~ All hucS Of
work and the pay They can Cct from IN
dustriaI concerns such \ means 81 lNeh-
hood as garbage collecting has - hc
accompanied bv strong Inducements IN the
shane OF wages before labor wllt engage IN
it. And vet the fact that these were I'M
usual times IS cNcatlv what lei the board
TO turn the bids down.
sooner or later There must come q
rcaduStmCnt OF conditions and the labor
situation must come back - tho normal
This NAV arrive in wear, eighteen months
or two wears For the remainder Of the
life of the contract tho city world he pay
ing an eXorhraut sum for garbage collcc-
ton. " e felt that We had uo right to take
such chances and IL bind the city 70 q
contract II would have to i've ny to g.
pcciallv IN view Of the length 81 Inc agree
ment and the amount involved
we thought that the matter should he
laid before Council with the view Of cut
ting down the period OF the contract to
enc wear This. II seemed e Us, WAS Tho
r-rF FtFf
know then exactly where II stood from one
contract wear to another. and tho future
would neither bc mortgagcd nor held as a
hostage. BY tins means the city would he
treated fairly and the contractors a well
-. therefore we adopted a resolution rec
ommcndiug Council flX the life oi She
garbage collection contracts at one year
And there YOU are.
Commenting upon the personnel OF the
incoming board Or Frederick spoke II
high praise 1t IS 8 very good board
indeed. and the city i interests Will hc vel
taken care OF, feel quite certain ! know
I'll the members and feel that the work
we have Just laid down VIII be taken mp 10y
the most efficient hands DR. EllcEood Is 4
man Of sound judgment and scientific
training, as well as und0ubtcd courage
AND NOW THE OTHER SIDE.
The Wilmington Sanitary Co Is no
without ITS reasons for tie SIC Of IL
bId licutenant-C oloncl J Austin Eli
son. representing II outlined these reason
T. the Every Evening man,
The figures submitted he declared
were the lowest that under prcocn
conditions, - we'll a those likely {,
prevail for the three wears next Ia come
could be arrived n Since taking Owe
the contract of tic dojunct Amcricar
deduction 20 I'd collect tho cltv
garbage for three years At approNmafcI,
S. 100 a wear tic concern had Carrc<
out It's terms at u loss
He compared IL job with tho collec
tion Of ashes by the city itself. the bulge
for which Was about S. 900 he wear bl
company took over the garbage contrac
and has grown steadily each wear since
although the cost 10 the city of garbag
collection has not. despite the fact tina
ashes are collected only once a week
while garbage Is lifted three times
week in the summer and twice a weel
in the winter This coming wear tn
ash budget is S67. 600, while the pro
portion Of the Wilmington Sanitary Go
bid for garbage lifting for the same periot
Is s., 900 short Of that figure
Labor and other conditions are il
such shape at present that increases il
cost Of operation are exceedingly large
Motor equipment is necessary to insur
efficient garbage collection service and les
than year ago the company bought fou
large Trucks At cost pf BID ffl0 II. tx1r