The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-05-01
The Garbage Situation.


The garbage disposal question seems
to have reached what might be called
an "acute" stage in Kenosha. People
who have been trying to live over
along the garbage dump on Lake Aven-
ne declared that it reached this stage
long time ago but now the council
has formally voted to discontinue the
dumping of garbage there and probably
is arranging to open some other public
dump.
Its just like going down to the bank
and signing new note to pay an old
obligation Opening new nuisance to
get rid of existing nuisance is not
the way that modern cities do things.
Modern cities abate nuisances in
modern ways and the only way to get
rid Of the question Of garbage disposal
in Kenosha is to get rid of it once and
for all by building one plant to do
away with this garbage. 1t may be
that the "slops" picked up about the
city can be fed to pigs and pigs sold
ut a profit to the city but there are
other ways of disposing of the garbage
which may bring just as much profit to
the city and be free of the element Of
loss. The pigs may die Of cholera, the
market may 90 to smash and the profit
90 a glimmering. The same is proba-
bly, true of any other form Of garbage
disposal but it is certain that real
bity can never struggle along with the
idea that public dump-saN matter how
often the location Of il IS changed-is
a proper plan for garbage disposal.
The cost Of the erection Of garbage
reduction plant probably would not be
a great deal more now than it will be
ten years from now. 1t is not going to
be long time before the Federal gov
eminent is going to tell Kenosha that
1t must quit polluting its own water
supply by dumping sewerage into the
lake. Possibly there might be some
way to unite the work Of garbage and
sewage disposal with the construction
of a plant which would abate both Of
these nuisances. The garbage disposal
question has reached the acute stage
and it might be just as well for Keno
gha to anticipate the acute stage in
connection with the treatment of sew
age. There is something worth while
in having a city that is just a little
ahead of other cities. There is no need
for Kenosha to worry about not being
able to find the proper way to Zeal with
these nuisances. While garbage dispos-
ii and sewage reduction may not be
common in Wisconsin, there are plenty
Of other progressive commonwealth in
the county now actively engaged in
both projects and Kenosha can get a
lot Of suggestions without travelling
more than a hundred miles.
The municipal collection of garbage
is working out in Kenosha, The ex-
pense of ii is no greater than was es-
timated the men who promoted it
and it is ,4.ly fair to believe that with
q proper form of disposal for the gar
bage this expense can be reduced
Possibly the cost Of the operation Of a
disposal plant would be no greater than
the amount expended by the city in
employing men to cover up garbage
dumped near some ones door yard.
The important thing is to get this
started before the hot weather comes
and before the dumping problem be-
comes more acute. lit is going to be
continually difficult for the City to
find any place to be used as dump
ing ground. People may permit the
city to maintain such a place for q
few weeks or a few months, and it
may be that the city might get tract
of ground out in the country which
might be used for year or 50 but the
rity cannot hope to go on indefinitely
with the old fashioned aud nnsanitary
methods.
The way to get a city cleaned up is
to start with the official methods Of
handling garbage and sewage. The city
can hardly expect the people to abate
nuisances while the city is maintaining
p great nuisance with official sanction