Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-25
GARBAGE DISPOSAL
CONTRACT GIVEN UP
City Officials Take Matter Up
With Bonding Company and
May Operate Plant.

The wilmington Sanitary Co. made
good its threat and threw up the Will
mington garbage disposal contract by
closing the plant last night The city In
tends to proceed under the bond, while "
also will most likely operate the plant
Although the operation of the orematory
has been stopped for a day or two by the
breakdown of the machinery, the delivery
Of garbage by the collecting wagons was
going on this forenoon quite as usual
The material was being dumped on the
collecting platform as usual, adding TO
what seemed to be an already ample
amount of raw and treated material.
The bent steel shaft was lying on the
ground, the bend being due TO the failure
of one of the supporting hangers. IL would
he matter of less than "a hours to re-
pair it, if the part were on hand. The
engineer of the plant has left, however
with his tools, and the superintendent,
Walter Rash, closed and locked the
Office door at J. O'Clock today, leaving
the office in charge OF Health oiheer
James Brown. Henry Reed has been
appointed day watchman for the plant
End Thomas Johnson night Waterman
for the present, by the Health Board
President Handy of tho Board of Health
and Councilman Forwood mot William
]. IIighheld, local agent of tho bonding
company, today and were informed by
Mr. Highheld that he had not written
the bond policy and knew nothing about
il. The bond, he said, WAS written IN
Philadelphia.
MIR. Forwood said that afternoon that
because City Solicitor Huxley was out
of town, the city would not attempt to
operate the plant until word had been
received from the bonding company,
as it might invalidate the bond.
MACHINERY IN RAD SHAPE.
The latest developments in the garbage
disposal matter included the discovery
that the present plant machinery " bro
ken down and useless until repairs are
made.
The president of the Sanitary Company,
Edward H. Schall Of Philadelphia, with
several Others who are interested m the
concern. called az the offices Of the Board
of Health in the Public Building yester-
dav and reported 10 Secretary Howard
II. Frantz the disabling of the machinery.
also notifying him OF the intention Of the
company TO dismiss the employees and
close the plant at 5 o'clock yesterday
afternoon. When he offered 10 surrender
the KEYS Of the building. they were refused
by Secretary Frants, who said that the
notification Of suspension Of business
would have 10 come through the bonding
company in order 20 be recognized In
this attitude he WAS supported by Presi-
dent Charles NJ. Handy of the Board ot
Health and Councilmen Forwood, Kane
and Means, at a JOINT conference held
last night.
Full discretion was given 60 the Board
IL. A. ms.
the definite abandonment Of tho contract
becomes certain
This point il expected to be reached az
a conference with William j Highfeid,
representing the bonding company, to
day.
CRY CAN OPERATE PLANT.
'Steps can be taken Monday 70 operate
The plant. If such procedure - legal,
was the statement Of DIR. Handy.
The cost of operation, according to an
estimate made bv Chairman Forwood Of
the Council finance committee, is s4S3S3
pcr week for salaries and 5000 for coal /;
making the yearly total for salaries S23, 400
with sos. POO for coal, or s4S, 600 altogether.
This Is $1,000 more than the increase
Of compensation demanded by the com
pany for continuing under its con-
ract but allows nothing for recnue 10 be
derived from by-products. Some estimates
place this as high as50per cent on thecost of
operation: other experts doubt whether a
profitable market could be found for more
than a small part of the products, owing
TO the conditions in that trade.
STATUS OF THE REEMENT
As CITY solicitor IN 1915, when the con-
tract was made with the Wilmington
Sanitary Company, Judge Daniel o.
Hastings states in q letter TO Council
that he had passed merely on the legality
of the agreement, and offers 10 appear
before that body at any time 70 answer
any queries that might be made.
A watchman will be put IN by the city
at once, to guard against possible damage
by FIRE at the suggestion of President
Handy. of the Board of Health.
The Health Department officials and
the city solicitor held conference this
morning on the crematory situation, but
no announcement of its results was given
out