Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-24
REFUSE COLLECTED BY CITY
BRINGS $12,75O EACH MONTH
What Is Junk to the Housewife Means
Dollars and Gents to Man Who
Knows Its Real Value.

Washington throws away as trash
each month more than 500 tons of
paper. ten tons of magazines. twenty
FIVE tons of rags thirty tons of bot
ties and $50 tons of cans.
Mai T.. :. Besson. assistant to En-
gineer Commissi )ner Kutz who is in
charge of this division of the work,
today issued summary containing
the above information ard of the
operations of the plant, the manner
in which 1t was acquired and the cost
of operation.
The statement summarizes its ac-
tivities in the following manner:
On November 6. 1919. the collection
and DISPOSAL of trash was taken over
by municipal forces. In 1918 the fol-
lowing contracts had been awarded
for the trash collection and disposal:
For the first year, S54 to collect
aE1 dispose of all trash in the Dis
rrict; for the second year S35. 400
aud for the third year $4,000. The
bidder had thought those amounts
would suffice for plant cost and main
tcnance. and that receipts from sal
SoSe would compensate him for col
lection and disposal expenditures and
still allow sufficient balance for
profit.
Our Contractor Failed.
Que TO a series of mishaps during
the summer and fall of 1919 the con-
10 continue longer. and his plant and
equipment were taken over by the
Commissioners for municipal opera
1iCn. This plant will be operated by
the District until July I, 1921. From
- that time on the District will have to
make other arrangements for plant
and equipment.
The plant. located on Mount Olivet
road where the trash is received and
sorted, the material of salable value
salVaSed and the remainder burned, is
maintained by the District with
strict enforcement of regulations gov
erning the separation of refuse.
There are 1900 wagon loads of
trash collected each month on ar
rival at the plant all refuse is run
over picking belt. and that which
Is not picked off as of value is run
into the incerators. The amount
burned is only per cent of the trash
collected. and consists mostly of house
sweepings, old flowers apd pieces of
wood.
Discarded Paper Million Pounds.
The material salvaged, in pounds.
amounts to the following minimums:
Paper, 100000 pounds: books and
magazines, 10000 pounds: rags, so. 900
pounds; cans, 100000 pounds. metals
and rubbers. 1900 pounds: bottles.
$4,000 pounds, and cullet, broken
glass. $4,000 pounds.
Receipts from the sales vary from
month TO month. due to great fuc-
tuation in the market at the present
time During the eight months of
government operation. the maximum
and minimum prices have been as fol-
lows: For paper. S1.70 per cwt to 40
cents per cwt.: books and magazines.
from 80 cents per cwt. to $3.50 per
swt-: rags, from % cents per pound to
As cents per pound; cans, from $3.50
per ton to 1913 per ton: metals. rub
Der, etc, from !. cents a pound TO
cents a pound; bottles. from OF cent
each to 90 cent each: cullet, $3.50 per
ton.
Receipts for salvage average S12150
per month for the District For July
thus far, however, the receipts have
reached $4,000.
Costs City S1.4OO Month.
For collection of the trash expenses
are declared rather heavy" Thirty
seven horses and twenty-five wagons.
TWO trucks and other miscellaneous
equipment amounting to $4,000 are
used. The disposal equipment, build
ings and grounds have a value of ap-
proximately 10000.
The working force of collectors
includes one foreman, four inspectors
thirty-seve drivers and. collectors
and seven men about the stables and
shops. For the pay of these men and
for purchasing forage and other sup
plies $500 is expended monthly. In