The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-08-28
When You Eat Pork, You
Are Probably Enjoying a
Topeka Garbage Product
Method of Disposins of Ctys Refuse Employed by Zeg
Ter Company Provides Sanitary Collection, Saves
City Money and Is Good Paying Business.

fashion and there were periods when
whole sections Of the city were over
flowing with rzIodorouS matter OrdI-
uances and laws failed TO be d check
on the independents As East as
they were hailed into police court and
fined. they quit the business, and
those who depended upon them to
carry away the garbage suffered.
Incinerator Sad Failure
The civic improvement organiza-
tons started 4 campaign for the city
to take over the whole problem and
eventually were successful Topeka
had Just been placed under the COM
mission form OF municipal govern
menr and the garbage problem was
looked upon as 4 real test OF the new
form At the INSTANCE Of 3 large
number OF the citizens Il was decided
that all garbage should be collected
IN city wagons and burned in Z city
iucinerator- The inciuerator was
built At a cost Of $4,000 Collecting
tank wagons were purchased but by
this time II was found that practically
all the funds set aside for the project
were exhausted. 50 the city AZ the in
stance OF the same Civic organizations
announced that garbage would be col
lected from each residence for a fee
OF 40 cents per month Under this
plan the city struggled along for nearly
three years with varying success At
10 time was the fee system popular
with any large portion Of the house
holders Despite ordinances and laws,
the independent collectors fIouri<hed-
Many Of the residents would only have
city collectors stop at their homes
wnen one independent had quit and
they were looking for another who
would haul their garbage free OF
charge At no time were there more
than Per cent Of the homes Of the
city on the lists Of the city garbage
= z--r -
garbage collection department aver
aged about s2z5 per month while the
expenses OF the iucinerator and col
lectiuz force averaged $1,000 per
month
Then " L Porter q nav commits
sioner in charge OF the sanitary works
Of Topeka vas elected He vas col
le=e man with advanced modern ideas
One CT these ideas was thzt there vas
too much waste ii cur modern SIS
tenn that too much was condemned
as useless that could be Of value Il
properly handled He had been elect
ed on the strength Of some Of these
ideas and he speedily started 70 put
some OF them il force He argued
that Il the independent collectors OF
zzrbz ze could give the citizens the
service free OF charge. some such So
ten was therefore the solution CT the
city'S problem He especially liked
this idea because i included the Drac-
&
city kitchens. hotels and RESTAURANTS.
which under the cid plan was burned
N the moderator
Conceived Monopoly Plan
First Porter tried 10 form some sort
Z Of an Civilization Of the independent
collectors 50 that each district Of the
7 city could be given regular and eff
Gent service This failed because a
fight eusued among the collectors over
+ the choice routes. which included the
hotels and restaurants II vas then
that Porter thought Of the plan By
which the CITY would grant a uouop-
: oIy OF the garbage collection 70 one
{ person and after continued uszotlz-
tons he granted 4 contract 10 a Den
yer man. who formed a local stock
company 70 finance 4 hog business
{ large enough 70 demand tie total gar
haze output OF the city Because ol
nzisunde-sza1dTnzs among local i1Tes-
tots and bad mara EeueEt- tbs CON
pzry sooz failed ard another VA
formed . which q new contract va.
granted This company undertook q
butcher is hogs and. because Of fail
ure 70 observe the necessary sz1--zr1
regulations Z vas soo1 n trouble
II was rot until TIE present compa1l
vas formed. taxing over the co1t-ze
OF the second orzznfzz-ou- that II
plan WIS perfected
How Plant Is Operated
u The new organization has at Il
head men experienced IN tne stool
i market and II stack raising. o7e {