Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-09-02
JEWETT BUNCH
FACES GARBAGE
PLANT EXPOSE
Board Members Say Depart
rent Is Operated at
Loss.
FIGURES ARE WITHHELD

That the city garbage reduction plant
is being operated at loss and that In
spite Of this fact the board Of sanitary
commissioners have turned down two OF
fers of private concerns to contract Tor
the disposal of garbage after it is col
Iected became known today from state
ments made by members of the board
The undetermined deficit which the
plant faces may be of such proportions
that is will be necessary to use money
included in the city budget under the
head of the sewage disposal maintenance
fund" it was indicated.
Definite figures on the cost OF operation
of the plant and the revenue obtained
from the sale Of grease and tankage were
not available said Lucius B. Swift, mem
Der of the sanitary board, explaining.
however. that since the boards regular
bookkeper is on a vacation he will not
produce them at this time.
On the return of the bOokkeeper next
week. however, a report on the operation
for the first six months of this year will
be prepared and given to the press, Mr.
Swift promised
JUST WHAT FIGURES
WILL SHOW
lie viii show that the present cost Of
collection and disposal of garbage will
surpass the bid of $4,000 year tor
doing this work. presented by the In
dianapoIis Reduction Company early IN
1918 when the city bought the plant,
which Jesse T. Norman, president, salo
nnder oath before the county board OF
reviews could not be sold for more than
$1,000.
This statement is based on interviews
with Frank C. Lingenfeiter, city civil
engineer and a member Of the sanitary
board: jay A Craven, another member
of the board. and Mr.. Swift.
Mr.. Lingenfelter and Mr.. Caven frank
Iy admitted that the plant is not snow
ing a balance on the proper side OF the
ledger, as it was In January, 1919, when
Mayor Jewett announced that at that
rate the plant will pay for itself in five
years. but declined to give any hgures'
saving Mr.. Swift is in charge OF that
branch of the boards business
Mr.. Swift said he is engaged honestly
in every effort to keep the plant from
facing a deficit. but that he is handl-
capped by the low prices which grease
and tankage are bringing.
He declined TO make any estimate.
TWO OFFERS IN
LAST TWO MONTHS.
In face Of the fact that the plant is
going to cost money to maintain, MI
Idpgenfelter said the city has had two
offers within the last two months from
private concerns which proposed to take
all Of the garbage for feeding to hogs.
and TO paw the city a sliding scale based
on the current price of live porkers
for it.
The only excuse the engineer had Tor
the refusal 10 accept these offers was
because the city would be left with an
idle S1T5,00O disposal plant.
He said the depreciation on the idle
plant would be so great that the cost OF
putting It back into operation shonld
such occasion arise. would 5e prohibitive.
Actual figures on the cost Of the col
lection of garbage also are difficult to
obtain
To obtain an accurate account Of the
cost of collection during the present year
would mean the running o1 several rec
ords in several different offices. a clerk
in the Office OF the board Of public works
explained.
He said. however. that a fair estimate
OF the cost would be $4,000.
The board of works budget for 1921
appropriates $4,000 for garbage collee-
lion SaAiTleS anu N-p.-DD lot RdTpdEe Not-
lection equipment maintenance, q total
OF Sex. .2cO
During the present year it was esti-
mated by the clerk through whose hands
the board Of works pay rolls and reIui
sitions pass that approximately S3S.000
would be spent for garbage collection
salaries this year. since next years bud
get contemplates a 10 per cent increase
In pay of laborers.
BONDS STILL ARE
BEARING INTEREST.
The disposal plant and collection equip
ment was bought with $4,000 Of bonds,
bearing interest at 41s per cent, which
adds $7,S75 TO the cost of keeping the
plant.
In view of the fact that in July, 1919,
when the cost Of coal and chemicals
needed in the operation of the plant
was not as high as now, the plant was
operated at a loss of s2444.23, according
10 a recent report in the indianapolis
Continued on Page Ten.)