Evening journal., 1921-08-08
Peoples Column
SMALL TOWN STUFF


To the Editor of Evening Journal;
Sir-The current issues of the
local newspapers are filled with
questions Of Wilmington's garbage
disposal and the attitude Of the
Mayor and Council and the Board
of Health toward same. As yet, the
people who are primarily the ones
affected have been silent.
Let us take a look at this thing
from a citizens point Of view. DO
you, Mr.. Reader, as head of a house
hold. feel that your wife should be
made to drain her garbage and wrap
it in bundles TO present it to the
garbage collector, solely because
Council and the Board Of Health
have failed to provide a way to dis
: pose Of 1t otherwise? No. Certainly
not.
1t is not your wife's fault that
wet garbage cannot be handled at
/ the new incinerator. But 1t Is the
fault Of the Council and Board OF
Health that the plant just completed
] does not fill the bill. They knew
/ there would be wet garbage to be
taken care Of, then why did they
contract for a plant that would not
function. Why, indeed?
other cities handle wet garbage
and derive some revenue from same
by pressing it and disposng of the
fat therein but no. oh no. that would
never do for Wilmington. Here
they are about to pass an ordinance
L. l. atrrff q
her own garbage and hand it over
to the collector neatly wrapped II
paper. Small town stuff
Mayor and Council, take notice.
America has been called the land
Of the free. Wilmington is supposed
to be a part of America and the
citizens of this city to be free citi
zens, but their liberties are fas
being deprived them. The people
Of Wilmington have stood for a goo'
t many things from the Mayor ant
Council, but when that body has II
5 mind an ordinance such as this, /
is time to call a halt.
When a body rails to function, /
should be removed and one put II
p its place that will If unable to per
form its duties, all the more reasoi
to relieve it OF all responsibilities
. Let the Mayor and Council Of vii
mington remember that they ar
servants of the people, not poten
I tates They are put in Office to de
liberate and make laws for the goo
of the people, not to command then
A, to do some minor task in a certaii
Z manner which the Council may Sc
> fit. There is such a thing as step
2 ping on a worm too hard and il
Wilmington it seems this limit ha
: been reached.
5 Let us have some service fror
Council, not ordinances prohibitin
, this and forbidding that all the time
r question the legality of an ordi
nance such as this. for let us re
= member that a mans home is hi
: castle and no one has rights TO tel
him how it shall be run. as long a
4 he does not mar someone else's lib
. erty.
There should not be any doubt I
Councils mind as to what to do i
such an emergency as this one.
the plant lnat mas peeh pultl WI
not handle all tho garbage, and a
that. only in a dry state, there
: no need to build another Of the sam
type, as there is a rumor Of doinl
The thing to do is TO equip the pres
ent one with an apparatus to pres
the water out, not force the house
wives to do it. God knows they hay
, enough to do anyway.
Yours for big ideas on small sui
jects,
NORRIS r. ELLIOTT.
s. 1906 Laurel street, Wilmington
- Del, August s, 1921.