Evening journal., 1921-07-14
CITY UNABLE
To BURN ALL
ITS GARBAGE
CONTINUED from first page)

although not formally signing the
contract. is to have control Of the
plant and its operations.
At the time Of signing the contract
the phrase "a day" was regarded as
meaning ~ hours. BY operating the
plant overtime, II was thought that
70 to so tons of garbage, without
rubbish mixed with it, could be dis
posed OF. According to statements
by Harry b. Abel. engineer and rep
resentative of the incinerator COM
pany. made to Council and the
Health Board last night, however. a
day means the full "a hours. Hence
it will be impossible to burn more
offal a day at the new plant This
fact may entail the construction of
an additional incinerating unit to
meet the municipal needs.
Incidental to the row over the in
cinerator was the statement by DR..
Charles NJ. Handy, president Of the
Health Board. that the odors which
assailed the citizens last summer,
and which recently have been caus-
ing much protest particularly among
residents Of the Eleventh ward,
come from two private rendering
plants.
one of these plants is located
within the city and the other outside
the city limits, said DR.. Handy, who
added that there was no ordinance
at present enabling the Health Board
to put a stop to the nuisance.
After much discussion, Council
told Dr. Handy that II he would
put his inspectors at work getting
odors, any necessary ordinance to
put a stop to the nuisance would be
enacted. The State Board OF Health
will be asked to look after the rem
dering plant outside the city limits,
or which complaint is made.
Declares City Was "Buncoed."
| Discussion of the new incinerator
called forth some cried of bun
coed" from several members, and
declaration by Councilman John E.
McNabb that 1.-The garbage crema-
tory contract is a joke"
There was considerable surprise
when DIR. Handy asked Mr.. Abel
the incinerator companys engineer.
il the coal consumed in operating
the plant would have to be figured
in the tonnage. Mr.. Abel replied,
yes"
Mr.. Abel stated after questions
had been piled rapidly across the
floor: THE plant will not burn gar
bage unless you burn rubbish. It
will not under any circumstances
burn forty or fifty tons Of garbage
ia a day Your contract calls for
the disposition Of that tonnage of
garbage rubbish and dead animals. ."
III that is the case we probably
viii be called upon to build a half
dozen crematories," Councilman Muir
ray commented.
Here DR.. Handy stated that he
had conferred with A. c. FELTON,.
president Of the Nye concern, last
Saturday. "Mr FELTON, in my Office
admitted that his concern did not
build a crematory that would burn
forty to fifty tons Of garbage a day"
said DR. Handy, whose statement was
verified by Howard r. Frantz secre-
tary of the board.
''Thec ity has certainly been bun
coed this time. We've been handed
a $4,000 lemon" declareu Council
man McNabb. President Ward and
several members of Council exclaimed
in unison: we sure have, there's no
getting away from that" Mr.. Nc
Nabb again protested the city has
been robbed" The Third ward
councilman absolved the Nye con-
Germ from Implication in the rob-
bing, saying its in the contract and
the city signed it."
At the beginning OF the meeting
several members of Council ques-
toned the members Of the Board OF
Health as TO when the new plant
was 10 be tested. DR.. Handy stated
the board would make a complete
test when the roads leading to the
building are finished. We cannot
get wagons in before that time"
After reciting the steps taken by
the Board after the Wilmington
Sanitary Company threw up it's
J contract last year. DR.. Handy, re-
ferring to the fire which destroyed
the building the board was tenn
! porarily operating. said: This
emergency brought us to a point
, where we had to have action. We
had TO get a plant and we had to get
! one quickly. In the steps taken al
! that time the board was as much
81 ignored as though 1t were in Sar
Francisco instead of Wilmington. '
DR.. Handy said.
! I'VE were ignored by everybody
aud tho onoratfone nj, tho rox, r,1a,,
were rushed without the board be.
|, ing considered in any way. The Law
! passed by the General Assembly al
{ that time vests in the Board OF
E Health the sole right to construc
81 and operate a city crematory. Ye
o. we are not consulted. Il want I,
know where we stand. The Ian
guage Of the law is clear"
Councilman Abrahams, who wa
chairman of the old crematory com
mittee, now consolidated with tn
committee on public health. reptile,
|, that the law referred to was no
passed until two weeks after tn
contract for the incinerator had beei
signed.
I'VE could not delay" said MI
Abrahams. "the city was withou
any means Of disposing OF its gar
l. bage and waste. We had to &C
promptly There was no intention
,e to ignore the Health Board. More
l. over the contract had to be signe
ID by the Mayor and the Council O
Is the city Of Wilmington and not b
Is the Health Board.