The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-20
F[. TIES FROM REFUSE: HEAPS INVADE: CARS

iiOOItit OtiiOOi ONOl0i iiIS ii
 SeCtS Bred In Trash Lots
 Cause Passengers To Make
 Life Burden For Conductors DIR. BOWLING DISCUSSES MATTER FOR AGE-HERALD Sanitation Chief Feature To
 Be Considered In DispoSing
 Of Waste He Says-Incin-
 eration Most Satisfactory
 Way Of Destruction In Use
 Railroads are complaining that Bir- mingham's garbage dumps smell to high heaven and laterally at the same time, and Dr. J. D. Bowling. county and city health officer. is con- stantly in receipt of poignant pro- tests concerning the effluvia per meatng the atmosphere of those areas where the trash gentlemen" dump their wagon loads.
 pr. Bowling is in receipt of a let ter from the Seaboard Air Line Rail- way company praying for eonsidera- tion and stating that the flies are thick in their coaches, often parked by one of the dumps. that passengers are making life a burden to conduc- tors.
 pr. Dowiing's Views.
 Because of the subject having come to q head and the general public in- terest, Dr. Bowling, who has over lordship of the refuse areas, was asked to write just what the situation is, and here is what he wrote, ex- clusively for The Are -Herald:
 The collection and disposal of ref use constitutes one of the most for midable problems with which city administrators have to deal. Vari- ous methods are In vogue, such as dumping On low grounds or on the high seas, feeding garbage to hogs, incineration and reduction. Of these. dumping at available points within or near city may be said to be the simplest and most economical as the one extreme and the more expensive method of reduction. together with the attempted recovery of contained grease and tankage. as the opposite 1 extreme.
 Sanitation Value Stressed.
 In connection with any method of refuse disposal. the first and most important value to be considered Is the degree of sanitation which can be attained. The second factor is the cost, and the third factor IS he ques- ton of eXpediency. Dumping all ref use into water or cn land has the least sanitary value of all available methods. IL also yields no profit. ex- cept probably slight one in the case of land making.
 "Hog feeding at specially arranged farms, if properly operated can be made to satisfy all sanitary require meuts It has been proven to be the most profitable method of fresh gar baFe disposal thus far evolved. With this method, the disposal of ashes and rubbish requires separate considera- tion. The reduction of garbage to grease and tankage. if properly ar ranged and operated, can be made to satisfy all sanitary requirements, and. after hog feeding, is regarded as the most economical method of garbage disposal. This method also involves separate collection and disposal of ashes and rubbish. Other limitations of the reduction method are the much greater cost and equipment and the fact that more than one plant is prohihitiNo for the average city
 "Incineration all refuse, including Wet garbage, is the most sanitary process for diSposing at once of all objectionable matter. Under some conditions. and indeed in many cities. it is also the mst economical method.
 Tn planning a system of disposal for city refuse, the important points for consideration are, its consistency or the ratio of wet garbage and non combustihle material, combined as against separate collection, frequency of collection, density of population in s,f lon rrt n distance. So that whatever the meth od selected 1t must be carefully ad- iuSted to and haHm0nlze with varying local conditions after careful study and survey is made, preteraply by an engineer especially fitted by training and opportunity for observation.
 Flies Biggest Problem.
 'The relation of refuse or garbage disposal to the community health tirely to its effect on fly propasa- tion. It has been observed that with the customary practices of garbage storage found around the average home, the material is easily access sible to flies, either continuously or at intervals. afiording choice soil for the deposit of their eggs, so that the contents of almost every garbage re- ceptacle goes 10 the wagon ana to the ultimate place of disposal heaNlly loaded with fly larvae at various stages on tho road to maturity. Tn ease Jumps are used. the larvae find lodgemeut in q manner which makes it possible for them to mature and become flies y the million. The dis- ease-cdryius capacity of the house fly needs no emphasis.
 "Thc mere collection of refuse from the business and residential sec tons and concentrating lt dumps located about thu city obviously ac- complishos little other than the re- moval of obfcetlouable material ont of the range of vision If most people. | The amount of funds expended In this manner may be said to he a total loss so far as actual benefits to the pubic Is concerned.
 "Efficieut refuse disposal, from both q sanitary and economic standpoint. Of the ind eldual citizen in properly handlns and storing at the point cf ,risiu and such d spirlt is not likely to result from indifferent and in- complete disposal Of objectionable mat trial at tho hands of a city government. on the other hand. when refuse disposal is accomplished in an effective and highly satisfac- tory way. then the placing of proper restrictions on householders and others with reference to handling and storage of garbage and rubbish on the premises Is warranted and will usually hr strongly supported by public opinion.
 ynCincratcd Proven Rest.
 O O O
 Incincration Proven Rest.
 "It has been amply demonstrated in nraCtiCe for wears that city refuSa