The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-09
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HOW OTHER CITIES DO IT


 ham has as yet received no solution, 2 and, although there is expressed an z official desire for survey by com potent sanitary engineer, it is note worthy that no such survey is under way. Undoubtedly series of letters sent out by the city commission to s various cities inquiring into their methods of garbage disposal would be very helpful. The plans tentatively suggested by various city commis- sioners of Birmingham call for the 2 expenditure of considerable sums, which may or may not be necessary. It is observed that other cities strive, with considerable success, to dispose of their garbage at a minimum of cost.
 For example, according to a letter received from the clerk of the city commission of Sandusky, Ohio, the garbage collection privilege is sold to private bidders. All garbage must be drained before being put into the cans, and the dry garbage is dumped at the city dumping ground which is within the city limits and is covered with lime so as not to attract flies. For garbage collecting purposes the E city is divided into three districts. E Three men applied, qualified and were issued licenses permitting them to col : lect garbage. Each was then assigned to one district. You can readily sec that, by this method, the city has lit tie or no expense in disposing of its garbage, In fact, it has proved the ! most practical and satisfactory of any plan heretofore tried. You may be interested to learn that, as I under stand it, the business has become profitable one to the collector"
 F The chairman of the board of pub lie works of Louisville, Kentucky, writes: "At present our method of disposing of wet garbage is separate collection, bringing it to a central sta Etion where most of the wet garbage lis sold to country people at nominal sum, netting us approximately four dollars a day. The dry garbage is taken to our city dumps scattered in gvarious parts of the city. We do not spermit mixed garbage and if by any chance any wet garbage does reach our city dumps we require that it shall be buried. We are trying to keep our dry garbage on the city dumps cov- t cred over with earth so as to reduce the complaints against same" The next paragraph is of significance to Birmingham: "Our city health de- E partment co-operates with us in the sfrequent application of certain ma 2 terials to avoid the fly and rat nui- ' sance. We are constantly fighting 7 along this line in order to keep our dumps in the best condition possible" As to incinerators the letter con- s tinues: "This administration has de- scided as soon as it can spare the s money, approximately $75, 1000 for the first unit, to put in it's first incinera tor plant to dispose of it's garbage" s The city of Indianapolis has board of sanitary commissioners, the chair < man of which writes: "All the gar Sbage here (excepting rubbish, grass, sweepings and corn husks and cobs) goes to a reduction plant. While we do not maintain garbage dumps, feel sure that they would become a very great nuisance, even though creo- sote, oil and other disinfectants were used heavily upon them. Our board is now building a new garbage reduc- ton plant upon ideas developed here, and through the revenues obtained from the by-products we know we can operate this at a profit even to the extent of paying the interest and de- preciation on money invested. Con- sidering the operation of the garbage reduction plants in other cities, VIC feel that we are operating our old plant here very successfully. This year it will cost about ten thousand dollars in tax money, while other cities of the same size or less require from $50,000 to $100,000 to operate similar and newer plants. This years report will show even better on the ' collection as well as the disposal of garbage. On the collection end We are using large truck tractors with trailers and they have materially re- duced the costs of collection, almost :.cutting them in twe."
 Thus it appears that there is no ac- ceptab.@ excuse that can be offered by the city commission for it's present neglect of this problem, for other cities are disposing of garbage, some of them at a profit, and are success fully preventing health menace without any heavy burden upon the taxpayers. There is only one alter snative reason for the failure in Bir- mingham and that is either official negligence or incapacity.