Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-01-08
CITY GARBAGE
COLLECTIONS
UNDER ATTACK
Republican Aldermen Main
tain There is no Municipal
Feature in System
GRAHAM AND M'KE0N
Doing Work, They Say May
or Not to Sign Checks, is
Report

A move is now on foot to have
the aldermen discontinue the present
system of municipal garbage collec-
ton in which they claim Graham &
McKeon are really doing the work
and not the city. When bids for the
collection of the city's garbage were
received last year the aldermen con-
sidered them too high, rejected them
all and decided to conduct a munich
pay garbage collection.
The Republican aldermen and
mayor maintain that the present
system is merely a camouflage
whereby Graham & McKeon are do
ing the collecting and being paid
large amounts without having been
lawfully awarded the contract.
Mayor Wilson has declared that in
his opinion the present method is
unlawful and he now has before him
checks to be paid Graham SS Nc
Keon for services rendered in col
lecting garbage which he will not
sign unless the chairman of the
street committee can show him that
the present method is within the law
and that the cost to the city is not in
excess of what it would be if the
work was contracted out.
II am in favor of municipal col
lection of garbage the mayor said
today, but by municipal collection
| mean using city men and city ap-
raratus and dumping at a place
which is not objected to by a large
number of residents. l do not con-
slider the present system lawful as
the city is being called upon to pay
out bills amounting to more than
$500, whereas the law says work
costing more than $500 must 0e ad-
vertised and bids received. l have
been told by Chairman Thomas Pat
ten of the street committee that the
city is merely hiring the teams, wa
gons and drivers from Graham &
Mckeon, the other garbage collec-
tors being on the city's payroll. l
have asked for a complete report
from Mr.. Patten so that | might
check up and see if the city is saw
ing money under the present system.
attorney can assure me that it is le-
gal to pay the bills placed before
the city by Graham & McKeon, will
not hesitate to sign the checks"
Mayor Wilson now has before him
two checks for Graham & McKeon,
tctalling $2,140. One check covers
bills for $3.50, and s540 and the other
is for amounts of $3.50 and $3.50.
Three OF these bills are unlawful, ac-
ccrding to the mayors version OF the
law, and the same stand was taken
by the two Republican aldermen,
John Sofield and Benjamin Riedy,
and Democratic Alderman John j.
Clark, when these bills came before
the aldermen for action last week.
The aldermen. by a vote of four to
three, ordered the bills paid,
Alderman Riedy, who has long
been advocating a new location for
the dump, and as late as last Decem-
ber brought the subject again, before
the aldermen by making a motion
that a committee be appointed to Sc
cure a new dumping site today as
serted that the contractors continue
to dump on the city park prope y
in the rear of st. Mary's cemetery.
THE low ground has been COM
pletely reclaimed" Alderman Riedy
said today. "and the dumping has
continued on this spot until the level
of the dump is about three feet high
er than st. Mary's Cemetery which
adjoins, causing water to back up in
the cemetery. The same condition
exists along Myrtle street, where the
level of the dump is higher than sur
rounding property. The residents in
that section have complained con-
tinually against this dump and I
have tried to have the aldermen get
a new location but with no success"
The city dump situation was dis
cussed at considerable length by the
local board of health members at
their annual banquet last week, the
general concensus of opinion being
that the point had been reached
where new site must be secured at
once, owing to the conditions pre-
vailing in the vicinity of the dump.
as the result of too much garbage
CONTINUED on page %
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