New Britain herald., 1927-11-08
JOHNSON AROUSED BY PROPOSED PLAN
 FOR |NC|NERAT0R
Fourth Ward Alderman Crit. cizS Health Dept, Head on
 Ground Statistics Are False
CALLS DATA MISLEADING
 ON GARBAGE COLLECTION

doned After Trials in Other Cities,
 He Dcclares-VOiccs Opposition to
 Spending Public Funds for Inyes-
 tigations and Expcriments-Stre
 Repairs More Desirable.
 Severe criticism of the health de- partments campaign for a munich pal incinerator and charges that Dr. Richard w. Pullen, superintendent. has incorrectly presented the costs of the present and proposed system vas made today by Alderman J. Gustav Johnson Of the fourth ward.
 Johnson. senior alderman in the common council claims incinerators have been proven costly in other cities, have been abandoned in some. and in the case Of this city would almost treble the expense Of garbage collection. He denies the claim that land is not available for disposal of garbage here by point ing to the fact that the city owns an expansive tract one and one half miles from any dwelling.
 Wants Public To Have Facts
 T believe that the public of New Britain is entitled to the true facts regarding the incinerator proposed by superintendent of the board of health. Dr. Pullen," Johnson de- clared. "The figures which we have received are both false and mislead- ing. For years he has carried on a propaganda that there was no place to rid the city of the garbage and that the board has been stopped from unloading garbage in the fol- lowing towns: Kensington, Newing- ton and Plainville. It is no moro than natural that they should not want it unloaded in their towns. ] will give you Q few facts which have occurred.
 T believe 1t was in 1923 when a man named Lawler received a. cort- tract to collect the garbage for the entire city of New Britain. He did not own his own land but was awarded the contract against several local bidders owning their own land inside the city limits. In spite of this fact MT. Lawler received the contract and only carried it through for two months. In the first place he was not equipped to handle it and secondly he Was not taking care Of the garbage properly and was stopped by the health authorities in in Newington and the city Of New Britain was left without a garbage collector from one to two months, which resulted in a very unpleas- ant condition and incurred an extra expense on the city Of $4.000. This 1 believe displayed poor judgment of the board by giving 1t to a man who was not equipped and not hay ing his own land. This is the way the garbage collecting has been for several years.
 "The cry now is to build an in- cinerator and committees have been appointed. Dr. Pullens report giv- en to the press gives the following Figures: Cost of erecting incinerator. s125, operating expenses of in- S14.000; collecting of gar page, s62,000, which will average in city with 75,000 population. s1.04 per capita. which perhaps is if the system which has been suggested be put into opera Ion. Where the false statement | comes in is where he states that the present cost Of collection is s137 | Der capita. This is not true.
 Says Cost Is Misstated
 "A total cost for collection of gar page from April 1. 1927 to April 1, 1928 is s31.100 which makes the , average per capita of fl F cents, in- stead of s1.S7 which Dr. Pullen has { luoted. To prove that I will refer you to the city budget of 1928 which | Dr. Pullen was able 10 persuade the | finance board to grant the health ! department s3S,O0o. And the ac- :, nal cost Is s31,t0o. The only req 'on I can see for this Is that pr. oullen is more interested In getting m appropriation 10 build an incin- ,rator rather than getting contracts rom dependable people for collec- ion. He simply made S3s,00o an 'stimate and that amount was ,ranted to him. After eight years Il the common council realized hat these figures were too high and
 interested several people to place 'ids with health department, hese people being financially able 0 handle the job and owning their
 fContinued on Page 15.)