N.Y. RUBBISH Rats And Fire Feared

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31598, 8 February 1968, Page 11

N.Y. RUBBISH Rats And Fire Feared

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

NEW YORK, February 7.

New Yorkers were urged to relieve themselves from a growing pile of garbage today by taking their refuse to selected sites in the city for burning.

As the strike by 10,000 dustmen entered its sixth day, the city also started handing out plastic bags to contain the overflow from laden dustbins.

In a concession to the danger of cross-infection and disease, emergency crews of striking dustmen have agreed to start removing huge piles of refuse from outside the city’s hospital and schools today. But elsewhere in the city garbage continued to pile up at the rate of 10,000 tons a day on pavements, in alleys, stairways and basements. With no settlement of the dispute over union wage claims in sight, the city faces a growing fire menace and a possible explosion in its rat population. Rats played over mounds of garbage in slum areas. The health and fire hazards are most acute in slum districts where few buildings have their own incinerators or contracts with private garbage disposal firms. Mr John De Lury, leader of the 10,000-member uniformed Sanitation Men’s Association, was due at the civil gaol today to start serving a 15-day term for wilful contempt of Court. The union ignored a Court injunction issued under a law prohibiting strikes by public employees. Mr De Lury described the Court’s decision as “putrid” yesterday and predicted it would “stiffen the men in their determination.” The union leader also said: “There’ll be no real negotiations as long as Tm in gaol." The Mayor, Mr John Lindsay, was due to meet the New

York Governor, Mr Nelson Rockefeller, today to discuss what steps should be taken if the situation grows to disaster proportions. Possible steps are the calling out of 75,000 Civil Defence workers in the city or mobilisation of the National Guard. But the Governor has said he will consider sending in the National Guard only if the Mayor formally declares that the situation has got out of his control. Tenement residents hurled can after can of garbage into the streets of New York’s lower east side on Monday night, leaving five blocks impassable to traffic.

Two rented panel trucks pulled up on East 10th Street near one avenue shortly after dark. Mr Bob Forbes, a witness, said: “The back doors of the trucks opened and men began shovelling garbage on to the street.”

The neighbourhood is the centre of New York’s East Village hippie colony and also houses many Puerto Rican families.

Apparently, the incident caused a reaction from residents disgruntled over the pile of garbage inside their tenement flats. Women began emptying cans out windows.