Answer:
1. Paton is well enough known in the United States and abroad for his work in Accounting and Economics—and well enough known among local garbage collectors—that there’s no need to mention his home town.
The city government in my home town took over the chore of collecting garbage and trash several years ago. Previously this chore was largely taken care of by scores of small operators, keenly competitive. I never had any difficulty in having my garbage, ashes, waste paper, brush from tree trimming, leaves, and other refuse removed promptly and efficiently. The private operators had no special requirements whatever as to packaging, arranging, or locating the rubbish to be carted away. There was no rigid schedule of removal dates; the operator came when the individual householder asked him to come, and where a time of collection had been agreed upon it could be altered by a telephone call.
When the City took over waste collection there was an immediate decline in the quality of the service. The fixed schedule set by the Department of Public Works provided less frequent service than some families desired, but of course no special collection times could be arranged. Moreover, from the outset there have been frequent deviations from the announced schedule. Requirements as to the householder’s procedure became more complex and rigid as time went on. Under one early rule ashes had to be sacked and placed in the garbage cans, instead of being left on the back porch in cartons or other disposable containers. Branches and other brush must now be cut up and placed in sacks of specified size (a very inconvenient, time-consuming procedure). Pebbles and stones will not be removed under any circumstances. Burning paper — or anything else — on the premises is now prohibited, regardless of care and safety precautions taken. The fancy trucks used by the City are large and costly, and equipped with lifts to spare the backs of the accompanying staff. The lifting apparatus is very noisy, being easily heard for a quarter-mile or more. Recently all citizens received a printed document which set forth the rules and directives of the "new refuse collection system" as follows:
