The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-19

TEN the ashess (being iinmixed with de-
[caying substances) could be used in filing
up ravines and grading, and the animal
garbage could be made "a source of con-
siderable profit. In many cities large
numbers Of hogs are kept at the city sta
bles, and fed upon the animal parbaoa c,,l-
lected. We could adopt such a system. or
could sell the animal garbage to Others.
The street-sWeepings also would meat ,v;tb
ready sale for fertilizing purpoees. =:
The subject is one Of considerable IN.
portance, and We think should receive earIy
attention. The convenience and health of
our citizens demand that some regular and
Systematic plan be adopted for collecting
garbage and cleaning the streets through.
out the year, instead of the spasmodic
efforts that have hitherto been made during
few summer months. IF it is deemed
desirable to retain the present system Of
carts and hands, We think some change in
their organization is necessary. We are
not prepared to recommend changes.
but only suggest the subject for
consideration. We think, however, that it
will be found desirable to remove the charge
of the carts and hands from the CITY En-
gineer, who is now overturned with mul-
tiplicity of varied duties, making them o
separate department., under the oyerseer.
who should be responsible directly to the
committee, and whose salary should be suf-
ficiently. increased 10 command for the DO
sition o man ofinselligence and admins
trative ability, and with proper -overseers
under him to directly superintend the work i.
Greater attention should be given to keep
ing cutters clean, and the ordinance in re-
gard to them should be. rigidly enforced.
We would suggest also in this connection
that when it is necessary for cutters to
cross main thoroughfares it would greatly
promote convenience and save much wear
and tear on vehicles if they should be
carried across by pipe running beneath the
surface, and thus keep the street level.
Our system of public eulverts is also one
that requires, and should receive, serious
consideration hereafter. Whether regarded
as contributing to the comfort and conye-
nience of the people, or as sanitary ne
cessity, they are equally important. The
experience of all cities has been that asthey
progress in importance and population one of
the most serious difficulties they have to
contend with is the deficiency of the sew
necessity demanded, they have universally
been finally found to be a series of incon-
gruous parts, wholly inadequate for their
purpose. Under judicious management
our own city can in this, as in MI other pub
lie improvements, avail itself of the expe-
rience of other cities and profit by their
mistakes. Whatever work we do should be
part of and tributary to some systematic
plan. No city could be better situated than
ours for thorough and systematic sewerage.
We have now O. considerable number Of
good and well-built culverts I; but they have
been built at various times, and without re-
ference to each other or any system of
drainage, as the necessities of each case
have required, and it will finally be found
almost impossible to connect them properly.
Our citizens are daily becoming more cog
infant of the benefits and uses of public
cnlverts, and are constantly demanding
that new ones shall be built. We arc most
heartily in favor of expenditure for this
purpose; but q wise policy would dictate
that some plan should be fixed upon in
order that all such expenditures may
be made effective. We would recon-
mend that without delay complete
survey of the city be made with view to
it's drainage, and that map be prepared
locating all culverts that may cuer be ne
ccssary for that purpose, accompanied by o
detailed record of their proposed sizes,
grades, and construction; so that hereafter,
whenever o culYert may be built, it shall be
built properly, according to such plan. It
may even be wise and economical for the
city to employ solely for this purpose some
engineer who has made the subject special
study. We would recommend that atten-
tion be given to this subject Immediately,
and that no more public culverts be built
until such plan be made and adopted. We
also recommend that it be imposed on the
Engineers office as one of the first duties
of the ensuing year to collect and record
in systematic manner full information
concerning the public and private culverts
now existent in the city. And we finally
would recommend that, to secure the
greatest possible benefits from our system,
the ordinances concerning culverts be here
after rigidly enforced.
Respectfully submitted.
ALBERT ORDwAY, Chairman.
The annual report of the City Engineer,
transmitted with the foregoing, is as fol-