New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-26
STREET-CLEAFING METHODS.

VIEWS or AN EXPERIENCED HEALTH oFFICFR--A
| PLAN FOR THOROUGHLY CLEANING THE STREETS.
A public officer, for many years connected
with the Health Department has his views on the
subject OF street cleaning to a TRIBUNE reporter He
says: The OF 1863 Declares The purposes OF
this contract clean streets IN this city
protect the public health az limited expenditure OF
money" and il requires that call paved streets and
avenues and all lanes. alleys, and all cutters, wharyes
piers, and heads Of slips, shall be WELL faithfully.
thorOug hy cleaned ana all other work. labor. and
vices and other things required OF the contractors shall
| be well and thoroughly performed" The law giving
the Board OF Police the control Of street cleaning
quires I'm addition, that the streets shall at al times DO
kept thoroughly clean. II Is apparent that reasonable
compliance with the purposes and terms OF the
contract would be all that lie desired, at
least while must depend upon the broom
with which clean the surface OF the present pave
ments OF the streets Bat that the streets, avenues
| wharyes, &C., have not been well, faithfully,
thoroughly cleaned" at any time under the contract OF
1865 aud that all work. labor and services, and other
things required Of the contractors " have not been
" well aud thoroughly performed" are matters OF
record 10 the Health Department In searching for tho
Of failure. 1t is noticeable that 1865 the
has been done by several Fpersons;hree contractors
aud the Board OF Police. All have pursued the samo
system and methods, both In organization and detail
the results have been essentially and practically
the same. The streets have been well, faithfully,
oughy clean" The fault is not therefore, 30 much due
TO Tie contractors tic department engaged IN tie
business. Nor is the amount OF money appropriated
tho cause Of failure, for $4,000 gave as salts
factory results sl.000,O0 Nor, indeed, IL
the failure due TO the interference Of poli-
tcians, FOR many other departments OF municipai
administration not less open TO their influence, are eff
GENTLY conducted and other cities succeed In securing
spite OF politicians The fault In the
organization OF the work The system is ono which
never has give the results which the cor
tract the law, and the public demand. 1t LACKS two
Vital elements l. Provision TO secure capable
and efficient in each position. Defnite respof D.
bty liked upon each officer and employe which CO &C.
pels them individually well, faithfully, and thot-
oughyD 10 perform their duties Until the work is
organized that the test OF efficiency is absolutelY
clean streets at all times no change In the superntci-
dency Of the work will avail. On the contrary when
organized so as TO accomplish that result 1t matters
little TO what Department it is committed The qnes-
ton then is single section Of streets be well and
thoroughly cleaned and at all times be kept siesnf
Fortunately we have at hand the illustration:
Most OF the streets between Rfh and Sxtbayes. snc
Washington Park and Porty-seeondst are kept thor
oughly clean all times during the Summer They arc
cleaned by private contractors who agree with citizens
20 keep these streets thoroughly clean at all times.
They organize their work by dividing their laborers
into sets Of two and ASSIGNING to each set as many miles
OF streets by experience has been found to be days
labor for two These two men have each broom
and shovel and single wheebarrow, and they arc
simply held responsible for the cleanliness of their dis
rict They are continually going their streets col
Letting the dirt sccumulates and when the wheel
barrow full it is taken to vacant place where ths
dirt is deposited, and whore tho cart receives It, The
result s that the streets are always clean no MOUNDS
OF dirt are ever seen IN them, nor is the
These abOrers known TO all the citizens OF their
planned Of The Contractor has simply to inspect these
Streets and not at all times thoroughly clean he holds
Hnifh lodi
wages discharges Them for their denquenees ms
plan of fixing the responsibility for the cleanliness OF
the streets gvenEsma district, throughout the en-
tire year upon individual abOrers Is the Key To me
OF the %oTk OF sLeS' Ho
private street cleaning is made so successful III New
pool, maintain such comparative cleanliness Ticking
this district system basis the whole city can Do
readily organized with a definite number OF l"Dorers
| These labOrers would require no foremen or IN
specOrs for each police patrolman could carry note
hook aud in his of duty record every Neglect
| and the place where 1t was found This record womd
fix the biy upon the TWO laDorsrs o ,e us
trict These laborers should not only DC required ,S
keep the OF their respective districts eeau one
during rs fSn ,ne s sod az all tines.
They would thus ind sufficient employment throughout
The carts for the removal OF the street DIRT should be
divided districts in the same ms nner each .tee
being sufficiently large occupy the carmen Tor tne
day It il apparent that this plan OF organizing tns
cleaning OF the streets and the removal 9i uhe a.
the test OF the aborers efficiency the thoroughness WITH
which he performs his work, and not the amount %
The removal OF house refuse or ashes aud garDsge
eIesnng Contract THIS work has never been satsfac
tory done. There difficulties TO be overcome
be attained, the chief OF when are:
% The separation of the ashes and garbage; ~ the
prevention Of s being thrown IN the street; S' pro
/ ever by means insurmountable whenever the peo
pie forbidden bringing the garbage into the street.
and garbage is required daily 10 30 into each
house and remove the garbage aud return the vessel
then be placed or thrown on the street the Carriage men
enforce the separation aud compel the occurring OF
proper vessels An important feature OF the plan nero
proposed organizing the Street Cleaning business IL
! that the force would b. permanent. On that account
| adopted az is in force the Police ID epartmeut This
plan may be stated as follows: a. No person should
examined TO his qualifications for the work ne Is &c
perform. II laborer he should ne Testimonials AS 70
mis- habits, and medical examination as 10 MS
yo a9 bsuH ~ ne Siscbargea jtbout cause Isl
Every a6orer should tools, and every cart
| man his horse and cart subject 10 INSPECTION shd
| should be the penalty OF neglect Of duty. -.,,
But II seems TO me That we onght % alln az sestnn.
| with the broom. Sanitary cleaning means something
than removing loose ulth oi the oro2mi mean,
washing the surface OF the payemeuts with Hoods OF
| water day during the summer months. Every one
feels the refreshing effects OF onnnrr storm when
ceanses 80 ccctualy the pavement and nils the GUT
with fresh-rnnung streams, IL has been demon
strited NewYork supply Itself with water from
the adjacent rivers IN sufficient quantity TO Hood ALI ts
,treets daily, put out ala It's fires without other engines
supply all the commercial districts with the power
/ requisite 10 hoist all tue merchandise, Tor sDous
S " more S Effective tS SSos OF street cleaning
are under consideration why should not the Legislative
4 cannot be employed effectively and economically
in stroet.cleinug than the broomt The Chairman, Mr
offered Tor furnishing Newiork with al inexhsu steie
supply u water by tapping Tue Hudson az poasnseep
of and broom by giving water, the only agent
| capable OF ehecting sanitary cleansingf
! HARBoR DISASTERS.
| D.lt Of