The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-04-21
THE UNCLAIMED STREETS.


FonM-rHE BUREAU IN DUMP DEADLOCK.
Persuani to call signed BY several prominent cis
zens. meeting was hold In ono OF tho parors Of Tho
Filth Avenue Hotel last evening for she pur
pose OF considering a plan for the thorough
cleaning OF tho streets OF tho CITY, which Is embodied
In bill now before the State Legislature, prepared
by Mr. John W. Ambrose About one hundred
persons wore present, OF them being merchants
ana business men, and all seemed to DO In entro
sympathy with tho object OF tho meeting
Mr. $. N. Baker called to tho chair and
Mr. 4. 7. Brick acted Ms secretary. The chair
man briefly stated tho object Of the meeting and
tncn formally introduced Mr. John W. Ambrose, the
Trainer OF the Bin for the purpose Of explaining It's
provisions and pointing out tho necessity for CON-
plete and radical change in the system OF cleaning tho
streets OF the city.
Alter pointing out the evils of tho present system
from sanitary point OF view and It's utter In
efficiency MS a department OF the admipistra
ton Of the city, Mr. Ambrose proceeded
to show why the control OF tho cleaning OF tho
streets should bc loft exclusively to tho Board OF
Health Al present, no said, the Health Board had
only The power OF warning against tho dangers aris
Ing from malaria caused by the neglect or inefciency
OF the Street Cleaning Bureau, but II the
Board had also tho power to Immediately sct
about rcmedying tho evil tho state OF things
~ prcsent existing would soon DC Drought
to an end He characterized tho present system ms
chaos There were some l, 700 men employed BY the
Bureau but they scattered Unfortunately or
without judgment all the city, and was utterly
impossible 10 keep track Of their work or to nx tho
responsibility for work unpcrformcd. Tho police, he
contcnded were not the proper parties 10 inrus with
tho supervision Of this work. and tho practice
OF cleaning the streets and removing tho ashes and
garbage only once u week no condemned in the
strongest terms. he characterized the employees Of
tho Street Cleaning Bureau as an ignorant sotniui,
whiskey soaked set and unit for their work. Tho
bill which he had prepared recognized tho
principle OF making every employee OF tho de-
partmcnt responsible for certain amount OF
work and OF making every citizen practically
nm inspector. There 0oo0 900 surface yards
city to be swept every day, and man Is capable OF
sweeping 5000 yards per day, therefore 1000 men
could accomplish that part or tho work. Every
should have uniform, or common drcss. and be
signed certain locality TO coan and held rcspon-
sble for his work. Certain vacant lots or other
suitable places could DO designated into which
the swccpinGs could DO brought In whcolbarrows and
400 carts would be sufficient convey to the dump
Ing board Mr.. Ambrose then explained how screen
could be used at tho dumping board separate the
ashes from the garbage and the ashes, he said,
tho best possible material for filling up
purpose. Ho thon explained that largo quantity Of
bone ana various other to be found In
tho matter that would pass through the and
wbuid be OF immense value in Tho manufacture OF
manure and other useful things He calculated that
600 worth Of bone IS TO be found annually the
garbage Two points might DO selected, ono
county, N. j., at when agents would be em-
| powered to receive and dispose OF tho material
THIS Mr. Ambrose said, would be source OF revenue
to the city and would tho harbor from being do
sroycd by tho deposit OF such large quantity oil ashes
and garbage which fast creating number OF solid
banks and nccesstalng considerable outlay for their
removal The bin provides that none but native born
citizens shall DO employed IN tho department.
i A KNow-NoTHISG RhroRM.
! gentleman named Scott asked why none but native
born citizens were to be employed, and M Ambrose
ploycd by the Street Cleaning Bureau; that they
learn the English language, ana therefore II Is very
como here simply 10 make 1--WE or SIX hundred dollars
and then return to Italy. He did not explain why
9th cr foreigners should not DO employed.
THE rURTivE BUMPERS.
i Mr. Dexter A. Hawkins was then called upon and
he gave a history OF tho origin OF the bin, paying
Now York pay upward OF $700 900 year Tor cleaning
tho streets, and pointed out the careless
is done There are from 100000 to 500 600
cubic yards oil ashes dumped each year In the ha.bor
gradually destroying y. and iha. all this material was
OF immense value II properly utilized Mr.. Hawkins
said II was common thing to SEQ police officers
uniform tho oicial' scow Of the Street Cleaning
/
their opportunity 10 illegally dump ashes garbage
into he water lie strongly advocated Mr. Ambross's
plan and said thcre were plenty Of men this city who
were competent TO operate u with skin and military
precision.
Mr.. Brick made some comparisons between tho
way the streets are cleaned In Philadelphia, Boston
and cities and said that remedy was not
devised for our present inefficient system tho city
would go from bad He strongly In Ia vor
committee OF three consisting OF General shalcr,
Dexter A. Hawkins and Colonel Scott, was then .ap.
pointed to DRAFT resolutions 10 DO submitted to tho
meeting, and retired 10 another room TO prepare them
| While the committee was out, DR.. stephen Sm b
gave the result OF his experiences us mcmoer Of tho
Board Health and strongly supported Mr. Ambrose
plan from a sanitary point OF view. lie also gave
some interesting information relative 10 the manner
of carrying out similar work IN somo European cities
especially Liverpool, where very hne system Is ~
| operation.
| THE RESOLUTION
The Committee on Resolutions then reported the
following preamble and resolutions, which wcre unani
mously adopted
Whereas systematic. thorough daily cleaning of the
entire paved area o. the city Of New YORK tho
70 rs health and commercial pfosper and whereas from
Systematic occasional aud entirely unsatisfactory attempt,
20 clean the streets OF the city In other Words from hnv
il !. manifest that the people are quite Wiling q
thorough as sa SECURE esauSs a
s S a john Sr WEI ua '
ws sns 70 sssopsh ,nS wo L. !.
thus give US what we greatly need clean streets hcrc
Resolved That we hereby most earnestly urge upon tho
Legislature the immediate adoption VI this plan.
/. was decided that a copy OF tho above preamble
and resolution should DO sent 10 the Speaker Uf the
Assembly, after which the meeting adjourned.
THE BUREAUS DIFFICULTIES.
Captain Gunner yesterday issuod instructions 10 all
tho employees 0f the street Cleaning Department d.
recting them dump the ashes garbage collect ed
the CIT at the foot OF streets running tho river
and near possible TO the string pieces OF the piers
a communication also forwarded IRON Coio-
mel Emmons Cmrk, OF tho Health Board, setting out
tho difficulties wh ch tho Street Cleaning Bureau en-
counter III the disposal Of tho city garbage, and sug.
costing that they i0rbiden carry II out
10 sea- and must per force leave tho city, 1t Is
time Tor tho Health Commissioners to take some &C.
tUn in the matter
Botn Captain Gunner and Commissioner Nichols say
that the action OF tho brooklyn enectuay 70.
strains them from removing tho dirt IN sea
and dumping there aud as thcy arc forbidden to de-.
post II low tracts of Staten Island