Morning journal and courier., 1880-06-29
The Toilet of Paris. Translated for the Hartford Times from the French

of Oh. Terrier.l
 The city of Paris, like beautiful woman spends great deal of money upon her toilet ! but, like intelligent person, she includes I in the expenses of her toilet all outlays i'm peratively demanded by the hygiene of hel I citizens, of her public buildings, her prom enadse and routes of communication of all | kinds. Notwithstanding the fact that in Par l is the municipal administration frequently changes hands, the sanitary condition of the city at the time of the Exposition of 1878 l fully warrants the placing of Paris in the rank of the most favored capitals of Europe. Ii 1 may even be said with truth that Paris is the cleanest city in the world. This condition of l things, as well as other conditions not less favorable, has not been brought about with out considerable expenditures, absorbed by g | large staff of select assistants, who operate implements of the most approved kind. The number of sanitary engineers has, on several occasions, had to be considerably increased for various reasons, all having their origin in a desire to accomplish the best results. The cost of sweeping portion of the pub lie roads, which was formerly distributed l among the riverside residents, is now con- verted into 0 compulsory municipal tax, pay able in specie. The sweeping comprises an area of II, 800, ,000 square metres, of which s 5000, ,OOO metres are set down to the account of the riverside householders, and 6,50O, 900 metres to the account of the city. An area of near A. OO0, GOO square metres comprising macadamized roads and gutters, is entrusted to the care of special road laborers. The general sweeping of this vast service is ac- complished between the hours of 3 and 6 a. m in summer, and and a. m. in winter. There is also supplementary sweeping in the course of the day. In order that this work may be quickly and effectively done, the sanitary engineers are compelled to main-
 tain force of about 5000 employees, divided
 as follows 2,200 men, whose wages vary
 from soc to soc per day; 75O women, re-
 ceiving 44c. an hour; and 50 boys, who earn
 4c. an hour. The work performed by this
 great army of sweepers is facilitated by the
 employment of mechanical sweepers to the
 number of 19O, each of which accomplishes
 the work of ten men. Paris is therefore
 washed and brushed daily by the labor of
 1000 persons.
 The mechanical sweeper (which is destined
 to come more and more into use) is capable
 of cleaning hourly surface of $500 square
 metres In Paris twodifferent kinds of me- chanical sweepers employed, each valued
 at $200, and costing $40 8 year each for
 maintenance. This machine weighs 1,500 h., and is usually drawn by a single horse.
 It is owing to the efficiency of these machines that the annual expense of sweeping the city but little exceeds $6O0,0 GOO.
 It may be interesting to add few words regarding the daily removal of household re- fuse. This work IS let out to contractors.
 It employs about 800 carts, and 980 horses are engaged in the service The average quantity of refuse carried away daily is 1, 700 cubic metres. It was formerly the custom to place upon the sidewalk the receptacle con- taining the garbage. This has been prohibi- ted and it is now carried to the cart at the moment of passage.
 The industry of rag picking employs. 1000 persons licensed by the chief of police, and about an equal number of unlicensed per sons. Their number is estimated at from 14, 900 to 15, ,OOO-including men, women and children earning, on an average, BOG. per day. The product is valued at $4,OOO per day, or $1, 500, 900 per annum.
 To the above figures there must be added the expense of watering the streets and of the removal of snow in winter. During heavy snow storm last December, there was an un- foreseen outlay of $6O, GOO on the latter ac- count. The greater part of the snow is ried away in carts the remainder is swept directly into the sewer openings or over the parapets into the Seine. For watering the streets the hose or sprinkler is used, accord ing to circumstances. The watering of the public roads in Paris alone costs $10O,00O yearly. Disinfectants are added to the water before sprinkling such as chloride of lime, sulphate of zinc, sulphate of iron, carbolic acid, etc., in the proportion of 140 to HOO. The parts played by these chemical agents must not be confounded; carbolic acid, for example, does not suppress disagreeable odors, but arrests and destroys fermentation It is thus an ti-putrid rather than 0 disin- fectant.
 The following is the annual estimate of the director of public works in Paris:
 Materials, disinfectants etc. ------------ 50,0O0