New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-28


CAPTAINS GUNNER AND wILLiMs-IHE sis
TINS IN USE ~ OTHER CITIES.
Tie Assembly Committee on Cities James NJ. Var
nnm chairman. began yesterday at the CITY Han
an investigation of the working of the
stree. cleaning system of tins city. Inc
details of the present scheme are
TO be studied It's defects to be pointed out ana
remedies proposed if possible. Captain Wiiiiams'
Police Commissioners Voorhis and Nichols WIN
Others gave the results of their experiences IN Tue
department. aud suggested how present difficulties
might be removed
HOW THE PRESENT SYSTEM WORKS.
The chamber of the Board of Aldermen was
we'll filed yesterday with spectators when tue members
of the Assembly Committee Cities began an lnVes
cation TO fnd out if possible, why He"-ioiA naS "o
dirty streets. Prominent among thOse PrcSoh' W.
Mayor Cooper. Commissioner Campbell, fresluen' "o,
rIs OF the Board OF Aldermen. Police commissioners ~
chols and yoorhs and several Of the Aldermen Cnai
man lanes NJ Varnum explained the OBJECT OF lne III
vesiigatOn. -.
Jobn b. Green. chief clerk of the streetCleenins
Bureau described how the city was divided inlo u''
tucs corresponding with the police prechc'S eAoop
those far uptown A number OF men ana eaI'e u"
said WAS detailed to each district Win foreman u'
assistant 20 watch the and see that tney uu 'no
svoonipo nronerly and carried away the refuse; re-
or refuse that had been gathered. Moro 'hah "i''
ner cent Of the annual appropriation was USED III To
moving ashes and garbage from IN 1rohV oi p'l'"'o
dwellings One reason why the streets were noV N.Y.
cleaner was because OF the insnihcIency Vi INC "P
priation The witness said he saw IL stated Souio '
ago in the ne wspapers that Henry Hilton nau o"oi
70 take the majority If not all OF the STes'
60. bo rronosed 70 transport 1t TO some paFt
=, Long Island under certain conditions, one OF whcn
WAS that IL should be carted for him to the faroa"
depot There was kind OF system Dy WHICH ID oei '
number of streets cleaned every daF' rs so"' ~
the streets we're naturally dirter than diners anu o
seoneotly demanded moro attention IN 1917 'noio
were $500 scowloads of refuse sent 10 sea- anu '"'
pense of the towage and dischargnG Of the Scows wa"
about 100000.
CAPTAIN Williams STATEMENT.
Contain Williams In charge OF the Street-Cleamng
Bureau testified that he had cleaned as tho'"us"J "
nraeticahle in the short time nc n"u '
I'm charge The foremen OF precincts lnioruneu
him what streets had been swept ana "men
one. were proposed for sweeping on the ioio"'hE
dav These foremen received instructions eAoh morn
~ ,vhetber or not 20 work the aborers; the weather
Governed his decision In this respect Inc laOoi'''
were mid by the hour. He had swept some OF the
streets downtown at night. In the Summer time was
customary to sweep downtown at night altogether.
"1be ashmen are sent regular routes every Day
he said This Is to certain extent separate from the
RtTpefCleanliE
rec rho asbcartmen 70 take way the street sweepings
Tbree-onarters OF the Iaborcrs are oapahc OF ollg
fair days work that u; suTn a. t36er arc rather old
and weak | know nothing about putting Oh cN,I 80.
men at election time. The working roe 81 81.
,nen ,s as followsi deputy inspector. supernten
dent OF boats, superintendent OF staDes " C,e
rs,ccnrreu in precinefs u watchmen on dnnp. 20
Iaborers II scow trimmers 3l8 hred cars, IA .e
o horscshoers. l wheelwnght; barnes
maker, feed map, q no a,oh,,jjr ap from
10 10 400 laborers. Tie property owned by tue De
n9tinenf consists Of 81 horses. 81 Carte i 90
sr,vs nj rho capacity Of about go cart-loads Jug
boats at q cost Of 500 day ADD 81 hlrod Sow ~
og'' psryed streets Of which the Bureau cl,lus
sos or 3 miles Some OF the streets aie 10 49,
condlt.on In winch the sweeping machines eau
not be used to advantage. lahe Iii,, -AlI'' V "a
instance you might as well attempt 10 T''u ,I,S
c comfy s, r@ae i has since been broken
good deal by the building Of Ihe S,cv,ou 81 M iee
non Won cannot prevent people from throwing gar
hagc into The street unless you station policeman ~
oaEe ~ - tenement Ihave arrested some Of tho
yioiat0rs OF the city ordinance In IN" past SUM 49,
Gned ~ and Other were rcprlmandrd do not thlnA
ho "a sugcieut garbage thrown into the eree' OF ash
recrnfacles 10 warrant any attempt az rcPI w
Tbere is very much less garbage tn'n m"Ti peOpe cup
80 The street DIRT i- disposed ~ 90 various WY IN
Iauuary there were nnety-nye scoWs mue1 w" o.t
LIN 6y tho philadelphia Railroad Con.
pany for hnng in, ana thcl' Tor nlIiVe In An
% cnf M charge OF each Gect OF sco"s ana h' re-
nnrts 20 Inc Bureau the number OF sco"7-
IDEAS or COMMISSIONER NICHOLS.
p,,oc Commissioner Nichols testified that as chair
man OF the STRENGTHENING Committee o. Tie
police Department since 1876, lac bad always
edvocated laying out the wOrk OF sTeetclean-
inc IN sections I'VE tried it year and was suc-
cess We allotted about 5000 square ce to each man
this WAS what was known the block system There II
no trouble IN cleaning the Streets that Is In cleaning
the streets and gathering the dirt up The difficulty Is
IN disposing Of II after It mas been gathered up The
nolice should be the inspectors OF the streets ana
tbe manner 10 which they cleaned aud the captain
Of each precinct should send report Of how the work
"a done whether well or not. The work can be as wei
done under the supervision OF the Police Department
and under its control under any otner department.
az" ~. rtnre NJ never been ume since have been CON
necfed wItb Tie Department that man would not be AT
once discharged II lie we're incapable Of performing the
Unrt reonlred of him. prefer the present systom
cnniract system il the proper appliances were furn-
| ishsd. | think t would be best 70 ua1 steam sco"s
| M W." snch scows rs could put 10 sea
| I'm any weather. On ono occasion had every scOw
nos,sed by Department and all That could be hrcd
fogether with number OF canal boats, filed with dirt
because they could not get outside and unload have
always believed that only The IrouDe OF removing the
dirt after Il was collected prevents being one
| of the cleanest cities ~ the world.
bage -as most persons suppose. Professor Chandler
| and other authorities say that al the sweeplngs
can be utilized in filing m The DOCK Commissioners,
II heY would extend their bulkhead fronts. could take
most Of this street dirt for TINS purpose On occ-
sOn accompanied by jackson Schultz and others, |
called oD a named Reilly who purchased the refuse
from the hOtois aud paid considerable sun fort II.
| ~ showed the to which he
| mi IT; everything was utilized. This man
| declared he would not have the street gar.
hs % "a Gift The Department has To avail Itself.
ms seaso of the year. OF any facilities for disposng of
| ths street dirt without taking II TO At limos
| ne Ice nreyeuts the from getting sea.
| There u a great msapprchensiOn "a to the demand
| Tor this street dirt for manure. On several
| nccasious unusual facilities have been extended
| 70 farmers 10 take THIS street dirt, but very
Few have awaited themselves Of the opportunity. II
r,ators not who performs the labor whether by
rsct or not; the supervision should be by the Police
| ncHsrtment There should be probably four steam
scyvs ised for carrying the dirt 20 and dumping
the spot ignaied ny the Harbor Commissioners.
These scows been estimated to cost from $4,000
| 10 $4,000 A., A.. . 49,
.'The cost OF removing tho dirt varies. When Oliver
chariIck "a n the Police Department and had charge
- he work IL cost about 81 900 thea 1t
| Ha.n IA low AS S755 900. IusLead OF reducing the