, 1881-04-10

~. ~ u4o laT*est concentration Of population upOI
inc surtaGe Of the globe, OF ut least that is the
| way II looks to me. W l. s.
STRENGTHENING IN BER-
| LIN.
If. --- :,
HOW n City Is Kept Clean at Moderate
| Costa Service ia which Eycry NIau
from Top to Rottom Is Made 10 TO
Els Wuty and Earn Ellis Pny-Sonle
Lessons tlint Chicago Nay Learn from
the Germans.
Ne.y FORK Evening Post
The street. et-cleaning service OF no city offers
more that is instructive aud suggestive to the
inhabitants OF New York than does that of Der-
l|n- The two cities have nearly the same popu-
latton New York 20, 900 and Berlin l,l5u 000,,
and tho area of street surface to be cleaned does
I not differ widely. The natural difficulties, Of
! Keeping the streets clean must be about equal
! In both cities. The climate of New York is Sc
| verc and the snowfall somewhat heaver; bur,
/! On the other haud, New York IS situated on IN
| Island which is long and nurrow, with d consd-
| eFal'c slope In both directions toward swift
| 1owlnE streams. i good part Of Berlin Is situ-
ated On siauds naturui Or urtttciai, but the flow
| of the surrounding water is slow and unable to
| carry away large amount or dirt. In New
| YORK the sweepings have TO be carried farther,
but tho greater part Of the way Is made by
/
cnrted much farther. On the whole, we should
| say that the natural obstacles. to cleanliness
! were rnther greater III Berlin than in New ork,
] so that comparison between the two cities
| would not be unfair tow.1rd tho inter.
| Another reason why we would do we'll to study
tho ect-cleaning problem in Berlin is that the
one branch OF Government In which the Ger
mans excel I'LL otner nations IL administration,
and the problem, is chiefly an administrative one.
I mi snf9 uf. nF
the Germans manifesrs itself, for tho streets Of
Berlin 'rc kept generally clean and neat at q
tu rs carly history of Berlin it was tie func-
| ton OF the Police Department to see that the
streets were kept clean. The strset-crossinzs,
front Of pubic buildings were swept ind the be-
refuse removed at public cost. HORSEPOWER
were Obliged to clean the sidewalks and half the
streets III trout or their houses. This arrange
nscnt continued to be tho source Ut So lnuch dis
satisfaction aud annoyance to alt concerned that
| 1t WAS tannlly forerer abolished In 1851, When it
was determined to have all the streets cleaned at
public expense TIC strccr-ccaning service OF
Berlin WIS placed under ore man. This single
bend Of the serviee ueIsd ;. Ut first nomna!ly rs
himself directly responsible for the condition OF
the streets. \ further change did not take
place until 1914. The principal rcaso,l why tho
arrangement which had existed failed to givo
satisfaction seems to have been not SO much
discontcnt with the manner in which the work
was done rs the fact that tho Police Department
WAS not primarily nor chiefly u city institution,
but one dependent upun tho general State Gov
ernment. The city bore tho expense OF work
performed by officers not under their control.
It was considered that Il matter so c1nincntiy II
local affair rs the cleaning Of tho streets should
tcrests OF the city from ISIS. CO 1879 we're repre-
sented by 4 Doar1 called tho - Street -Clcautnt;
Depulauon," but its functions were only All
ttsdrr. III 1878 the P1ict Department, with the
cGEsent nf tho General Government, intrusted
the entire direction Of cleaning the streets tho
treet~Cleaninx Depastutiou. This arrangement
f,rts
The Street, Cleaning Deiutntlon is ii special
branch Of ,he City Government, It consists Of
division of tho City Government. ana eight
members OF the City Council, or legislative di-
vision of the City Government. The Deputa-
ton has to examine aCcouu1s. decide upon what
streets shalt d. cleaned,-tt1at Is. about inelt.d
ing new districts within tho strcet-cenntng
service Of the cltr,-t1etertline the frequency
etc, bur IT, Is not directly concerned with the
actual work. This IS placed IL, charge OF II. d.
has only pnrtial oversight. At tho he,,d OF the
direction stands single Director: who is held
directly responsible for For, the condition Of tho
difference between the Functions of the two
boards: If the intabtant Of district iu the
outer limits tf The city, the streets OF which had
hitherto nor been swept, thought he hhl reason
to .!elna1,d that the work oil tue STRENGTHENING
department should be exteuued su tt inc!l,.lO
after his district had .ecn inclu.lcd within tho
limits Of the Department, the Director alone
would be responsible for the n!ahHcr III which
Just complaints, it is then ttime to complain
Of him to this Deputu1on, aud to take measures
TO punish him for Il neglect ut duty.
All lAbortrs and oytr5eers ;trc placed i'm
n,cliatcly uudcr the Director; he determines
wha, they shalt do each day: he decides upon |
special cases, such as heavy fall OF snow;
mikes ai purchases: has cllttrgc of all horses,
machines, instruments, and tooIs use; IN tho
Of the swecptngs, etc. Under the Director |
there is uu Inspector, who il general assistant
and Vice-Director, representing min when |
ind eighteen bosses tAufseherl. These officers |
ure members uf the Gernlan Civil Service: who.
are appointed for life according 10 city law. 70 !
see to the cleaning OF the streets is their btisi-
ness: 1t would lie ! serious matter for any one |
ct them tn lose his place through ne=lect Of |
duty or ire.tcIcucy, and might in SOME cases in
voive the ruin Of the discharged officer. |
The citv Is divided into districts Of various
sizes There Is first the smallest division. called
Il sweeping !istric; tf1ehrbczirk', which Is large
enough to employ Il division OF laoorers with
f0re1nni.
There were in 1876 ninety Of these smallest |
Secondly. there are eighteen boss
districts y {lautschertcziske) 1T tho heats ut
each OF which is one of tho bosses. Thirdly,
thcr. arc the orcrscer districts iOberautscacr- |
bezrke), each controlled by an oversccr.. !
The luboserS nre divided into two cla5scs-
permanent lahorers. who cun br DISCHARGED ouly
by giving them eight tlAys notice, and those
hired from day to day.
the Frequency with which they are
cuancd. Sonle are eeaucd daily, others three
times, others twice. mud others unce il week; and
finally, II few less important ones Mrc CLEANED ut
more Or less irreguinr Intervals. The streets are
cleaned between midni&at and uclock H.. III.
This is tho chief cause Of the improvement in
tho condition ut tho streets since they were
plnced under the City Government. 1t Is only
by cleaning the streets in the night that the
sweeping machines Gun he well used. and Il
swcepiu:, machine is said to do the work of ten
men. Tho laborers do 1lot disturb others. nor do |
others disturb them. One-fIfth or inc iaborers
pny OIL duty during the day to keep the
Sidewalks ct,,ssing. public markets, etc. as
clean us possible.
!. tixed price is paid for every cart load Of dirt
removed. 4 check is given to the driver when
lis cart Is full, and this is handed controller
It the dumping place. Until Sept. !, 1876, tho
;wc.pin2s were sold ut tho dumping places, but
'icidcu II very St.nIl revenue. Farmers found |
hem Of very. little value rs fertilizers on nc.
:uut Of sand unu other non-f fcrtillxiu. material
sh.ch they contained. After September, 1916, |
he swccpings were given To thus: who contract- |
d to them, c,'titiltion thnt they should
,rnyitls. proper dumping Dacrs.
During the year lS.G |, Isl acres Of street-sur-
ucc were cleaned daily. During the first huff
# the year ~ laborers were permanently eIn-
t,,tIF fr1rt,