New-York tribune., 1891-02-19
HANDWORK Is THE BETTER.
COMPARATIVE TESTS IN STRENGTHENING.
THE MACHINES ARE THE CHEAPER, BUT THEY
FAIL TO DO THE woRK-MR. BEAT

TIES REPORT
The comparison of the two systems of street-clean-
hr which has been going on since Monday morn
inc in that part OF the city above Twenty eightlSU
and below FOrtiethst extending from river u rlVeI'
has already demonstrated that the "hand-broom' OF
natrol" system is far superior to machine sweep
ing but that the cost OF the former Is nearly uoupio
that of the latter method Acting superintendent
Robbins yesterday submitted report to CominlssloheI
Reattie regarding the work In the two sections Vi
the territory described, which are divided by lhrV-
tonrthst. The test has been made under the super
vision OF the Mayors Advisory Committee
Mr. RObbins's conclusions are found III the loho"
,ng extract from his report in which the "hahu
cleaned section designated section A. and the Quiet
as section b. ~
Not only the streets in section much ceag @nrE
Int the work of supervision in the former was niuO
easier, and as a comparison OF the Wopn ,bor or the
sweeper was easily made with that Oh ano'ior s onN
liking G; responsibility on given empioye lYr hrnf a
negligence or inatentiOn was one OF the mos pI
Tsntases under which the done in Section b
was performed. owing to it having 10 be doT d ~ wes
NIGHT time the streets the extreme east anu w. w.
sides especially. being badly lighted in many S GdSe
blocked either side with trucks ana e GaG, IN many
by preventing the machines from being aDiG III 1e3
csses IN make more than stroke through slmen
strip of street. and consequence devONInS & who
tcaiIv the sweeping OF such strips upon men W,O
wer presumably assigned merely 10 take up the gntiep
stroke the futile efforts of the men to give 1r deronr
even satisfactory TO themselves was so lar uis0o"'
aging as to be almost demoralizng. .os ,r +be
In the absence of DISTINCTIONS cnCOuHtcIVu os
reeence of trucks and carts, and in the preseloo VI
Strong moonlight no doubt very nuch yirad bnt
than were had in section cGnG hr O hat neither the
work OF cleaning the streets nor the WorH Iii o ,1pDa
nrder the circumstances In which such work abo i4 ID
be done in this city by mght a. rnS ny the day de-
vers effectively not less than 33 - per GeIiU nina tho
night for the same number OF hours D..
The first days cleaning of Section A. accoiulis i"
Mr. Robhnss fcures cost S263 S4, While that OF SIC
ton was S165 5s The items OF secuon a. 'ilo
hand d-cleaned territory, were: twenty-five as'''''
drivers S44; thirteen other drivers go cis'S ono
barrow men with brooms, at 25 cents an hour' 90 ~
one foreman SO OF one assistant - 6o' t"o ,'Do'.
81: total 1888 84 The cost in section b. whee INC
sreeninp was done by machinery, is given IN delal
as follows Twenty four cart-drverS gathering a'Vs'
SIS: Nineteen drivers collecting street s"eeplnes'
S3s: thirteGn hand-sweeperS OF CUTTERS F"- '''
twenty handsweepers overtime, $50 four machine
drivers SIS: two foremen, $6 08; two assistants "a
driver Of tow-horses, So; total. S16o os.
comics of the report. indorsed by Commissioner
Beate were sent yesterday TO Mayor Grant ana 10 'o
members of the Advisory Committee.
Roth sections 4 and i were much cleaner yes'er-
day than on Tuesday. The weather was great help.
All the avenues between the two rivers were In capdl
condition. as compared with the past, but there were
streets below Thirty fourtst that seemed uo"
in need of attention These mostly between sew
pntb and Eighth aves A few heaps of stable refuse
were seen in Madson.ave as late p. m, and sew
entbave was badly Uttered. 1t is doubtful If seventh
ave could be made to look respectable by hourly sweep
ings. ,.,.
The street,ceaners are hindered by many Obstacles
The truck question remains unsettled. WIN [iVoo
vehicles standing in the streets both hahu-pIoo anu
machines are useless. As Mr.. Beatue says men are
moi Going 70 get on their knees 10 clean the streets
They will not crawl under trucks TO sweep. Another
bindrance is what might be characterized as com
mercia rubbish" the refuse of pork-pacKhs es'do
lishment for instance The Commissioner nous 'ila'
while il is the duy of the department TO remove suo
suf if swept into the streets, ii is violation OF tho
city ordinances for any one 10 s"ccP II '"O'N' ~
this subject he says
In ali tbe opinions which have been given the
Department Of street Cleaning by the Connsel 10 'no
CORPORATION, who is the legal ADVISER Oh the uoP'
mental heads Of the municipal government the as
pction as between that which IS the incident OF 'he
life of the average citizen and that which Is an III
cident Of his particular vocation seems 10 ue en-
nhasized as the KEY guide to the action OF the Dc
partment of Street Cleaning in the discharge oi us
dpties So completely has this distinction governed
the office of the Counsel to the Corporation IN It's III
terpretation Of the proper duties OF the Comi'onei
of street Cleaning that so far back as July -o lo0i
william C. Whitney, then Counsel to the Corporation
Invited the attention of the then Commissioner of street
Cleaning to the fact that, without an amendment %
(bapter 677 of the Laws of 1872, the street OlthS
Department was not under obligation TO remove
grubbishn No such amendment as far as the present.
head of the Department Of street cleaning Is j."
formed has been made said act and no OPINION
modifying that Of the gentleman who was Counsel To
the Corporation 1651, has been furnished the De
partment Of street Cleaning which would warrant or
iustifv il I'm the assumption that any part OF the ap
propriation which is made for the conduct OF nc
husness of the Department Of street cleaning can DO
employed i'm the collection Of accumulaonS which arc
essentially the output of private business interest
0bVimsy IL is difficult for an administrative officer
always TO draw the line between that which Is tle
nnrcOme of private business life and thlt Whlch j.
be product of the average individual life In It's sQcla
or civic relation The clippings OF tailorS sh0p
Dr OF dress makers mlincrs store, 90 not u ne
Department of street Cleaning j. advised come uhucI
the head Of ashes. garbage. street SWceplhtS anu
while il Is true that if any such matter were h"ept
into the street. il would be the duty OF the Department
of street Cleaning to remove IT, II j. also true ,t
is a violation Of the citv ordinances for the owners
or agents OF any such establishment 70 sweep or throw
any such matter into the streets.