The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-04-12
The PROBLEM OF CLEAN STREETS.

How shall our streets be cleaned anc
kept clean? is the eve%r-recurring anc
never-answered question in every Ameri
can city, from one end OF the land to the
other. Every European traveller knows
that foreign cities are far ahead of us il
this respect and have brought sanitary
science to bear most successfully on this
problem. How have they succeeded
where we have failed? Gen. Emmonl
Clark, for many years secretary OF the
New York board OF health, answers the
question very completely in a compre
hensive article in the April number OF
the Popular Science Monthly. II
general, he says, European cities have
been more successful in their efforts tc
get clean streets than American cities
owing mainly to their earlier attention
to sanitary subjects, to their more a-bi.
trary methods of enforcing police and
sanitary regulations, and to the com.
parative absence of political and per-
sonal influences in their municipal
government.
Gen. Clark's account OF the many
attempts and as many failures of New
York to secure clean streets is an inter
esting and instructive chapter in NUM-
Opal history. The board of health
grappled with the question and failed.
The police department next tried it and
succeeded better but still fell short of
the public demand. At present the
bureau Of street cleaning is a separate
department of the city government
under the control of a single COM
missioner, but the streets are still untidy
and unkempt and the cutters reek with
noisome odors.
Where is the trouble now? Gen.
Clark AYERS that much of it is the fault
of ~householders, who should cooperate
with the bureau in it's efforts and do not.
He fatty declares that none of the differ
emit plans proposed for cleaning the
streets, nor an appropriation for that
purpose double the present amount, nor
a commissioner of street cleaning of
ideal business ability, fidelity and in
tegrity. cam give New York clean streets,
solong as householders and housekeep-
ers sweep or throw their dust, dirt,
ashes, garbage or refuse, or any part of
such, material, into the streets, or allow
anything to escape from their garbage
receptacles upon the sidewalk or upon
the street, nor SO long as carts convey
ing dirt and refuse are allowed to drop
any part of their contents on the streets.
A walk in the principal streets and ave-
nues from seven to nine o'clock in the
morning will convince the observer that,
whatever the shortcomings of the street.
cleaning department., storekeepers and
ho%usekeepers are primarily and inciden-
tally responsible for dirty streets by
allowing their employees to sweep into
the streets the dust of their houses or
stores, and the dirt and refuse found
upon the sidewalk. If the walk is ex-
tended to the te~nement-house districts
at any hour of the day, it will be noticed
that it is quite the custom to throw
ashes and garbage into the streets, and
to allow these materials to escape in
the street or upon the sidewalk from in
sufficient, improper or overlooking recep-
tacles. 1t will also be noticed that, soon
after a street has been cleaned, it is
again defiled by the refuse and garbage
from the neighboring buildings, and that
the carts which transport street dirt,
ashes and garbage, sand for new build
ings, earth from cellar excavations and
the dust and dirt from buildings torn
down, scatter some part of their con
tenta into the street as they proceed to
their destination.
Tosprevent these evils Gen. Clark sug.
gests the following plan:
1. The education of the entire population
of the city on this subject. All desire clean
streets, and an appeal to the common sense
n public spirit of the people will be sue.
c~essful. A plain and simple circular from
an official source should be placed in the
hands of each householder and storekeeper,
n of each family in tenement houses, to
the effect that every particle Of dust, ashes,
garbage and refuse should be placed in the
garbage receptacles, and that the sidewalk
should not be swept into the street, but the
dust and paper thereon should be carefully
gathered and placed in the garbage recep-
tacles of the stores or houses. Such a cir
cular would be disregarded by some, aud all
such should be personally warned by an
officer Of police against the continuance of
the practice. Owners of carts conveying
dirt, ashes, garbage, manure or any refuse.
should be notified that their carts must he
absolutely tight and properly covered, and
that the escape into the street of auy part
OF the contents. however trihinp, ia a viola
ton OF the sanitary ordinances which will
be officially noticed by the police. In q
very few months the people would
thoroughly understand the Importance of
this subject, and few would overlook q,
violate regulations so reasonable and
proper.
2. When prope notice or warning fail
to prevent throwing, sweeping or allowin
to escape into the streets or upon the side,
walk of any dirt. ashes, garbage, or othe,
refuse, the vigorous enforcement of prone,
sanitary ordinances becomes necessary. /
should be made a part of the duty of ever,
police officer or patrol to arrest any on,
violating such ordinances, and to a~scertai,
who is guilty of any violation in the alb
sence of an officer; and, for any neglect o
such duty, officers should be held to a
rigid accountability by their superiors n
for failure to arrest or detect offender
unofrut tho Iorv, o,>n 49, r. - -