The morning times., 1896-11-17
MUNICIPAL street PLANT
supt. McKensie Submits an
Es ina e Of Cost.
TWO METHODS PROPOSED
Exhaustive Report on the Proposed
scheme of Municipal street Clean
ing Machinery Alone Will
Amount to S20.442-submitted
TO the Commissioners.

Superintendent McKensie yesterday SUD
mitted ouOther report upon street cleaning
embracing an estimate OF the cos1 Vi
plant necessary TO do the WORK Oh ohe
various branches, together Win tne cosI
OF running the same for one year, WIN
the view OF District ownership ana cohtroi,
and also n comparative statement, pasea
on the present method of doing the work
by employing Il large labor force ana a
showing 10y another method, when cails
for more machines and less hahu ihooI
force. He also presented statement OF
the cost of the present service
The intent OF these estimates is 10 reach
Il conclusion as TO the best moue ior this
work for the future, in view OF the fact
that the present contra ct xpircs nextJune,
and the eiglit-hour law mist be considered
in the future system.
In the exhibit first named the superin-
tendent gives the cost of plant as: twenty
machines, TO cover 7O,OOO yards each
sweeping in eight hours S.7oO square yarus
each per hour. 81 600; six sprinkiers, ABOUT
100000. yards each, eight hours Work,
covering 81 $50 square yards per hour
each, $2,700: forty carts, eight hours each
$1,000; ninety-siX horses, at Slot each.
$I4, 400; harness, 81 ,6o2; two double
wagons. ST so; two sets harness, at Soo
each. $50; three road scrapers, Sboo, Ilve
snow plows, $3.50; for tools. S2oo: buGgies
for four inspectors, $500. Total, S2S ,442'
His estimate of running expenses Tor
street and alley plant is an aggregate cost
of $SS,749. This embraces help as follows:
Twenty machine drivers. placed at sou per
month; six sprinkler drivers, same pay;
ten leaders OF cart gangs, S35 per month:
thirty cart drivers, S32.5O per month;
ten leaders of hoe and broom men, S32 oo
per month; fifty hoe and broom men. $50
per month; three damp men, S32.oo per
month.
IL also included the expense Of caring for
the horses, the purchase OF hoes. brooms
and shovels, repairs, contingent expenses
and the pruporiionate share OF general eX-
pense, charseablc TO this branch, which is
placed at $4,000.
IMPROVED ALLEY PLANT.
The cost Of an improved alley plant is
put down at 1884; running expenses,
Sl2,5S2. The cost Of plant for unimproved
streets and alleys. including cohblc stcnt
paved streets cleaned by hand, 81 .21s. and
the running expenses of same, S34 ,351
For hand cleaning Pennsylvania ayenucand
other streets, 81 .320. running expenses
ST $50.
In addition to the foregoing, Major Nc
kensie foots up the expenses applicable II
the entire plant, saggregating $l5- -23O
which provides for the employment OF a
general supcrintontento OF stable, an assist
ant superintendent, u blacksmith. a wheel
wright. dumpmen.5 stableInen, rent ana
contingent expenses
In IL reorganization Of the expense he
places the cost Of plant, S3S ,4T3; running
expenses. 81 90, 400: salaries. S25 $50; con
uugencies of office, $500, the aggregate o
which is S2l6 .9!,4. The excess OF running
expenses over the appropriations FOR general
work in sS7, is SIG, 500.
Tue experimenting, made no allow vance foI
n, .1-Gf hon
be IS. and also one extra sweeper and
one extra sprinkler.
In his estimates FOR more machinery and
| less men the superintendent places the
running expenses at SS2,S73. This plaI
| conlemplates doing all work possible b,
machinery. and introduces gutter sweepers
| and pick up machines. W hich will reduce the
| labor force of hoe and broom men from
sixty TO twcnty-four. and the number o.
horses and carts from forty To thirty. II
| also lessons the number Of cart drivers by
ten and reduces sweeping machines from
twenty to eighteen, but on the other ha NJ
the number of horses is Increased by
| twelve.
REQUISITE MACHINE FORCE.
He docs not believe that all of the
| eighteen machines. designated as side
| sweepers and gutter and pickup ma
| chimes will be required TO sweep .4oOo 900
square yards per month. Seventeen side
swecperS he says. should clean in tigh'
| hours a total OF 1876 900 square yards. The
| gutter machines and picE-ups being capabl,
| of sweeping about eighteen feet each il
| passing up and down on both sides o.
| Streets which in traversing route o.
| hfty-five miles would be the equivalcn
| of $50. 500 square yards, or grand total
| including the area covered by the sid
| sweepers, of .s44 800 square yards.
I nn IL. ,I,p
! is estimated for. Ouc-half the space as
signed to the gutter and pickup machine
| is believed however, To be the safer esti
| mate which would make total OF / .554
| 600 square yards, which is also in eNces
| of the total estimated for.
Major Mckensie believes that by tn
| method last described, which provides fo
| more machine work, the better work cal
| he secured and. besides, he adds, 1T /
| He thinks the streets would be bette
| swept by this plan than by hand. By TIL
| use of pickup machines there would be
| less number of accumulations to gathc
| up: they would be more widely separated
| and a saving of time would result
| THE PRESENT COST.
The present cost of sprinkling. SWEEP
| ing and cleaning the improved streets, an,
avenues is "a Ia cents per 600 squar
yards. the work being done under contract
Sweeping machines are used, dirt bein
removed by hand. After deducting salaric
and all similar y penscs. the suniremainini
in each of two years last past, to be ap
| piled for the cleaning branch of the sery
ice, has been about $50 900, but thi
is subject to drafts for extras includin
snow and Ice removal.
The estimate made for 1897 leaves q
the appropriation for sweeping streets an,
avenues, Ss5. .S99. The cost of cleanin
unimproved streets and alleys is rated d
$6s SO per day Improved alley worl
done oy the 900 square yards, is rate
in the contract at 40 9-10 cents per 90
square yards, the contract stipulating tn
amount of force that shall be rcgtIlarl
| employed. The estimates are all base
| ,,nan a ,nossihle 2I5- worlinn dnrs L.,