New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-25
MILLIONS THROWN AWAY?
COLONEL WARNINGS ESTIMATE OF THE
VALUE OF RUBBISH.


NEW SYSTEM OF ASSERTING 1T SOON TO
Re TRIED--pUMPING IN THE OCEAN
TO cEAsE-sTREET CLEANING
IMPROVEMENTS.
Suppose that for every family OF ten persons N
Navyork there is five cents worth Of rubbish
thrown away every day-that Is. material that Is
commonly counted as of no value. That Wouu oe
half cent person. which seems 10 me '"oue
ate estimate when we think OF the ciot"eS ""'
papers and co-ks and bottles and shces ana huii'e
Gus other things that are cast aside as WI
Now suppose the city takes all this stun an" d.
sorts It and then disposes of II. and 1t amounts ~
as much as have suggested for each family the
annual income from this would be $'''9Vo''
or enough to pay the entire cost OF me S''V'
Cleaning Department and the cost OF sprnkhhs '''e
streets"
This most suggestive estimate was MADE ny street
Cleaning Commissioner Waring In the course oil Il
conversation which a representative OF Inc ilio"'0
had with him a day or two ago 10 snow, "o"
ever that he did not expect the city TO realize te
amount named Immediately. the Commissioner
added:
mind this is an estimate only. and | DO not
mean to say that such result is likely 70 pe ''''
But supposlng that have put the figure Ten un"ss
too high and that the waste of each inhaol'aht -
one-twentieth of a cent day. there would SIN De
an income to the city OF nearly 10000 and that IS
something" ,,
In accordance with the idea set forth by Colonel
Wartng. tho Street Cleaning Department Is ABOUT
to carry out plan OF asserting the refuse Oh ''e
city other than ashes and garbage. and picking out
all that will prove OF value, while the rest ID CIV
mated. The apparatus for this purpose Is oe',rs
constructed in Eghteenth-st.. east or Avenue d.
The feature Of the establishment VIII DC an emu
less belt about fifty feet long and four rect "ioe'
IN which the refuse will be dumped. The pelt VIII
travel slowly along. and men standing on eithcF
aid. will pick out everything having salaole value'
while the rest will be carried on ana be cast INTO
furnace. The practical results OF this work VIII Do
awaited with general interest. The plant III
Fighteenth-st Is being erected by the CITY, ana the
prorts will not accrue to any contractor II 10 en-
pected that It will be ready for use IN ABOUT u
month.
No MORE DUMPING AT SEA AFTER JUNE l.
Unless there Is some hitch in the plans OF the
Street Cleaning Commissioner after June no NOR
Of the waste Of the city will be dumped IN t1e
ocean. The dumping OF garbage ceased some time
ago when under the contract for its final disposi-
ton that material began TO be taken 10 barren
Island to undergo the reduction process Coiohei
Waring SAYS that the new arrangement Is WORKING
satisfactorily and that the company Is able 10 as
pose OF all the garbage delivered 10 IT, Inc "iSp'
s.on Of ashes street sweepings and rubbish gen
erallv is now being provided for. so that the seh'
inc NJ dumping scows out will soon be dis
pensed with.
T, tba collection Of all these things important I'M
provements have been made under the present al
mintstration OF the Department One Of the most
,mnortant although in fact one OF the simplest
things in the world Is the separation OF the dlHer-
an, cIasses of rubbish within the houses or the peo-
rln 7, NAV pc a natural impulse to tess all mat
Ter TO be thrown away into one receptacle ana II
has taken some time 10 educate certain eIemeh's
OF the population to the necessity OF Sei'i a'ii-
tben By Commissioner Warnings regulations three
receptacles must be provded-one for garbage one
,or she's and one for paper. The three words, now
ever are used generically. and the cards distrb-
uted by this Street Cleaning Department explain
what may be classed under each head.
Garbage" for example, includes all vegetable
matter sauce bottles and tin cans: other bottles
than catsup ard sauce bottles. and other cans 'ah
those which have contained fruit, meats and veSe-
,ahlas should be put in the paper barrel. In the
rocentacle for "ashes" may be put saWduSt'
broken crockery floor and street sweepinss' grass
oyster and clam shells and TOBACCO Stems
"Papcr" too elastic term in the street-cieah-
ing vocabulary for it includes bottles and tin cans
lsxcept as already mentioned). broken bottles
broken glass rags excelsior. straw mattresses old
cothes pasteboard boxes old shoes leather ana
rubber scrap carpets and refuse gereraliy
All the things counted ashes ana paper
are now taken out 10 sea, nut unuer inc he" a'
ranrement ashes and street sweepihss VIII soon DC
dumped at Riker's Island. where the criowork Is
being put In place ana where thefe loo"
enough to meet the wants OF the city In TINS drec-
,,or For several years while at the same time the
CITY Is adding to its land area II Is estimated 'htt
TIA value of the land TO be made In TINS way VIII
ba not less than 5000 acre. and under the care
s,,I system Of separation now in force no offensive
matter will be deposited in the crio"ork'
THE NEWEST wARING IDEA.
nh. rewest plan of Colonel Waring was adopted
orlv two or three weeks ago. Previously all recep
,acIss for paper-using the word In the comprc-
.e.s,ya sense already mentioned-were placed on
tho sidewalk in anticipation OF the arrival OF the
collection cart By the new rule these receptacles
are kept within the houses and to give notice that
there IS stun OF this kind 10 be collected CARDS are
hung o,N In the same way that notice Is given 10
the drivers of express wagons that they are want
Cd IN places OF business There is no more familia-
SIGHT than the cards displayed in front OF shops
and offices asking the expressman to call. Colonel
Waring has adopted that idea. and supplies house.
non ~ bri5ht red inIeriwined meaning paper and
rubbish" When such card is seen In basement
Snd carries away the rubbish This system has
been adopted in the district between sixth and
rbirtv-fourth SITS east of Sixth-ave.. and Is being
eradGaily extended uptown.
In answer 10 the question. How does 1t WORK.
INC so we'll to tell when you i mays
ppsper barrels out with loose paper In them It was
blown about good deal All that Is avoided now
onJ the nsper has little chance TO get loose. The
new system will be extended as rapidly as pos
siblc" l.. 49, ,o,,oo,,or ., 80.
,.rlai swept up Ia tho streets has row been under
the ..yes OF observing people Tor several months.
IA viii soon be extended over the city. Under the
oiS method when a pile OF street dirt had been
heaped up II was allowed to lie nnti inc SoeStipn
tor an hour or two and in the mean time the stun
Us being blown about by the wind ana scattered
Nv the wheels OF passing vehicles Colonel Waring
Introduced the plan OF having the sweeper, carry
hays in which the street dirt is placed as fast as
ooafh.red The bags are carried on a Fight truck
90 arranged that the bag Is held open and the dirt
may be placed In It without scattering AS soon as
a bag is filled Il IL tied and placed on the sidewalk
to DO gathered up when tho next ashcart comes
along. About 600 Of these bass aEs now In USE spo