The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-19
Weekly Letter on
Municipal Rffairs
xxxIII.--LEssoNs TO LEARN
FROM ENGLAND.
New York. Ian. 10,

u problem which confronts American cities. |
The late Colonel warng, just before his |
retirement and the reinstatement OF Tammany |
Hall, had evolved a scheme which promised to |
make the collection and disposal of the vast |
amount Of New York city's daily waste profit
able undertaking. lie calculated to make that
department pay for itself.
At il a pity he could not have been permitted
TO carry out his ideas. His mantle does not seem
10 have fallen any ones shoulders, and the same
expensive methods continue TO be employed on
this side OF the Atlantic.
American cities have much to learn from Eng.
lish cities. For example, IL costs many thousands
Of dollars each year to collect and dispose Of the
garbage-wot and dry-in New York, Chicago,
Philadelphia, and, in fact all OF our large cities
Some Of them still make practice OF dumping a
large proportion OF the waste upon marsh or
waste land near the suburbs, where in summer 1t
becomes a constant menace to public health
Others, like New York, and inland cities located
upon large or small rivers, dump their garbage
into the water. None Of them seem to have real
ixcd that they arc paying large sums for dispos.
ing OF matter that could be made to pay for it.
self with right management.
Some cities less wastcful ,..an others. but
all alike are TO be condemned for their lack Of
enterprise in solving this problem. While much
progress has been made in the administration of
municipal affairs along other lines, there has been
very slight improvement over the primitive
methods of our forefathers. The cities which
have installed plants for the disposition OF the
garbage in its various forms have taken step
towards the solution Of the problem from its
sanitary standpoint, but they have yet to learn
how to utilize the garbage so as to make II pro-
duce something of value to the city, and instead
Of being a charge upon the city treasury, becom.
ing a producer.
st. Louis Is one Of the cities that has a reduc.
tion system. IL is known as the "Merz Rcduc.
tion Plant" The owners OF this plant obtained
good commercial returns from the handling OF
the garbage St. Louis pays at the rate of 90
cents per ton per month per voter for the care
Of its garbage besides paying $4,000 per annum
for the delivery of the garbage to the owners Of
the plant Buffalo and Montreal, however, pay
but 80 cents per month per voter for the care
OF their garbage, while Atlanta, Jacksonville and
Charlotte, n. c., pay "a cents for the same care
OF similar natter and in every case the work is
accomplished in a sanitary manner.
These cities do not use their street sweepngs
for fuel, and thereby lose much that would aid in
reducing other less inaammable waste matter to
a sanitary refuse Here is where American cities
can learn much from the cities of Great Britain
In establishing a garbage disposal plant there
are many and varied considerations for deciding
whether it il salvage or sanitation that is con.
templated the local price OF the different fuels;
the ability Of proper management to augment
these fuels with street swcepings and other in.
tllmmable garbage. The kind Of furnace and the
character of the claims for its fire box is also
good rcnt to consider, for while there are many
fuel destroycrs in the market it is garbage
disposal with the least expenditure for the fuel,
and that will accommodate street sweepings as
a major part of this fuel that should be consid-
ered
The nature OF the garbage to he destroyed will
have to be taken into account, for wuhe the cost
| IL.
waste of all kinds, such as meats, poultry, fish,
whic are very intiammabe-is very small, be.
cause such garbage service is valuable agent
in the destruction of the so.called pure garbage
| and night soil. The report Of the relative pro-
portions of such matters as found in ordinary
garbage will determine the ultimate annual per
capita cost.
English cities have been conducting garbage
| department upon more economical basis for
| years. The well known methods OF Glasgow, Bir-
| mingham, Edinburgh and others familiar to
| the American public. While the character Of the
matter to be incinerated or otherwise sanitariy
| destroyed vares and the heat units IN different
| Goals vary, it is known from the experience of
| these English cities that street sweepings with
1 the addition Of but very small percentage OF
| other fuel have been used successfully to not
| only incineratc all other kinds Of garbage, but
| that with their known percentage of one to ten
| horse power to coal. they have converted enough
| water into steam to furnish through dynamos
electricity enough to customers to pay tine running
| expense o' '.'e" pi'i'' anu AZ '"e SAM .".'
| pay soou in'e'es' ~ ''e '''s upo" "' '''''
men J., H., =. u,u, !, ,.r T.. ,o,.
| TINS can be done IN hhsiand II can oe oohc
| in America.
""l'e Hi"e'ca" ''''e' "'' 'o" ~ 'roP''"e ,"e
| ideas OF the cities across the water in handling
| the garbage at profit, they leaders in sani.
| tary methods for collecting and dsposing of the
| waste OF 'ne larger c''ius roi eNanip'e' unuei
| the supervision oi hr, "a'ie" "'u''el, 'o'"ih',
| soher oi s'iee's U, "as"nsto to", ~. .'' o"e VI
the Nhes' systems III ,nc .h',eu S'a'es ioi .ne
| couecuoh ana uisPos"' Vi sao'se has ieeeh''y
| oevn i"S''','u -, ,.,,
The pant IS OF 'he reuuct'oh Gruer' a'nuusn
| not eNac'y ike 'he ONES III o. LOUIS anu pu''
| iaio' Inc system now e'Joycu III "as,,"s'on h's
| many eNcelient FEATURES W'ieh are seiuoh 'ounu
| IN other cities' ohe OF tnehi Is speeiaiy
| mounted caissoh useu III co'iceti"s 'ie H'u'te''
1t consists OF an ooIohs metal p"N resting upon
wagon iiaihe' rom "hich IL can De removed
ana ahother put II" i's paoe, ~ mas "'e'"i nus
on each SIDE 10 ehao'e 'he coiiectors 10 Pu. gar
| page III on the othet sue VI 'he w"so"' "arpase
| Is coilected from mouse 70 mouse anu enptieu
| from the cans INTO the caNsoh' "heh the latter
Is tul IL Is carted away 10 the station ana ihteu
| from the wagon 10 nat car, without peihS
| Jumped or III any manner disturbed. Ahotner
| calsson, whch mas peeh thoroughly cieaieu ny
steam at the factory Is placed upon the wagon
and the collection continues Inc cars ioaded
| with caissons are conveyed 10 the pant ana there
unloaded, freshly cleaned receptaces taking their
| place.
The factory or reducing plant Is building
100 by 90 feet, and two stories nigh The site
Is upon an lnchnc' where the upper story on one
side is nearly on level with the railroad' and
the lower story on the other side is open 10 the
| opposite direction giving the plant the general
| appearance OF PehnsylVaha panK parh' here
| hp pnigso conveyed by overhead trolley