Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-06-06
ABOUT GARBAGE CREMATION
City Enginsd Gains Presents RspeIt
 to tho Committee.

the following report: Gentlemen: Having made some progress in my investigation of the subject before us beg to submit a brief report as follows: The general proposition, stated broadly, is the removal and disposi- ton in a sanitary and economical manner of the various wastes which accumulate as an incident of city life and activities.
 For our purpose these may be di- vided into four classes: l. Ashes.
 2. Rubbish.
 8. Street sweepings. 4. Garbage.
 Considering these in order, we find ashes divided into two classes, steam and household. These weigh approx imately 1850 pounds per cubic yard. l find that few cities of our class provide for any public collection of ashes, the matter being left to pri- vate arrangement. In general ashes are used for filling in low ground, and serve this purpose admirably, but it is to be regretted that in the case of household ashes the fuel value cannot be utilized. Rubbish. This consists of papers, straw, leaves, empty and broken, barrels and boxes, bottles, old shoes and the thousand and one things which accu- mulate, worthless to the owner, and often disposed of by throwing into the street or back yard. Some of this stuff goes into the ashes, and in cities like ours all of 1t goes to the public dumping grounds. In New York is rubbish incinerator station l on Delaney street, where such ma terial is sorted, everything of value picked out and the rest burned under boilers. The steam thus generated Is used to run engines which provide power for the electric current with which the Williamsburg bridge is lighted.
 An advantage to be derived from the municipal collection and disposal of rubbish would be that the large fuel value would, as in the case of household ashes, help to reduce the cost of fuel needed to burn garbage.
 Street Sweepings. Closely allied to the handling and disposal of ashes and rubbish is the treatment of street sweepings in a large city. In smaller ones 1t is un- usual to do more than cart these sweepings to the dump, and doubt whether 1t would be feasible for us to do otherwise, for the present at any rate, as owing to the small extent of the permanent pavements, and the numerous gravel and macadam road ways leading into the paved streets the sweepings consist very largely of indestructible mineral matter suita- ble only for filling.
 Ordinary street sweepings have been stated to contain 33 per cent of uncomfortable. 42 per cent of com bustible and 25 per cent of water. nAm-ofrAq Garbage. io y-ub feR Garbage proper consists of the waste animal and vegetable matter from kitchens. markets, slaughter houses, etc, and includes dead anil malls. It is the most troublesome and dangerous of all the municipal wastes, and its prompt removal and sanitary disposition is of the greatest importance to the comfort and health of the community.
 Collection. At the present time the city of Waterbury is collecting garbage by contract. No other forms of refuse are thus collected. they being at- tended to by the individual at his own expense. Apparently this Is true Of the great majority of cities of this size.
 find a difference of opinion as to whether it is better to have this work done by contract or to organize a special department, or bureau. and have the work done by day work. the city owning the necessary horses and wagons. Some of those who have carefully studied the matter favor the latter plan. and 1t would seem to me that the various matters of street sweeping. collection of ashes, collec- ton of rubbish and the collection of garbage are so naturally. associated that they might properly be given in charge to one department. It would certainly be much easier to place the blame for unsatisfactory service. and much easier to secure sufficient ap- propriations for such work If 1t were done by the city directly rather than through the medium of contractors. While on the other hand 1t would not be surprising If day work were found the more expensive method. Assuming the population of the city to be about 65,000 and that seven-eighths live in the collection district. the present cost of collection amounts to about 21 cents per annum per capita. The collection cost per ton is approximately s1.so.
 The following table is taken from a Buffalo report and purports to give the cost per annum per capita of con- tract garbage collection in several cities:
 Chicago. a4.0o cents per capita.
 Philadelphia, 1925 cents per cap ita-
 Washington. Io.2s cents per csp- ita.
 Detroit. lT.2s cents per capita. Hartford. 1915 cents per capita.
 Montreal. HOO cents per capita.
 Toledo. 13.s cents per capita Richmond. Ind. i3.5 cents per capita.
 Elizabeth. x. J.. 11.s cents per re nff1