New-York tribune., 1907-08-06
STREETS REALLY CLEAN
yENSEL THE .SEFEEPER.
Pcioicc' Shade o. Colonel WGriag
the City Shines 4gGint


~. Walter Rensel who was appointed Coram.s-
iorser Of the department of Street Cleaning Oh
TuIy S has given New York really clean streets
tfft- Il long period Of f7uctIatins and VARYING de
.-aee uf cleanliness
Taking up the work when Marlborough Craven
! and discouraged, laid il down pr- Bensel threat
ms 10 the Health Department. where he
Sanitary Superintendent. October /. His
irst motive has been clean the streets, and of
IL pacity dc he has left doubt pr-
8efzcl found 1Le fine organization left by Colonel
Sar1nE crumblins and the unhappy and dis
,ouJcnted under Mr.. Craven.
In he four weeks he mas heen in command
.aer are Up to-day-the Commissioner has re-
r.ored the morale Of the department he has turned
.1e diseontented individual members of his force
Hro enthusiastic personal adherents OF his own
sld he has created system of responsibility OF
minor officials their superiors that has put new
iee into the whole department. And he has cleaned
streets
In the work of the department one thing accounts
,ar Improvement condition of the streets
Taa5 is 2 transfer of great part OF the work
o tIe hours between 10 y. and a m Even
-. tfl. denarfrne7r in. lie same condition as
non Colonel Waring left It. the streets could
-ot D.. cleaned properly under the Waring system
The has grown in the fourteen years that have
aaSsa5 and conditions have changed.
The work is vastly more difficult. For the last
.rYse years moreover. the system has only been
~ shell OF the WGrinE system has only had is
fo~m and the spirit that made the Waring ad-
--i-isrrarion what il has been Impossible to
Oi
: Nasle there were still in the lower ranks
= me department who had been trained by War
y ana VINO needed no stimulus from above 70
.oen their work U2 standard Under CoTmis-
,,e- Woodbury. some things improved. But
.ta commissioner himself enthusiast
he subject OF final disposal Of garbage. and de
a+ai most his great ability that work. paying
-robabiy less attention than he might well have
sa1e 10 cleaning the commissioner craven
rad little chance show his ability. and the
streets were a. no time properly cleaned during
is Administration His Illness accounts in some
MEASURE for these facts.
u Fensel took the department just after the
strike Of the garbage cart drivers. which began
zto n June. Was called off Three days after ne
assumed Office he abolished the fine sYEten and
r. hoard Of appeals established by Colonel War
ns but much corrupted and modified by his sue
-eseo.s.
The n-n had struck because it the usual
experience of majority @ the drivers TO tnd one
- more days pay missing from their envelopes At
the end of the week They then had the privilege
u appearing before the board OF appeals al rs
weekly meeting and ascertaining The cause of the
are as well as appealing for It's remission There
we're Z nunb Der Of rules. which were posted in de-
-artn7ent stables but il almost impossible for
a man 10 commit all 70 memory Ignorance O. the
-lIe was often real excuse. but one which was.
ravc-theleSs never recognized
Dr. Rensel has changed all this. No fines are
:-rr,osed al all Now each man has 4 book 81 the
new and revised rules which he can carry IN ms
r.erket- Punishment is meted out onlF hile' u'e'
i-afa-a tha Deputy Commissioner Of the borough
IN which the offence committed and each case
* ad9udead on its merits. and not. as heretofore
punished by q fixed and ineastic fine suspension
without pay takes the place Of a fine and even TINS
punishment rarely inflicted on the rs' or e''
The second offence. Reprimands are tried nTs ana
+ those are Of no avail dismissal is resoTted TO
These changes have given DT- belseI 'le HISI
requisite for cleaning the streets a oisc'pitIeI ]
ao1rerred force Of sv-eepers ana nflNtiS- -
these men he has begun to 10 the greater par' ol
.hA work at night. William Hogel has oeeh al'-
no5u-ed general night superintendent OF ihe depa't
-. e,a more +hs, half the men Of the depart
rent are now under his orders every hlsh.i - -.
pressure flushing carts are being tree a -. -
ms the Of several OF these IIldSl-i''7N ''-'-
charge for experiment -
The pressure cart follows 2 machlhe N"Nel'-
and is followed in turn by men VINO s1.Ils'
6+-r driven :he SIDES Of the s1ree's lt''o - 60
s. : result every street where the nlacFfes dr.
-.sed Is clean traffic starts IN the i'''!,+.
enS u takes compare lively little Wofh 10 - -
&C. clesr during the day. The work IN the Hd:
trne Is done by = reduced force Of sWeepers- So,
Al present the limitations of the water Nupp-H
f,~frert mis- flushing from being done 10 ahH -
80 above lsth street When the Dfpar 'freil' %
Mater supply Gas and Electricity can s,aI
water. however the work Is carried On ,ssio,1r
fer Broadway and in Fifth avenue. - CoiiliilI I 80
se-yel hss an appropriation Of Ale"'' 'or spl
ilrg OF flushing. and some Of i WI ..
ne used ror pressure flushing Inc -
- s-,-,r-- x tho cre that most yitally affects
Sor. -e-7oIa1 viii haze to he done soon. and pr-
R.-se} : making ready for il lie exE'ec's 10 10
.-=+Ei7 : fav weeks the snow removal schedni-
which Is being prepared by coTT1't'ee -. " -
crganfzs-tor7s appointed by the MayoT- lhIs ~ y.
u!e will show the order in which me - ,ae
fe cleaned and will prevent the cnaos WHO" iid9
r.r.va}7ed every winter for years. . =.
Or Fsersal ie satisfied that the srrai'sernFnl -
sticl7 ne street railway companies cream fIod. ..
uav from the Battery 5sth street Is not an
- - - - cirg- The companies 90 TINS N
stead ~ ening their tracks. the space "
tracks and the two feet Of roadway on taol. -
Il their tracks as they are required 70 ~ -
fzV and receive also the Tri ylege OF using s1loV
rforEfs D- Bensel feels that theE sI,o-iu ~
required 20 ciea-l streets equal in area 10 'l- spa
- ef-,1,ld c,sap under the law and lntelos 'o
have ,evr arrangements made .n..
has De
"a -. ---.-.e- When he took Office the Ir1F--
iese O. -icbins the dumps was eh -.
one ocrt-acto, in Manhattan and another ia . ne
p, -r7-a ts-orr contractor paid $50 a week; ms
,eloyy IN Manhattan sI.34s 19- Or f'ei's'l prt o.
The contracts and called FOR bids- M n, ia
--scto-s submitted bids and ten were aboNe tle oN
figures The highest bid was MADE ty ne o- t l.
tractor and was SIZE 79- in Inc h'p.A lo4f Ia
or,ractor also reserved the work Tor hiTiseli' ou
ding s2sJ week ..-r+
Trials 7in6er the system besstl on [1Ns 80, =
= Since -hsn s. men have been tr1"o u i'- -"
dismissed 10 have been suspended. u nave De' -
6Bced in rank and a have been repr1niali'e-