Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-10-16
STREET LITTER AND STREET
SWEEPING.

S. Millinery, writing in The Amer
lean City, gives some valuable infor-
nation as to what disposition to
make of street sweepings and how
to care for paved streets. He says:
Zone considerable source of the
dirt and waste that must be removed
from the streets is commonly called
street litter, consisting of miscel-
laneous wastes thrown upon the
streets and sidewalks by those pass
ing alonS the streets, or swept out OF
business houses and residences.
Street littering is effectively prevent
I'd in most European cities by the
rigorous enforcement OF laws or
ordinances prohibiting it. Most OF
our American cities have such laws
md ordinance, but they are practical
ly dead letters iopasmodic at
empts have been made to enforce
chem in number OF cities, but pub
lie opinion has not sufficiently sus-
lained these efforts, nor have the
municipal authorities, as rule, made
lheir enforcement practicable by pro-
yidiag an ample supply of recepta-
eles into which such litter may be
deposited.
in recent years there has been
renewed agitation Of the matter OF
street cleaning departments and by
The more intelligent parts of the pub
lie, and it is hoped that the time is
not far distant when the necessary
ceceptacles for litter may be general
ly provided by the municipalities, and
he ordinances against street litter
.ng rigidly enforced,
An important step in this direc-
zion must be the collection of more
complete and accurate data as to the
quality of such litter handled and
the additional cost of collecting 1t
when thrown upon the streets. In
New York City the street cleaning
department has given attention to
this matter. and estimates that the
additional cost thus imposed on the
department amounts, approximately,
to $4,000 annually. This very large
sum could be saved to the city yearly
by providing convenient receptacles
for litter AID then enforcing the
ample ordinances already existing.
EuropeYn experience mas proven
beyond uoubt that this may be done
without imposing any serious incon-
Venience upon the public.
when it is considered that this
litter is handled by human hands or
is swept out of residences and Cusl-
ness places, and is therefore subject
to infection by disease germs, the
sanitary Importance OF collecting ana
disposing of it as directly and quick
ly as possible is obvious.
THE possible utilization OF street
sweepin IS in some way that Will
partly repay the cost OF street clean
| mo is another matter that is receiv-
! ing more attention than heretofore.
The most promising outlook for such
utilization lies in the direction OF fill
| me low lands, or building up new
and very valuable areas OF land by
| filling in shore areas now covered
by shallow water and at present not
TO the prevailing opinion, experience
and investigation have shown tnat
| street cleaning free from garbage
may. if properly handled in the
dumps, be so used without danger to
the public health and without seri-
Gus Inconvenience or offense to the
public.
street sweepings from paved
streets contain very considerable
/ quantities OF valuable ferteriizlnS
/ elements. the value of which, at the
market prices OF these elements,
probably averages al least 81 per ton
OF sweepinss. The cost OF transport
ing and handling the raw sweeping
is usually 100 great to permit OF
their profitable use as fertilizers in
the farming districts. but some sat
isfactory method ought TO be, and
probably will some time be, discover
ed to profitably recover the fertiliz-
ing elements.
Attention is being urged in many
cities toward preventing the larss