Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-08
MOTORS WOULD
SAVE THE CITY
LARGE AMOUNT
Cleaning Of Streets and Wearing
Of Payements Big Item of
Expense.

nat Inc motor truck might an
nually save in Atlanta may be esti-
mated by a comparative study Of fig
ures compiled in Chicago. According
to Motor Age" one million collars
a year could be saved by the city Of
Chicago on street cleaning alone, II
its business houses and private citi-
zeDS would substitute motor trucks
for the $4,000 horses now used in that
city.
on an average, every 100 horses
litter the streets and alleys with one
! ton OF refuse during a working day
Of eight hours. This amounts to 500
tons a day, or 493,934 cubic yards in
a year Of 300 working days, calculat-
| ing thlrty-slx pounds to the cubic
| loot This is more than 90 per cent
| of the total OF 1886 cubic yards Of
street sweepings, including leaves,
rubbish and dirt, annually removed
| by the street cleaning department.
| The total cost of cleaning the streets
and alleys OF the city during 1912 vas
| Si,StS,2i7, exclusive of the garbage
and ash removal, weed cutting, etc
| Fffty-one per cent OF this approx
mately is $1,0O00 900. This is the sum
| actually expended in 1912 to remove
: the dirt and filth directly attributable
| to the use of horses.
These are figures deduced from
facts published In reports by the
commissioner of public works and
civil service commission of the city
| CT Chicago, recently Issued follow
| Ing an Investigation from April 81
to October 10, 1913, made by order of
the City Council.
Horse drawn vehicle traffic is the
most important source OF street dirt
| and has been given the greatest
weight in the preparation of the
schedules and standards used as a
basis for the estimates Of future work
/ and expenditures in street and alley
| cleaning" says the report
| Wear the Pavementx.
Aside from this, the constant wear
Of the pavements by the horses shoes
and the iron-tired vehicles" observes
the report, has tendency gradually
! to wear out the surface Of the pave
| ment which must be removed by the
street sweepers. This source is OF
special Importance in macadam pave
ments. as it is this material that
forms practically all of the dirt which
| Is removed from pavements of this
| class"
No attempt was made by the in
which horses are responsible for dis
eases In the city or the financial losses
| to the community from this source.
but 1t Is likely that the aggregate
is much larger than the expense due
to street cleaning Stables afford the
most common breeding places for
flies, those disseminators of typhoid
and intestinal diseases, while the
dried street filth blown about by the
| wind 30 pTiac oil npty nf t,t s
every home, office and factory In the
city
Moro than 100000 tons of refuse
are produced yearly by the $4,000
horses. mules and cows maintained
in Chicago. All OF this has to be
carted through the streets and a con-
siderable quantity is spilled from the
4 wagons to lie In the streets until
| swept up by the street cleaners.
; This report, embracing more than
| 100 printed pages and many elab-
crate tables OF data, is both compre-
| hensive and exhaustive and contains
much information of value. In con-
nection with the investigation, traf-
flc census were taken at 1,400 street
| intersections, with the result that it
has been definitely determined that
the density OF horse traffic is the
principal factor which determines the
| HuluntI anu frequency Vi
which one street should be given"
1T was found" continues the re-
port, that within the last three years
the number OF motor driven vehicles
In the central portion of the city has
increased over 80 per cent. and that
the number OF one and two horse
drawn vehicles throughout the city
has remained practically constant.
The census on hand Of motor car and
street railway traffic has been used
as factor in determining the mini
mum cleanings which a street re-
quires The amount of dirt attribut-
ed directly to automobiles or street
railways Is inappreciable."
| Several important conclusions may
be drawn from the facts given:
First, that the substitution OF mo-
tor vehicles for horse drawn vehicles
will reduce the cost of street clean
Ing leasen the wear of street pave
ments and help materially to decrease
the city death rate
| Second, tHat use OF motor trucks by
the street cleaning department will
effect further savings In the cost of
street cleaning and ash and garbage
disposal
Third, that the elimination OF horses
will preserve street pavements.
Fourth that requirements OF ma
cadam pavement by moro permanent
pavement will lower the cost OF street
cleaning and maintenance
Referring To street repairs, the re-
port makes the important observa-
ton that where the cost OF repair
and maintenance is equal TO or great
er than the annual interest cost on
new work. il is more desirable that
! new pavements be laid where pos
| sible" The average cost of repairing
and improving So miles OF macadsm
country roads within the city limits
is estimated ut $3.50 a mile, This
represents per cent interest on
S12. 500 a mile II would seem to be
good policy then to substitute perma-
nent pavement for those macadam
roads as quickly as possible.
Although removal OF dead animals
is a source Of some small revenue to
the city, the loss OF the animals is a
heavy burden on the owners and
community at large. During the year
ended August !. 1918, the contractors
removed 925S dead horses. II those
, may be assumed to have been worth
500 apiece when they died, largely
as q result OF excessive heat in mid
summer and icy and snow covered
, |