Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-06-07

City Councilmen with members Of
the Bureau of Ash and Garbage In.
spection and representatives of Stees
Simonettt Company toured the en-.
tire city yesterday afternoon on ar
ash cleanup inspection trip which
extended through every ward but
two. At the end of the trip the
commissioners after inspecting hun
dreds of backyards and alleys ir
all sections of the city declared they
were satisfied with the work of the
ash collectors and were convinced
of the assertion that the general
cleanup of accumulated waste and
refuse is now complete.
When the trip started the collec-
ton firm members and the city's ash
inspectors told the commissioners
they would be taken to any section
of the city they desired. AS the mem
bers of Council earlier in the year
went over the city to see the condi-
ttons then prevalent, when they COM
pleted the trip yesterday they de-
clared the removal of the big accu-
mutation of ashes during the winter
vas even better than they had ex-
pected to find it.
While in some of the districts
where the collection forces have not
been working for more than a week
as two-week schedule is being
maintained, boxes and other recep-
tacles were almost filed, the ash in
spectors said that by next Monday
all of these would be emptied.
As the amount of ashes to be re-
moved in the summer is much small
Ter than in the winter city officials
said they were positive that the reg
ular collections would be maintained
Il ~ h It'll.
real test of the success of the pres
ent system will come they said when
furnaces are started in the fall.
Some "Eyesorcs"
While some of the streets and va
cant lots in the outlying districts
have been cleared there are a few
places which were called to the at
tention of the commissioners by
residents and were named "eyesores"
to the community. The worst con-
ditions prevail at Fifteenth and Six
teenth and Catherine streets and at
Seventeenth and Berryhill streets,
where during the winter months
residents dumped ashes and refuse
in large piles just across the street
from scores of homes. Members of
Council said they will endeavor to
have some of this rubbish removed
either through the city highway de-
partment or by an arrangement with
the collection firm.
At number of places the coun-
rllmen noticed large barrels which
bad been used as ash receptacIes
While the collectors have removed.
the refuse in the barrels officials of
the ash bureau said under the rules
made by the city the firm is not
compelled to do so. Some of the
commissioners stated it was the duty
70 tho ash bureau to compel these
'ouseholders to cooperate and use
proner receptacles.
The most noticeable results of the
cleanup were in evidence in small
allevs where ashes had been piled
high in the yards to the tops of the
FENCES. Now all the ashes are gone
and in many places small war gar
cons have been started in the back
yards.
Part of the trip extended through
some of the better sections. At all
points suggested by the city officials
the autos were turned into narrow
streets so that backwards could be
seen. Grass plots, small gardens
ana few cans or boxes. most of
them either empty or only partly
filled, were found.
At the rear of the houses along
Bellevue Road many receptacles are
filled but the inspectors said these
will be removed before the end of the
week.
Missed One Ward
The only ward on Allison Hill in
which the officials made no inspec-
ton was the Thirteenth, extending
from the the old city line east of
ferl tor h CIV - h. sN,A
at Twenty ninth street. AS many of
the streets there are unpaved and
there are number of steep grades,
it was decided to return to the center
of the city and turn north to the up
town districts, which are more dense
ly populated.
A number of alleys between Sixth
and Seventh streets were gone over
first and because of the high board
fences at times the commissioners
stood in the autos to peer over them
into the yards, most OF which are
now entirely clean. In only one yard
in this district a pile of ashes was
seen and this will be removed as
soon as it is filled into receptacles the
inspectors said. Just west of the
railroad at the Herr street subway
the officials left the cars and tramp
ed through narrow alleys at the rear
of frame roms, only tO find the same
conditions. One foreigner in broken
English told them the yards are in
much better conditions now than at
any time during the year.
The district north of Herr along
Cameron street also was inspected.
Here some of the bad housing con-
ditions so often called to the atten-
ton of city officials were found, but
along all but one or two backyards
boxes and other receptacles were
empty. On some of the vacant lots
in this section piles of rubbish were
seen. The ash inspectors said these
had been there for years, probably
being started when the old contract
ing firm failed to make regular col
lections.
Suggest Prosecution
The ash inspectors asked the
commissioners to stop at the rear of
a house in the 400 block of North
Front street where a large pile of