Hustling Up Snow Clearance
Page 21
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UNEXPECTEDLY hard weather, such as that experienced last winter, often creates considerable difficulties for municipal authorities, for the reason that in this country heavy snowfalls are not frequent enough to merit the employment of special.equipment. In some countries, however, where heavy falls are a regular winter occurrence, ploughs and snow-loaders are operated in order to effect speedy
clearance and thus to prevent the complete disruption of transport facilities.
This is the case in the residential town of Montclair (U.S.A.), where cleanliness is a by-word. A dozen vehicles are employed by the Department of Public Works, and in winter they work double duties, collecting refuse by day and clearing snow in their normal off-hours. By the use of the snow-loader, these vehicles, with their . 16-cubic-yard bodies, can operate at a good speed.
During other seasons, when not carrying refuse the vehicles may be hauling excavated debris and other material required by the department. During the spring and summer they carry large quantities of earth and stone, whilst in autumn they keep the 80 miles of streets clear of leaves.
For a number of years up to 1937, the cost of refuse collection carried out under private contract was approximately 120,000 dollars a year, which provided for three collections weekly. At that time the municipal fleet was set up, and during the first year it brought down the charges, inclhding depreciation and overheads, to 94,729 dollars. Later, collections were reduced to two a week and this brought a fur
ther drop in the costs to 84,200 dollars. Savings thus effected have already more than paid off the cost of the fleet.
Furthermore, ' various working improvements have been made. For instance, prior to the municipality operating its own fleet, collections were made in the early morning and business houses had to put out their refuse on the previous night. Often, before the collectors arrived, the action of the wind or small boys had scattered the
litter all around the district. Now, under a more elastic schedule, the rounds are made later and the bins no longer have to be put out overnight.