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Peculiar Cleansing Problems
Page 100
Page 101
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in Varied East Lancashire Centres
The Smaller Boroughs are Following the Lead of the Larger Towns and Cities in Abandoning the Horse and Adopting Modern Methods
the original situation of the various communities and the industries in which they became engaged resulted in the growth of numerous smaller centres that still retain their individuality. These places to-day present to the committees and officers responsible for their welfare a problem of their own, which is not to be met simply by dividing by 10 the resources essential for a city 10 times the size.
Because of the small radius of operation—and, perhaps, to some extent, because of the sentiment that tends to linger in the smaller type of community—the horse continued to hold its own until a few years ago, but the arrival of the low-loading vehicle, the mechanical horse and other highly c48 efficient motor cleansing appliances changed the position.
From that stage, steady progress has been made in many such districts, but in the older type of industrial or semiindustrial area there still exist places that are impracticable for motor operation. In some instances, where departments are fully mechanized, it is necessary to hire horsed vehicles, from time to time, in order to deal with such difficulties.
Conditions typical of those described are ta be found in the East Lancashire belt of towns. Several of them, selected at random, have been the subject of a brief investigation by a representative of The Commercial Motor.
A particularly interesting instance is that of Nelson, a borough with a population of just over 38,000, where recently, says Mr, J. T. Nutter, director of cleansing, motors have taken the places of horsed vehicles which had proved to be far too slow, eipecially in those places farthest from the depot. The transition has taken place gradually and this circumstance has made it impossible to forecast the ultimate state of the department in respect of the two types of transport.
Amongst the purchases during the past year have been two Karrier Ban-.
tams for refuse collection. A few months earlier an innovation was tried in the acquisition of a Karrier Cob tractor and a large-capacity rear-loading semi-trailer body with a Transport moving floor (for refuse collection), the tractor also being used in connection with a Fowler vacuum gully-emptier semi-trailer.
• It is anticipated that, in the current year, the new machine will show a reduction in the cost of this work. Two Karrier sweepers and collectors (one dating back to 1924, the other bought in 1932) do steady work in street scavenging. The machines are supplemented by four orderly carts, which clear the channels and footpaths of paper and other rubbish. Other miStor vehicles used by the department are a Karrier CYR refuse collector and two Karrier CY2 three-way tippers. There are also a Bunce snowplough for attachment to motor sweepers, and three Bunce trailer gritting machines. In the year to March, 1935, mechanical transport represented 39.7 per cent. of the whole collection system.
Some 52 miles of streets are dealt with by the 'motor sweepers, the frequency being: daily, four miles; three times weekly, 34 miles; twice weekly, 41 miles; weekly, 94 miles; less than once weekly, 301 miles. Gullies to be cleansed number 18,777.
A total of 8,990 tons of refuse dealt with, according to the 1935 return, included 2,684 tons from ashpits, 3,416 tons from dustbins, 1,334 tons of trade refuse and 434 tons of offal from slaughterhouses, also 400 tons delivered • by tradesmen and 560 tons of garden refuse and clinkers which were collected separately and deposited on the tip at Reedyford.
Collection of clinkers from the heating apparatus of schools, churches, bakehouses and clubs is free of charge, and this fact, together with the preceding item of free garden-refuse collection, helps to make the average for collection and disposal amount to 18s. ld. per ton, which is rather higher than in many similar towns.
The whole of the collected refuse is dealt with by the modern plant, working daily a shift of eight hours. Steam generated by the furnaces is used to heat garages and workshops, and operates an engine which, in turn, drives a tin-baling press and a mortar mill.
With this example of a town within 20 miles, it is not surprising to find that Darwen (which has about 2,000 fewer population) has modern methods under• consideration. Up to the present, .Dati.ven has employed a large number of horses, the sole motor being a Morris-Commercial, which has given five years' service on general work.
How satisfactory motors can prove even in a small community is shown in Bacup. Collection of domestic and trade refuse is effected entirely by two S.D. Freighters, which constitute the sole transport system of the cleansing department for this town of 20,000 population, reports Mr. Arthur E. Barnes, the cleansing director. Between them, these vehicles average 50 loads a week. Bacup is a town where there are places that cannot be reached by motors, and so occasionally it is necessary to hire a horse and cart to supplement the services available.
During 1934 night-time pail collections were discontinued, and the work was done during the day by .means of a motor refuse collector incorporating a specially designed tank. Mr. Barnes states that this change-over enabled a horsed cart to be disposed of, and, in addition, permitted a considerable increase in the efficiency of the work, resulting in a saving of no less than £72
per annum. Collection and disposal costs per 1,000 population were £94 7s.
Clitheroe, with only 11,690 persons, can show a total collection and disposal cost of 9s, per ton, but this figure is aided, to some extent, by charges made for trade-refuse collection. Here, again, only two vehicles are used, these being Vulcan 2-ton low-loaders, which, for the period ended March, 1935, were operated at a cost of £3 12s. per vehicle per week.
A total of 3,073 tons of refuse dealt with for the year to March, 1935, was divided into 2,702 tons from houses and shops, with the balance of 371 tons from markets and slaughterhouses. The cost •per house was 7s. lid., or 2s. 4d. per head of population, representing £118 4s. 6d. per 1,000 population, or a rate of 5.7d. The total cost of collection and disposal was £1,364.
Rochdale, with a population of over 90,000, a different type of town from those places already described, makes interesting comparisons, particularly with Nelson. Little street-sweeping is needed, an average of about a mile a day being carried out by horsed sweeper and none by motor.
As the result of the satisfaction given by a Dennis-Transport all-metal moving-floor refuse collector, purchased during the previous year, says Mr. H. Cook, cleansing superintendent, a second such vehicle was bought, this bringing the total of mechanical vehicles to 25.
The fact that practically every new house has a garden -has brought the disposal of garden refuse to the fore. In Rochdale it is not permissible for it to be placed in dustbins, and special collections are made.
Sweepings and gully-sludge removed from the streets amount to 6,248 loads. Of snow that was carted, two loads went by motor and 28 by horsed vehicle, whilst for gritting the figures were 138 and 23 respectively, and for salting 25 and 56. In refuse collection, mechanical vehicles dealt with 97.79 per cent, of the total. Net collection and disposal charges amounted to 18s. 24d. per ton, or lid. more than those shown by Nelson.
This survey of a large area afforded clear evidence of the reduction in work brought about by mechanization.