AMONG THE CLEANSING SUPERINTENDENTS.
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At their Annual Conference, the Superintendents Discuss Mechanical Transport and Observe the Capabilities of Appliances Demonstrated
Before Them.
THE Institute of Cleansing Superintendents held its 27th annual conference at Swansea during last week, from Monday to Friday. Some 400 members and delegates assembled on Tuesday morning (Monday having been reserved for the council meeting) at the Patti Pavilion, under the presidency of Mr. J. C. Dawes, chief of the Ministry of Health Cleansing Department, and retiring president of the Institute.
The delegates were accorded an official reception by the Mayor of Swansea (Alderman John_ Lewis), who wished the conference success in ascertaining the best and most modern methods of refuse collecting and street cleansing. Alderman Pendleton (Nottingham) thanked the Mayor on behalf of the delegates. The new president, Mr. J. Richard Heath, borough surveyor, Swansea, was then formally installed. In his presidential address Mr. Heath remarked on the passing of the old ways of public cleansing with its handcarts in favour of the adoption of mechanical vehicles and methods. Collection, salvage, with mechanical methods, and systems of costing and recording had reached a high_ standard, but had yet by experiment to be perfected. Costing accuracy, was of most importance.
A paper on "The Municipal Activities of Swansea" was read by Mr. G. H. Bell (deputy borough engineer of Swansea). He remarked upon the development of modern transport roads by which real cleanliness of roads would, ultimately, be possible. The Swansea experiments with mechanical street sweepers had been highly successful. Honourable mention was made of the mechanical vehicles employed, namely, the Laffiy (England) street sweeper and Edison Electric accumulator' 2i-ton wagons for refuse collection.
Discussion on the paper centred upon the reduction of vehicle collection tonnage by home refuse destruction. There was general agreement that smooth-surface roads which were adapted to modern transport should be everywhere constructed. This, it was contended, would render road surfaces facile to mechanical sweepers, which amounted to roads being self-cleansing, Mr. Priestley (Sheffield) thought collection would be facilitated in the matter of house refuse by the use of a universal type of bin, and Mr. Thompson (Motherwell) objected to Swansea's proposal to incorporate in a Parliamentary Bill the placing of an onus on householders to own the standard dustbin. Mr. Lasky (Eccles) thought the corporation should not make a profit on the annual rental charge on bins.
The afternoon of Tuesday was given up to a demonstration of mechanical appliances suited to refuse collection and street cleansing. The interest centred in this practical phase of the programme might• be gauged by the presence of vehicles owned by east of England corporations and by the fact that the entries constituted a record in number and diversity of characteristics. It was decided to hold no official " trials " as to times and accomplishments, but that each vehicle should demonstrate its accomplishments to inquirers. Those on exhibit were the Yorkshire gully emptier with tank (collection) retainer, and the Yorkshire water tank vehicle ; the Laere threewheel street sweeper ; the Laftly four-wheel street sweeper with water spray ; the Eagle tipping body refuse collector ; the Karrier combined street sweeping and collection vehicle, which, as the only combination of the kind, attracted much attention ; the SD freighters, which comprised a 20-seater saloon bus, a tipping refuse collection body and a bulk disposal or haulage vehicle ; the Modern Wheel Drive Co.'s exhibit of a refuse collection vehicle, with covered compartment body, giving easy facilities for bucket or bin emptying ; Tuke and Bell's petrol-engined wagon with body suited to scavenging or a combination by use of trailer for a broom for street sweeping and collecting ; Messrs. Fowler's exhibit was a steam wagon and sprinkler and street scourer.
On Tuesday, too, was held a meeting of the Scottish members' section, and the social functions were well attended, the weather being glorious and the arrangements excellent.
The exhibition of municipal service vehicles continued at Swansea on Wednesday, and, in addition to the vehicles enumerated in Tuesday's exhibit list, Messrs. Thornycroft demonstrated a 24-seater saloon bus, with body by Messrs. Normans, Cardiff.
A paper suggesting methods of refuse reduction by borne-burning processes was read by Mr. James Jackson, superintendent Salvage Department, Birmingham. A strong appeal was made by Mr. Jackson for larger use of the advertising media of the weekly trade and technical journals as the beat way of bringing home to the public knowledge of cleansing work and processes. Discussion ensued and centred on the utility of mechanical vehicles for refuse collection in view of their adaptability to hilly districts. Mr. H. Edridge (Chesterfield) read a paper on "Some of the experiences in the use of modern methods ot refuse disposal at Blackburn."
The annual dinner of the Institute was held on Wednesday night, Mr. J. R. Heath presiding. The Mayor of Swansea (Aid. Lewis) attended.
On Thursday a paper, "Street Cleansing iu Glasgow, with Costs," was read by Mr. W. Greig, cleansing superintendent, Glasgow, and a paper by Mr. II. M. Webb, deputy borough engineer, Southport, on "The Container System of Refuse Collection, with Costs," was also heard and discussed. The latter paper compared the successful ragefield container system in use at Southport with the abandoned method of horse-vehicle collection of refuse. The use of the ragefieid lorry with removable body attachment for manceuvring on tip or central towing to destructor was amply demonstrated. Assuming a loading rate of 9 cwt. per man per hour the costing worked out as follows :—One mile to tip, 15,568 tons per annum, 51.4 pence per ton ; 2 miles, 70.7 pence ; 3 miles, 71.3 pence ; 4 miles, 85.3 pence ; 5 miles, 88.2 pence, according to the Southport experience. This included all manual labour and overhead machinery charges, with cost of operation.
The annual meeting of the Institute was held on Thursday, when matters of domestic interest were discussed. The concluding day of the conference was given to social functions.
An addreks by Mr. J. G. Gibbon, C.R.E., assistant secretary of the Ministry of Health, was devoted to an emphasis of the importance of accurate and regular systems of costing. Mr. Gibbon was of opinion that weekly costing reports should be made by municipal departments that would act as adjusting bases to municipal committees in superintendence of cleansing work.
During the week the South Wales Transport Co.'s buses were available for free use by the delegates, thus, thanks to Mr. David James, J.P., managing director, enabling the delegates to visit the Gower coast and inland centres of interest.