MUNICIPAL ENGINEERS AND THEIR PROBLEMS.
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By E. J. Elford, M.Inst.C.E., City Engineer, Architect and Surveyor, Cardiff.
AT THE CLOSE of the greatest war. in history we find ourselves in a different world—a world battered, torn and impoverished—and faced with problems of reconstruction which might well make the bravest anxious and doubtful of the future. History has shown, however, over and over again, that a Britisher is at his best when in a, tight place, and the writer has the faith to belive that, when the gravity of the situation is. fully realized, ways will be found out of all difficulties.
It is important to remember that, to a great extent, the whole world is passing through a period of transition, and that not only are we involved in problems of national, civic and industrial reconstruction, but also in world-wide problems. It may, in fact, be said that our whole outlook and mode of thought is undergoing a process of reconstruction or at any rate readjustment. It is clear, therefore, that every individual must play some part a.nd that no one can. escape being influenced by the changes that are tak ing place. .
. Moreover, it is safe to say that unless we who hold important positions in the public service live up to our responsibilities the, community as a whole must suffer. It seems to the writer that the first requirement is a broad vision and that even those whose interests appear to he of a, local, almost parochial character must in future cultivate a regional, national and even international outlook.
During the last five years we and other nations have been squandering life and wealth at a terrifio rate and prosperity can only be regained by great and united effort. On the other hand, there is an insistent and growing demand by the bulk of the population for a higher standard Of living and more leisure, which, somehow . or other, will have to be satisfied.
The Call for Increased Efficiency.
it is clear that the only way to meet these conditions is by increased efficiency, elimination of waste, and an enormous increase in the productive capacity of human effort. It is also essential that every individual should realize the importance of reducing imports and increasing exports, and local officials can assist in this direction by endeavouring to utilize home-produced materials to the greatest possilale extent.
In every town the cost of public works has been rising by leaps and bounds. Before the war the wage of unskilled labourers in Cardiff was W. per hour • and the ordinary working week was 52 hours.the minimum rate is is. 3d. per hour for a Li-hour week.
_ Personally, the writer is not afraid of high wages and short hours if men will do their beat whilst at work, with both hands and head. History has shown that increased cost of labour has invariably stimulated invention, which has, often had the effect of ultimately reducing cost of production notwithstanding the higher rate of wages.
To some it may appear that progress in this direction is nearly exhausted, but, the writer is optimistic enough to look for the invention of appliances and introduction of methods for inCreasing the productiveness of human effort to a greater extent than any which have been produced in the past. Now that the wages paid to agricultural labourers, for instance, is, in most; eases, about three times what it was a few years ago there is much greater inducement to mania facturers to produce, aed landowners and farmers to c30 . adopt, new and more efficient appliances and methods in connection with the cultivation of the soil and the treatment of crops than has been the case previously. It is well known that in the past. there has been much had farming which has resulted in the total yield of agricultural land being very much below what it should have been. The writer has himself seen well-farmed land producing four times as much per acre as that obtained from adjoining land in the occupation of another farmer, less capable and not so up to date in his methods. The relative amount of labour required to produce the smaller yield was, of course, much higher than that necessary for the larger crops, so that, if all the farm land were treated so as to give the best results, the relative expenditure of labour would be considerably reduced, and a higher wage could be paid, without increasing the cost to the consumer.
The same considerations apply in a greater or less degree to practically all branches of work, and there is, probably, not one which would not benefit by thorough study and research on scientific lines. Certainly the various activities in which municipal engineers are engaged would be no exceptions in this respect. At the time war broke out a move was being made in the direction of the greater use of labour-saving appliances for municipal work. War demands of the past five years practically put an end to this for the time being, but the conditions now operating are such as to renaer it more imperaa tive than ever that every effort should be made to increase efficiency and reduce costs. The writer now
proposes to suggest a few directions in which it should be possible to do this, One of the most important and at the same time most.costly duties of a local authority is the collection and disposal of house refuse.
Motors for Refuse Collection.
In many cases, the collection can be very much cheapened by the extended use of the motor vehicle. In employing vehicles driven by steam or petrol engines one of the main essentials to efficient working is to secure a reasonable daily mileage, and this is almost impossible When they are used in the ordinary way for house to house collection. The mileage factor must necessarily be small, which means intermittent working. In addition the constant starting and stopping reduces the efficiency. Electrically-driven vehicles, however, are not affected to the same extent by these conditions, as energy is only being consumed when the vehicle is on the move, and in almost direct proportion to the work done. Moreover, they are simpler in construction and operation, and consequently less liable to get out of order and can be managed by comparatively unskilled men.
Under most conditions, therefore, where a 'self-contamed motor vehicle is used for this class of wore, the electric lorry appears to be the most efficient. The writer suggests, hawever, that in many towns, especially where the tip is a. considerable distance from the point of collection, it would pay to collect from house to house by horses and arrange for the delivery of empty wagons and picking up arid haulage to the tip of full wagons by small tractors. Such a system would require careful organization and surervision to prevent waste of time at the change-over points, hut, from an experiment he made just before the war, he is satisfied that it has great possibilities.
The Need for Loading from the Ground.
Wagon bodies which can he loaded from ground level would also reduce labour considerably. The writer is aware of the practical-difficulties of doing this, but does not think they should be found insurmountable. If they are, he suggests the consideration of some simple form of loading apparatus attached to motor vehicles so that the refuse could be tipped into a hopper from the road and loaded by mechanical power into the vehicle.
Many motors used for municipal work are fitted with interchangeable bodies, but the methods adopted for changing. over are often such as to invole much waste of time and labour. It is important that this should be prevented.
It is recognized that, ta obtain the best .results from the use of motor vehicles, quicker loading and unloading must be -provided. A power tipping body will give quicker unloading, but quick loading is more difficult to arrange. • To load a five-ton lorry with macadam by land would take three men, on the average. about half an hour, and, assuming, say, four loads a day, means a cost for labour of probably 2s. a load, even if the men can be kept fully employed between the loads, which is seldom possible.
The writer is considering the provision of a simple portable elevator, in the hope that it may be possible to load a lorry in about five minutes. • Motor sweeping-machines are in use in a number of towns, and enable the carriageways to be cleaned more quickly and more economically than by horsedrawn machines. Efforts have been made to produce combined sweeping and collecting power-driven vehicles. The writer has been able to inspect several types of these machines. but has not yet seen one that appears to him to be fully satisfactory.
They may be divided into two groups, viz. those which sweep and load into a separate vehicle and those which sweep and load into a container forming part of the machine itself.
Both types appear to be cumbersome and clumsy. and neither is capable of sweeping close up to the kerb, where most of the dust accumulates. ate selfcontained type of machine involves a journey to the tip each time the container is filled, and, as the capacity of this must necessarily be comparatively small, this is likelY to result in much loss of time. Another disadvantage is that such a machine can be used for no other purpose and would, therefore, be idle much of its time. The ideal apparatus would seem to be a light portable combined sweeper and elevator, capable of sweeping right up to the kerb and delivering into a separate vehicle—the latter being either motor-driven or horse-drawn.
Securing Economy in Sweeping Operations.
It might be desirable to provide it with a small petrol motor for operating the broom and elevator. Hitherto machines of this kind have had to rely for power upon the vehicle receiving the refuse, the power being transmitted through the road wheels. The writer suggests that, where the mileage of roads to he swept is considerable, the most economical course would be to sweep the refuse from the road into the channel by motor-driven sweepers and then to pick it up and load it by means of the suggested combined sweeper and elevator. A machine of the latter kind might be so constructed as to permit of the removal of the sweeping apparatus so that the elevator might be used for other kinds of work.
Vacuum gulley-cleaners are already used in large numbers and effect a considerable saving in labour and expense where the street gullies are of a suitable pattern. During the war street watering has been reduced almost to vanishing point, and, although it is desirable in the interests of public health that this should not continue, it is unlikely to be carried out to the same extent as before. The introduction of road tarring and of impervious road surfaces has done much to reduce the dust nuisance, but it must be borne in mind that the dust now produced consists largely of decomposed organic matter which is particularly dangerous to health. The flushing of the channels and haunches to a width of, say, 2 ft. or 3 ft. from the kerb is of much advantage from this point of view and can be carried out quickly and economically by electric or other motor water vans fitted with side distributors.
Other Uses for Power Plant.
Local authorities who execute much of this work by administration will in most ewes find it of advantage to centralize the work of their various departments and to provide, or increase, labour-saving appliances, such as power-driven circular and band saws, lathes, drilling machines, smiths' hammers, chaff cutters, planing machines, hoisting apparatus, etc. Where natural stone paving is used in large quantities it may be worth while to consider the installation of pneumatic stone dressers, and, in some cases, such as tramway works, a pneumatic stamping machine may be found. advantageous. Under present conditions it is not sufficient that members of the Institution should be content to rely upon manufacturers to introduce improved apparatus, but they should endeavour to think things out for themselves and devise new and improved methods. The subject of road construction is also one which must be reviewed from new standpoints. The cost of wood paving is almost prohibitive. Granite setts are also high in price, but less costly than wood. The ordinary rough setta are, however, objectionable, being both noisy and 'destructive of rolling stock and horses. Althou,0 it is impossible to estimate the loss
to the Community resulting from this destructive effect it is without doubt a very serious item in towns where setts are in general. use. The writer suggests that this is a question which should. not be overlooked by local authorities.