COLLECTION OF REFUSE BY ELECTRIC S.
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The . Way to Municipal Economy. An
Interesting Comparison of Figures.
NEARLY three years ago the Hackney Borough Council decided to purchase four electric vehicles to be employed in connection with the collection of house refuse. In January, 1921, the Borough Council gave instructions for an experimental daily collection of house refuse to be conducted in the De Beauvoir and Stamford Hill districts by means of these vehicles.
In September, however, the Council decided to discontinue the experiment and employ the vehicles on a weekly collection. .
Now the Borough Surveyor has presented a report generally on the subject of the collection of house. refuse by means of mechanically propelled vehicles from the whole of the borough.
The total amount collected by the vehicles for the 14 weeks ended January 21st, 1922, was 1,786 tons 13 ovirt. If this quantity had been collected by the contractors, the cost would have been £1,171 14s. 6d., or, taking a basis of ;e4 per week minimum wage for the contractors' men, £1,823 17s. 10d. The total running costs and capital charges in connection with the collection by the electric Vehicles amounted to £1,119 12s. 6d., which shows a saving of £204 5s. Ad. for the 14 weeks above referred to.
. Electric Vehicles Show Economy.
The results of the weekly collection experiment, the report states, show that the provision of electric vehicles is advantageous and economical in connection with the actual operation of collecting the refuse. It is easy of manipulation, reliable, and can be done at a coniparatively low running cost. From the experiment made, it appears that the. 3i-ton is preferable to the 2-ton vehicle. The cost of a vehicle of a 31-ton carrying capacity, non-tipping type, but embracing steel tub bodies, is estimated to he £1,120.
The estimated result to be obtained by the collection of house refuse in the whole of the borough by electrically propelled vehicles is as follows:, With regard to the handling of refuse at the destructor, considerable delay in unloading vehicles still occurs, and it will be necessary to install handling plant in order to overcome the difficulty.
In connection with the proposed collection by electric Vehicles fitted with steel tubs, Messrs. Ransome and Rapier have put forward a scheme which is approved by the engineers, and have offered to supply three special transporter cranes and gantry for this work. The cranes will lift the tubs containing the refuse from -the chassis and shoot the refuse on to heaps near the furnace doors. The total inclusive cost of this plant would amount to £6,000, but it is estimated that by this improved means ef handling a minimum saving of £1,500 per annum would be effected, or, after allowing for capital charges, etc., a net saving of £600 per annum on present-day expenditure. The Cleansing Committee of the Council recommends:-(1) That the collection of house refuse from the whole of the borough by means of mechanically propelled vehicles and the direct employment of all necessary labour required, at an estimated capital cost of £23,490 for vehicles £8,100 for garage accommodation and 25,450 for Charging plant, making a total estimated capital expenditure of 237,040, 'be approved and that they he hereby authorized to take all necessary steps to bring the scheme into operation at the earliest possible date. .(2) That the scheme in connection with the hand, ling of house refuse, above referred to, upon which it is estimated that a total capital expenditure of £6,000 will be necessary, be approved.
A Comparison with Charges by Contractors who Use Horses.
Reporting on these proposals, the Finance Committee says that the recent decisions of the Borough Council applying the Joint Industrial Council's rate of wages to the employees, and the reduction in the charges for electric energy for charging batteries of electric; vehicles necessitates an amendment of the figures shown in the report of the Public Health Committee ; and, taking into Consideration the abovementioned factors, the following figures show the estimated results to be obtained if the proposed scheme is carried out, and a comparison with the work done under contract: