Cleansing Problems in the Limelight
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Apart from a Representative Exhibition and Demonstration of Vehicles and Appliances, Several Papers with a Transport Background were Included, in the Programme of the Conference of the Institute of Public Cleansing at Margate This Week
TRANSPORT atmosphere is not so prominent in the papers that were listed for reading at this year's annual Conference—the 39th—of the Institute of Public Cleansing, which opened at Margate on Monday last and closes this evening. This is not altogether surprising, when one remembers that, at last year's event, most of the papers had a background of transport and . that the generic term "public cleansing" covers a multitude of activities.
• The President Reviews the Importance of the Cleansing Service.
Following his installation, the new president, Mr. H. Cook, cleansing superintendent of Rochdale, delivered his presidential address, during which he briefly reviewed the place of public cleansing in local government. "
There must be few urban districts where the streets are not cleansed and the house refuse is not removed at least _once a week. In naany places a more frequent service is the rule and, broadly, the trend is in that direction. Duties of this nature, performed with such frequency and regularity, must, pointed out the president, incur a substantial expenditure. Because they are repetitive they lend themselves to close organization, yet, being subject to influences of climate and circumstance, they need constant supervision and adjustment if they are not, said Mr. Cook, to degenerate into a wasteful and partly effective routine.
In these factors the author sees the reason for local authorities reorganizing their public cleansing activities on the basis of self-contained departments.
He dealt with the unsavoury conditions of the past and thought it natural that a branch of the public service which was to employ directly some 60,000 or 70,000 people and much specialized plant and rolling stock ata cost of R10,500,000 a year, should, in time, develop a technique of its own. That development, he added, has been influenced by costing. In discoursing at some length upon this factor, he emphasized that costing is a means to an end and that low costs can only be accepted as a legitimate end when they are related to given standards of perfOrmance.
Mr. Cook did not make many specific references to transport in his address, but in one passing comment he said that there is no easier means for displaying a legitimate pride of purpose than transport. The appearance on the streets of well-appointed and smartly painted vehicles, bearing evidence of recent cleaning, is really not difficult to secure, and he suggested a suitable routine.
Such a procedure constitutes, in his opinion, an appeal and an inspiration to the public and to the cleansing staff. Some authorities have yet to learn this lesson, but,if they question its wisdom, they should remember that,;. as Mr. Cook says, "dirt is the negation of sanitary excellence."
New Cleansing Code Called For by Islington's Superintendent.
The next item on the programme was a paper by Mr. F, E. Browning, cleansing superintendent of Islington, on "The, Need for a New Code for the Public Cleansing Service." At the outset, he states that, until comparatively recently, the functions of a public-cleansing authority were to remove and to dispose of house refuse at stated intervals and to keep the streets tidy. Modern technique. however, has advanced rapidly and, in his opinion, the standard which was acceptable some years ago, would not now he tolerated. He then proceeds to deal with the requirements of the new code, and discusses the question of house-refuse collec tion. In this section of the service, one can scarcely justify the continued manufacture and employment of the old open-topped high-sided vehicle, with its accompanying array of dangerous and cumbersome ladders, and with bodies constructed of absorbent timber. This observation obviously, refers to horse-drawn vehicles, for we know of no motor manufacturer which is, to-day, producing vehicles of this type.
The sub-committee appointed to report on publiccleansing matters in London, suggests a by-law in this connection, which would establish a minimum standard of conditions without, in any way, hampering a local authority in its choice of a vehicle, or placing difficulties in the way of manufacturers having novel features of design to develop.
He will find support in many directions for his contention that in order to obtain the maximum efficiency
from collecting vehicles an amended form of taxation would be of assistaire. At Present, any collecting vehicle embodying hygienic features which increase the unladen weight (a condition which occurs in almost every case) penalizes the user by increasing the amount of tax payable. It naturally operates against the manufacturer, too, because of its direct effect on operating costs.
Emphasizing this point, the author says that, in view of this fact, undesirable modifications in design are introduced, because, instead of the design being considered solely with a view to producing a vehicle of the highest hygienic efficiency, the question of keeping the unladen weight within certain taxation limits is always present, with the result that an undesirable compromise often ensues.
At a later stage in his paper, he proceeds to deal with certain phases of street cleansing, which he regards as a costly section of public-cleansing work, The new code would, in his opinion, deal with many of the difficulties of this service. The problem of keeping streets in a clean condition is great in the best of circumstances, but he thinks that efforts should be made to check the carelessness with which much litter is thrown into the roads.
The Influence of Transport on Refuse-collection Economics.
On the afternoon of the same day, Mr. A. E. Kennedy, cleansing superintendent of Kensington, read a paper on the "-Economics of Refuse Collection," which contains a number of points of direct transport interest. • In the author's view, no other service of a cleansing department requires such constant reorganization in order to maintain the maximum efficiency for the minimum expenditure as that of refuse collection. With each revision of method and operation the following factors require study :—population and its distribution, building densities and development, physical characteristics of districts, frequency of collections, weight and volume of refuse and the relation of one to the other, character of refuse, length of carry, and length of haul.
He repeats a known fact when he states that, Of recent years, there has been a general tendency-far refuse to become lighter and more bulky in character, with a result that changes in transport equipment have been introduced. Compared with, say, seven years ago, differences which have been revealed in refuse collection are as follow :— Reduced weight per load, increased loads, increased traction or longer hours of usage, decreased weight per manhour, increased number of bins to handle.
So far as transport vehicles are concerned, improvements introduced to meet these changes include increased body capacity, means for compressing and packing the load, moving floors and trailer and container systems.
Some authorities incline to the view that a form of transport suitable for one district is not convenient for another, but. the author emphasizes that the predominant question in all districts is how best to collect refuse in the quickest time: this being the goal 'of all thcise engaged in the service. Vehicles as large as local conditions will permit must be employed.
Has Bulk Reached Its Peak ?
He recites at this point his experience in Kensington, where the authorities have been faced, during the past few years, with an increase in yield and a reduced weight per cubic yd. of refuse. As a result, he adds, one is undecided whether bulk has reached its peak and is still doubtful whether the time is opportune to consider any revolutionary change in types of body.
He supports some of his observations on refuse 'collection in Kensington with a table, which gives some informative facts and figures, and which shows that the rate in the pound for collection and disposal has fallen from 5.25d. in 1928-29 to 4.64d. in 1935-36. Much of the latter part of his paper deals with bins and their handling.
Two papers were presented to the delegates on the third day of the Conference, one by Mr. H. Edridg-e, cleansing superintendent of Chesterfield, entitled "Problems Asso ciated with the Changing Character of House Refuse," being of but minor concern to most of our readers, although insofar as it analyses the classes of refuSe which have to be handled it may be of more than academic interest to vehicle manufacturers.
With this point in mind, it is worth recording that tests have .provided evidence of the fact that a ton of refuse in 1935-36 occupied 15 cubic ft. more than in 1933-34—an increase iâ volume of 13.93 per. cwt.
Increased Body Space Needed.
The effect of such a change on the organization and costing of a local cleansing service will be understood when it is pointed out that on the 1933-34 yield a 4-ton refuse collector needed about 21 cubic yds. more body capacity to carry its full pay-load in 1935-36.
Tn his concluding remarks Mr. Edridge asks if this density of refuse continues to decrease, what will be the effect on the design of refuse-collection vehicles? Whatever its influence, one may feel certain thatcommercialvehicle makers will rise to the occasion and meet "things to come."
Yesterday was given over to an exhibition and demontration of municipal vehicles and appliances, details of which were given in our issue for last week, and in our next issue an eye-witness will give his impressions of this event, one of the special features of which was a demonstration of decontamination equipment. The conference closes to-clay (Friday).