628.46 P 5. 5 2 BBM MUNICIPAL STREET CLEANING IN PHILADELPHIA — Otc Fy saath AAMe'g je .< oe? : Py 3 ° a oF a. ° —\ . - om —\ ten | oad = aee*, ee Bere av : z q 8h Se ¢ =) 5 S| Bea Fat 24 | = es Spt SB = BUREAU OF MUNICIPAL RESEARCH OF PHILADELPHIA JUNE, 1924 ccc HMO ee f » DVRS 0) pee "Oe ar eh Gad MUNICIPAL STREET CLEANING IN PHILADELPHIA An Analysis of the Problem of Street Cleaning and Refuse Collection and Disposal, with an Evaluation of the Results Attained During the First Year of City-Wide Municipal Operation PREPARED BY THE ~—— BUREAU OF MUNICIPAL RESEARCH OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLISHED JUNE, 1924 ‘ FOREWORD The change from the contract system of street cleaning to municipal operation, which was begun on January 1, 1921, and completed a year later, is one of the most important events in the recent history of Philadelphia. An imposing task, requiring a huge organization of men and equipment and touching intimately the welfare of every resident, was taken, by this change, out of the hands of private individuals and added to the activities of our city government. It was not without a struggle that this change was brought about. Many persons opposed it on the ground that the city would not do the work so well nor so cheaply as the contractors. The opposition, however, was not strong enough to prevent the adoption by the state legislature of 1919, as part of the so-called “new charter” act, of a provision decidedly favorable to municipal street cleaning. By this provision the city not only gained the power to employ its own street-cleaning forces, but was commanded to do so unless the mayor and council decided jointly to have the work done by contract. After the new charter went into effect, there followed a period of almost two years of doubt and hesita- tion on the part of the municipal administration. Largely through caution, the city began the new undertaking on a small scale, con- fining it at first to the central section of the city. The results in that section, however, proved most favorable, and on January 1, 1922, municipal street cleaning was extended to the entire city. Now that Philadelphia has had actual experience with city- wide municipal street cleaning, ardent champions and doubters alike may well turn to that experience for light. It seems op- portune, therefore, to analyze and evaluate the results that have been attained by the new method; to search out the major weak- nesses in organization, personnel, plant, and equipment; and to point out how the city’s operations may be improved. Early in 1923, at the invitation of Frank H. Caven, at that time director of the department of public works, the Bureau of Municipal Research undertook this task. Throughout the study, the Bureau has had the fullest cooperation, first from Director Caven, later from his successor, Director George H. Biles, and from the personnel of the street-cleaning division. Mention should be 4 made particularly of the assistance of John H. Neeson, formerly deputy chief of the bureau of highways, in charge of the street- cleaning division, now chief of the bureau of highways; and of Percy F. Proctor, now deceased, who for a time was in charge of the street-cleaning work. Grateful acknowledgment of these courtesies is hereby made. The survey was conducted and the report prepared orincinallll by James W. Follin, who until recently was the engineer of the Bureau’s staff. Mr. Follin had followed the street-cleaning proj- ect since 1919 and had served as a member of the mayor’s com- mission of engineers of 1920. When he left the Bureau to take up his new duties with the state highway department of Pennsylvania, Mr. Follin had completed his part of the survey, but the report was not yet in final form. Charles A. Howland, who succeeded Mr. Follin as the Bureau’s staff engineer, has rendered valuable service in the completion of the report, particularly in the ar- rangement of the material. Robert J. Patterson, chief accountant on the Bureau’s staff, has assisted as consultant on bookkeeping and accounting problems and on methods of controlling expendi- tures. The undersigned has studied the personnel problems of the street-cleaning division and prepared the charter devoted to this subject. WILLIAM C. BEYER Director CONTENTS Pes (sO UN DI AAIN DON) TiO) ie yeaa hin mas im Os History of street cleaning and refuse disposal in Philadel- phia—Defects of contract work—Municipal operation in- troduced—The scope of the street-cleaning operations— Extent of the work—Local handicaps—Size and cost of the street-cleaning organization—Appraisal—Change to munici- pal operation—Standard of service—Permanent plant—Ex- pense—Recommendations—Outlook. fimo te NIZATION | PAN AND: BOULPMENT) oo och cise c General organization—Districts—District organization— Auxiliary services—Maintenance of motor equipment— Maintenance of horse-drawn equipment—Shops—Care of horses—Storehouse and supply service—Clerical and ac- counting service—Plant and equipment—Plant acquired— Street equipment—Livestock-—-Stables—Improvements to leased property—Purchase of leased property—The model farm—City stable at Glenwood Avenue and Diamond Street —Conclusions and recommendations. Pe an CE ECR AT FOUN SPS PSS RGR ry OS AS i He Fee's Street cleaning—Difficulties of street cleaning—Improve- ments in methods—Quantity of work performed—Disposal of street sweepings—Relative value of various methods— Collection of ashes and rubbish—Separation of household wastes—Method of collection—Changes in schedules—Quan- tity collected in 1922—Garbage collection—Manner of col- lection—Private collection—Equipment in use—Garbage-col- lection complaints—Frequency of collection—Amount col- lected—Conclusions and recommendations. CONTENTS—Continued LV&DISPOSAL OR “REBUN i... ns. ceneaeeuaasie ye Disposal of ashes, rubbish, and street dirt—Dumps—Har- rowgate incinerator—Aspects of the incinerating project— Disposal of garbage—Garbage reduction—Results of opera- tion of garbage-reduction plant—Garbage incineration— Water transportation—City ownership of dumps and water- transportation equipment—Conclusions and recommenda- tions. V. PERSONNEL PROBLEMS oo. oo. css. . eee Introduction—Size of the street-cleaning service—Street cleaning, collection and disposal of ashes and rubbish, and collection of garbage—Municipal garbage plant—Importance of competence and morale—Purpose and scope of chapter— Distribution of employment authority—Relation of the civil- service commission to the problem—The commission’s im- portant place—Classification of the service—The competi- tive class—The labor class—No changes proposed for com- petitive class—Conflicting viewpoints on labor class—Argu- ment of the operating officials—Expedition in recruiting not only need; physical tests—Exemption from civil-service control dubious—Positive advantages of civil-service con- trol—Suggested changes in the commission’s practices— Adequacy of compensation—Tests of adequacy—City’s pay compared with private pay—City’s pay compared with rates paid in other cities—City’s pay compared with the cost of living—High turnover in the labor service—The need of city-wide standardization of pay——Tentative recommenda- tions for street-cleaning workers—General working condi- tions—Hours of work—Vacations—Holidays—Sick leave— Provision for retirement—Conclusion—General appraisal— Summary of recommendations. 70 CONTEN TS—Continued eeeWrNCLAL; CONSIDERATIONS os oer c dp ae cease wae a Cost of municipal operation—Comparison of municipal and contract costs—Financial control—Payrolls—Stores—Rec- ords of equipment—Operating costs—Conclusions and rec- ommendations. are Were ksy t Jie bates EO BEI co romeaeesceseame « Educational campaign of 1922—Inadequacy of laws and - ordinances—Cooperation in street cleaning—The household- er’s handicap—Conclusions and Recommendations. ION UX i. EMM ee cine a avid Vek e s Sele waleleua coves ok s 100 : y ' % : he | by . ; ‘4 Ps i ; hick i sf i 4e F - « - } a Pra! poe. Le Wh, ge a A eae Be 2 ete :— yah shaea Son ae tee al Ny te . is % pale art ae CHAPTER I BACKGROUND AND GUTLOOK The decision to place street cleaning and refuse collection and disposal in the hands of municipal forces was largely the outcome of past experience. It will help our understanding of the problem, therefore, to review briefly the history of street cleaning in Philadelphia. History oF STREET CLEANING AND REFUSE DISPOSAL IN PHILADELPHIA As long ago as 1762, an act of the state legislature provided in elaborate detail for regulating, paving, and cleaning the high- ways of Philadelphia. This act, besides imposing a penalty for throwing rubbish or ashes into the streets, required the city to contract with private scavengers for weekly collection of rubbish and ashes and the removal of refuse from the streets. From this beginning, the work was done by private con- tractors until 1921, exept for two periods. During the 14 years {rom 1826 to 1840, the city did its own street cleaning. At that time, we are told by historians, the city was famous, both at home and abroad, as the cleanest city in America. Will history be repeated, and the city acquire this enviable reputation again? The second period of municipal street cleaning began immediately after the city and county of Philadelphia were made coterminous by the Consolidation Act of 1854 and continued until about Io years later, when contract work was reintroduced. In 1874, the legislature made contract work obligatory. Between 1854 and 1874, there was frequent shifting of the responsibility for the work in the city government, and there was apparently dis- satisfaction with the methods used and the results attained. The city cleansing services have been associated generally with highway work; for example, section 50 of the Act of Con- solidation directed the city councils to organize a department of “highways, bridges, sewers and cleansing of the city.”” When the Bullitt Bill went into effect in 1887, the supervision of cleaning the streets and of collecting and disposing of household wastes became the duty of the department of public works. Even 9 16) under this more highly centralized and responsible administra- tion, the supervision of contracts was constantly shifting. For two periods this function was vested in a separate bureau of the department, while during two other periods it was conibined with paving and street-repair work. The contracts let for the work combined the street-cleaning and refuse-disposal services, and it naturally followed that these two services should be per- formed by the same division of the city government when the work was undertaken by municipal forces. Since October, 1920, the street-cleaning and refuse-disposal work has been done by the division of street cleaning, as a part of the bureau of high- ways in the department of public works, under the direction of a deputy chief. Defects of Contract Work Contract work involves the difficult problem of enforcing compliance with the specifications of the contract. This is par- ticularly difficult in street cleaning, requiring as it does a number of more or less irregular operations necessitated by the constantly varying traffic, and climatic and local conditions, for which it is impossible to prepare definite specifications. Moreover, as the results to be obtained are intangible and the degree of cleanliness demanded is difficult to specify, constant inspection of the work of each unit of the organization is necessary. Adequate inspec- tion by the city of the work of the contractor, besides being practically impossible, would be extremely expensive to attempt and would result in a duplication of the overhead charges for which the citizen must pay. On the other hand, the way is open for the contractor to reap exorbitant profits by cutting every corner. It is decidedly to hts financial interest to contro] the city’s supervisory forces, hence the contract system introduces a baneful influence into municipal politics, Under the plan of making contracts for one year only, which the city followed, competition among bidders was almost non-existent, and new bidders hesitated to enter the field. A contractor had to make the necessary outlay, with a certainty of only one year’s opera- tion, in addition to the uncertainty of the attitude of the city’s supervising forces. From 1912 to 1916, a determined effort was made to revise the specifications so as to fix more definitely the work to be II performed, while at the same time more complete compliance with the specifications was demanded. New requirements were introduced, such as the one defining the minimum equipment and labor to be employed, and numerous devices were used to check the performance. One device was the ‘flying squadron,” which for a time was employed to swoop down unheralded upon the contractor’s forces in the several districts. However, the tem- porary advantages gained by these more strenuous efforts at supervision were so small and the fundamental defects of the contract method were so great that the results attained were still unsatisfactory. The collection and disposal of refuse by contract was found to have the same basic faults as contract street cleaning. Jt was equally difficult to devise means of supervision and enforcement which would insure efficient operation. In addition, it was specially hard to obtain the cooperation of the householder with the contractor. This personal relation of the citizen to the col- lection work is an important factor and will be discussed in detail later. At this time it is sufficient to say that the refuse- disposal service obtained under the contract system was unsatis- factory, and no means were found to place the work on an efh- cient basis. In the end, civic effort was concentrated upon the elimina- tion of the contract method, and the substitution of municipal forces working under the control of city officials, which is the method employed in practically all large American cities. Owing to the fact that the city government operates within the narrow bounds of authority granted by legislative enactment, and that the legislature had not expressly authorized the city to employ its own forces to clean the streets and collect and dispose of refuse, it was necessary to obtain this authority. A bill granting this power was introduced into the legisla- ture in 1917, but failed of passage. The cause of municipal street cleaning, however, was championed not only by the citizens’ charter revision committee of 1917, at whose request the bill was introduced, but also by the citizens’ charter revision com- mittee of 1919. in fact, municipal street cleaning became a major issue that was fought and won in the 1919 legislature. Not only did the city gain the power to employ its own street- cleaning forces, but it was commanded to do so unless the city I2 council and mayor jointly decided to award contracts in whole or in part. This change in the law destroyed the rigidity of the act of 1874, previously referred to, which had not only compelled contract performance, but practically had limited the contract period to one year. If the city should now desire to contract for any or all of the cleansing operations, it is empowered to con- tract for long terms without being forced to make an appropria- tion in advance sufficient to cover the entire contract period. While the law gives preference to direct municipal operation, the city is empowered to determine its own policy at any time. Municipal Operation Introduced The city administration which took office on January 5, 1920, was bound under the charter to initiate municipal street cleaning on January I, 1921, unless the city council and the mayor agreed in the meantime to continue contract work in whole or in part, and to advertise for bids prior to August 1, 1920. Accordingly, the year 1920 was a year of decision-making and of preparation. To aid in determining the best policy, the mayor sent a com- mission of engineers* to a number of other cities to study and report upon the street-cleaning and refuse-disposal operations. The unanimous recommendation of this commission was that the city undertake the work of cleaning the streets and collecting and disposing of household wastes with its own forces. There was, however, some slight disagreement concerning the speed and manner in which this important change should be made. In view of several uncertainties that had arisen and of the unformed state of administrative policy, contract bids for 192I were re- quested practically upon the old basis. It was decided finally to introduce municipal street cleaning and refuse disposal in two of the 13 districts, these two comprising the central city area (Columbia Avenue to South Street between the two rivers). Con- tracts for one year were let for the remainder of the city. On January I, 1922, direct municipal operations were ex- tended to the entire city with practically unanimous consent. At *Composed of E. B. Morden, then chief of the bureau of street cleaning; J. H. Neeson, then principal assistant engineer, bureau of high- ways; and J. W. Follin, engineer, Bureau of Municipal Research. Their report will be found in the appendix (vol. I1) of the Journal of the City Council of Philadelphia, 1920, page 244, and in the Journal of the En- gineers’ Club of Philadelphia for August, 1920, page 326. 13 least there was no opposition apparent on the surface, although there had been a realignment of political forces. When the administration attempted to terminate the 1921 contracts on October 1, in accordance with an optional provision of the con- tract, the city council objected, but voted almost immediately thereafter the sums needed to acquire additional plant and equip- ment for city-wide municipal operation. Council also made no use of the optional authority given by the charter to advertise for contract bids for 1922, It is worth while to mention that an attempt was frustrated in the 1921 legislature to make the advertising for bids obligatory rather than optional. Such a change would have reopened each year the question between con- tract and municipal operation, and thus supported and encour- aged those who would contract for these services without regard for the best interests of the city. THE SCOPE OF THE STREET-CLEANING OPERATIONS In this day there is almost universal recognition of the duty of city governments to keep the streets clean, to collect household waste, and to dispose of this waste quickly and inoffensively. This service constitutes one of the most essential functions of the city government, and perhaps the most troublesome, because it touches the citizen personally at nearly every turn. The streets are the show windows of the city, and any neglect in keeping them well paved or reasonably clean is apparent to all who use them, but particularly to visitors. The householder is especially interested in the condition of the street in front of his own resi- dence. Although he may not be doing his part to keep the street clean, he nevertheless expects that it will be clean at all times. The collection of waste, particularly of garbage, is perhaps more of a personal matter with him than is the street-cleaning work. But, if the household waste is collected frequently and in accord- ance with a fixed schedule, the householder usually gives little or no thought to the manner of its disposal, unless he resides near a refuse dump or other place of disposal. Extent of the Work The task of furnishing this service to the citizens of Phila- delphia is perhaps little appreciated. The population to be served numbers almost 1,900,000, consisting of over 400,000 families, 14 who live in over 352,000 dwellings, each with its individual col- lection of household waste. These families live on 1,800 miles of streets and roads, 1,600 miles of which are paved, and many miles of which are so poorly paved that they are difficult to clean and to keep clean. In the rear of properties, there are 210 miles of so-called alleys, or narrow walkways, three or four feet wide, which are difficult to clean, but which, nevertheless, must be kept clean. The city is alive with industrial and commercial activities which in many sections contribute heavily to the dirt in the street. The horse is still used for trucking purposes in Philadelphia to a greater extent than in many other large cities. Philadelphia has large districts occupied by the foreign-born, and in these sections activities upon the streets are pronounced, lit- tering of the streets extensive, and cooperation from the house- holder almost negligible. In these sections are found curb mar- kets which greatly aggravate the difficulty of keeping the streets clean. | During 1922, the street-cleaning division collected 1,795,557 cubic yards of ashes and rubbish, weighing nearly a million tons. If this refuse were placed on the tract of land covered by City Hall (approximately 470 feet by 486.5 feet), it would rise to a height of 210 feet, which is greater than the building proper and equal to 60 per cent of the height of the clock tower. An average of 2% tons of ashes and rubbish are collected from each residence during the year, the greater weight of which is contributed by the ashes from October to May, During the year 1922, there were also collected in the city 217,000 tons of garbage, 2 Nv, an average of about 225 pounds to each ho eheld. Local Handicaps These 1,200,000 tons of household waste are collected under the greatest of handicaps.. The city is almost entirely without team alleys, and curb collection of ashes and rubbish is the rule. Thus the householder must place his receptacles at the curb at great personal inconvenience, while the collection costs are also increased by the necessity of making separate trips down each side of the street. The collection process itself is certainly not an adornment to a residential street. Moreover, the household refuse is placed where it certainly does not belong, upon the public street, to be a source of litter and dirt even under the 15 best conditions—that is, when tight receptacles are used and loading is done carefully. Garbage is collected under even more unfavorable circum- stances. The footways called alleys, while not wide enough to permit the carrying of ashes and rubbish through them, can be used for collecting the smaller quantities of garbage. However, numerous and long trips must be made by the collectors, thus greatly increasing the cost over what it would be if there were team alleys through which the garbage wagons could be driven. It is estimated that between 60 and 70 per cent of the garbage is collected through these narrow footways, while the remainder must be placed at the curbs for collection. The problem of keeping 1,600 miles of paved streets clean would be much simpler if temperature and climatic conditions were more uniform during the 12 months of the year, so that a fairly constant working force could be kept occupied. Under the climatic conditions that exist, however, and with the cleaning methods that are in use, the size of the working force varies radically during the several seasons, while the more efficient clean- ing can be done only during the warmer months when water can be used. There is, of course, a markedly seasonable production of ashes which reaches a peak in February and March. Garbage, on the other hand, is at low production during the winter months, and is produced in greatest quantity during August and Septem- ber. The working forces assigned to street cleaning, ash and rubbish collection, and garbage collection must, therefore, be constantly adjusted to the conditions. Fortunately they can be so regulated that a fairly uniform labor force and a somewhat less uniform amount of equipment can be employed continuously, although the demands of the collection services, which must be given first consideration, frequently operate to the disadvantage of the street-cleaning work proper. Size and Cost of the Street-Cleaning Organization Approximately 3,000 persons are ordinarily employed in the street-cleaning division. With almost monotonous regularity this force goes about its daily work; every morning some 700 wagons of all classes, and 50 214-ton trucks start out from the various stations for refuse collection, and approximately 450 men assume their duties as blockmen or “white wings,” and others assist in 16 loading ashes, rubbish, or garbage. Fifty-eight machine-broom gangs, ranging from 7 to 12 men in a gang, take up their positions behind the cavalcade of ash and rubbish wagons, or start on the regular cleaning schedules for the day, and over 100 dirt wagons trail the cleaning gangs for the collection of accumulated street dirt. If the weather permits, 26 motor flushers work a double shift in washing the smoother pavements. In all, over 1,000 pieces of major equipment are used in the work, and nearly 2,000 horses and mules. The public is perhaps better acquainted with the street- cleaning and refuse-collection facilities than it 1s with the equip- ment for refuse disposal or with the small army of mechanics and laborers behind the lines. These branches of the service are none the less highly important parts of the organization. After the refuse and street dirt has been collected it must be disposed of economically and inoffensively. Some kinds of refuse can be used, or profitably prepared for use, while other kinds have no value whatever and must be gotten rid of in a satisfactory manner. To keep the services which the public sees operating smoothly, draft animals must be housed, fed, and rested; horse-drawn and motor equipment must be repaired and reconstructed, and supplies must be obtained and distributed. For these purposes shops must be maintained and equipped, stables provided, and the multi- tude of other activities kept in operation. In addition, the general administrative machinery must be kept working smoothly. The payrolls must be prepared and the men paid; control must be exercised over expenditures; and the work of the whole organization must be coordinated and planned so that the streets will be cleaned and the refuse collected and disposed of as efficiently and economically as possible. Each part of the huge machine must function properly ; but this is not possible unless there is a hand on the throttle and a watchful eye upon the whole machine to see that each cog and shaft per- forms its proper service. The work of the street-cleaning division costs approximately $5,000,000 a year, one of the largest expenditures that is made for any municipal service. Because it represents over 8 per cent of the city’s annual revenue, or over $2.50 per capita a year, it is an important consideration in fixing the tax rate. 17 To manage an operating organization of this kind is a task of the first magnitude. With its extensive equipment, its huge personnel, its large expenditures, and its daily contact with all classes of our two million inhabitants, the street-cleaning division requires a high order of technical supervision and executive direc- tion. APPRAISAL The question foremost in the mind of the city official or the citizen is whether the municipal street-cleaning undertaking as a whole has been a success or a failure, whether progress has been made, and whether further progress can be expected. For the benefit of the busy man or woman who may not have the opportunity to read this report in its entirety, the more important observations, deductions, and recommendations are brought to- gether in this chapter. Change to Municipal Operation The change from contract to municipal operation was accom- plished in a noteworthy manner, reflecting credit upon the higher officials of the department of public works, who have devoted themselves untiringly and at considerable sacrifice to the task, and upon the numerically inadequate group of supervisory and staff officials within the division of street cleaning, who carried a heavy load with a zeal that is most commendable. Equipment had to be acquired and assembled, live stock had to be purchased and provision made for its housing and care, shops had to be provided, and extensive arrangements made for the disposal of refuse. In this process a considerable amount of used equipment that was not very useful was purchased from the contractors at comparatively low prices. Above all, it was necessary to enlist the services of an operating force, many of whom were employed by the contractors up to the very day when the change was made, and to start this operating force under a new management without interruption to the service which the citizen expected. All this was done with dispatch and without confusion. Standard of Service Equally commendable has been the subsequent performance of the city. An excellent barometer for testing the results of the 18 street-cleaning service is the comment of the press and of the citizens in general, particularly as expressed in complaints re- ceived. The readings of this barometer have been favorable. There has been a keen desire on the part of the department of public works to maintain a high standard of service. To that end both the equipment and personnel have been increased. It has not been possible, however, to overcome all difficul- ties nor to perfect the processes in the short period of municipal operation. Since the autumn of 1922 until late in 1923, the labor shortage was acute. In the eyes of the observer, the street- cleaning operations have improved in quality, but have not yet reached the expectations of the public. The department has realized fully the necessity for fundamental revision and reorgani- zation, and made important changes in the entire area of West Philadelphia in 1923, but thorough-going studies by the engineering staff are proceeding slowly owing to inadequate staff personnel. Permanent Plant Much study has been devoted to the major problem of the disposal of ashes, rubbish, street dirt, and garbage. The first incinerating plant is now under construction and holds great pos- sibilities. It will, however, mark only a beginning in the solution of a most vexatious problem. The city has spent considerable money in the improvement of the generally unsatisfactory stables that were rented, mostly from the street-cleaning contractors—some at rather high rentals. It is a question, however, whether the city has not gone too far in its expenditures on property leased for a comparatively short time, and a decision should be made before further sums are applied in this manner, A’ new municipal stable of modern con- struction and with modern equipment has recently been built near Twenty-seventh and Diamond Streets. Expense While the quantity and quality of the work performed have been improved, the expense to the taxpayer has not increased. The total expense in 1922 for street cleaning and refuse collection and disposal (not including direct payments to contractors for snow removal) was $5,140,615.22, which was nearly a million 19 dollars less than the expense of combined contract and municipal work in 1921, and even less than the estimated expense of $5,160,- 874.22 for full contract work in 1920. If we allow for the drop in price levels from 1920 to 1922, but assume that the contractors would have provided the increased facilities (in equipment and personnel) used by the city in 1922, we arrive at the conclusion that the expense by contract in 1922 would have been at least $5,265,000, with no assurance that the work would have been entirely satisfactory. Under municipal operation, of course, the taxpayer will never pay any more than the actual cost of the work, thus eliminating the contractor’s profit and the amount charged by the contractor for assuming the risks of changing labor and material prices and other unforeseen difficulties. Reconmmendations The major recommendations developed from the analysis in the following chapters are: 1. A detailed study of the whole problem by specialists, particularly a study of permanent methods for disposing of ashes, rubbish, street dirt, and garbage, and of methods for providing such permanent facilities as stables, garages, and repair shops for street-cleaning work and refuse collection. 2. The provision of an adequate sum—estimated at $2,500,000—for acquiring these permanent facilities. 3. Complete consolidation of the street-cleaning division with the highway division in the highway bureau, placing the execution of street cleaning and refuse collection under the direct supervision of the district highway engineers, thus bringing to bear upon the conduct of this work the entire engineering skill of the bureau of highways. 4. Provision of more adequate supervisory and staff personnel (to include immediately two division’ engineers, each in charge of a group of highway districts), a doubling of the engineering personnel, and an educational and publicity supervisor. 5. Increase of rates of compensation for labor, and other changes in the Soe of employment to improve the esprit de corps. 20 6. Better uniforming of the street forces, including the restoration of white uniforms for blockmen. 7. A continuous educational and law-enforcement cam- paign. ~ 8. More complete financial records and absolute control over plant and equipment. (These subjects are already under advisement by the division.) 9. Budget allowances for the division of street cleaning sufficient to maintain plant and equipment and make replace- ments. OUTLOOK It is not likely that any movement which had for its purpose a return to the contract system would receive much support. It is all too clear to those who are in touch with conditions that such a return would be a step backward. The improvement of the service would come to an end at once, and the city would be helpless to solve the major problem of refuse disposal, which is now very pressing. Under the contract system there may have been a greater incentive to effort in the operating organization, but there was also the tendency to sacrifice results to personal gain. There are ways and means to provide incentive in the municipal organization. While the work has been new, the city’s forces have been stimulated by the desire to produce good results ; but unusual effort may be necessary in the future, in view of the more or less monotonous regularity of the daily work, to keep the organization “on its toes.” The municipal organization may become inert, perhaps even infected with politics, and there may be demands for a change. It should be remembered, if any such occasion arises, that the numerous disadvantages that have been found in the past as a part of the contract system are rather a high price to pay for whatever increased incentive there may be under a contract sys- tem operated for profit. It seems highly improbable, if the div- ision of street cleaning is to be operated as a part of the engineer- ing service, that it will ever fall into utter disrepute; but those who are interested in seeing that the street-cleaning and refuse- disposal services are efficient, must be watchful lest these services be starved by inadequate appropriations, which is the quickest 21 and most effective way of bringing them into disfavor. To pro- vide satisfactory service, adequate personnel must be employed, equipment must be repaired and replaced, and the plant generally must be maintained and enlarged. If a criticism can be made, it is that the 1923 budget was cut too close to the bone, and the continuance of so small an allowance may seriously jeopardize the progress that has been made, while further reductions would prove disastrous. Most certainly, until the operations of the street-cleaning division are scientificaily worked out and placed on a permanent basis, the budget should be more flexible and more adequate than it was in 1923, thus permitting a thorough trial of new methods and schedules. CHAPTER II ORGANIZATION, PLANT, AND EQUIPMENT eet GENERAL ORGANIZATION The highway work of the city is performed by the bureau of highways of the department of public works under the super- vision of the chief of the bureau. The construction and main- tenance of highways is controlled by the division of highways of the bureau of highways, headed by a deputy chief under whom are six district highway engineers. A’ second deputy chief super- vises twelve district street-cleaning superintendents of the division of street cleaning who have charge of the cleaning of streets and the collection and disposal of ashes, rubbish, and garbage, inde- pendently of the district highway engineers. In chart I is shown the general organization of the division of street cleaning. The deputy chief supervises directly the activities of the twelve district superintendents, the superintendent of motor equipment, the superintendent of shops, the superin- tendent of garbage collection, the general superintendent of horses, the superintendent of the garbage-reduction plant, the superin- tendent of the incineration plant and the superintendent of ac- counts—in all, nineteen different superintendents. On the staff of the deputy chief is an assistant engineer who supervises a small force of engineers and inspectors engaged in studies of the methods used in street cleaning and ash and rubbish collection. There is a second assistant engineer who performs the same work for the garbage-collection service. The authority of these en- gineering assistants is not very clearly defined. In some cases they may issue orders directly to district superintendents, in oth- ers not. The deputy chief also has an inspector who investigates accidents, and another who investigates complaints made to the central office and supervises the work of the complaint inspectors assigned to each district. Districts For the purpose of performing the street operations of the street-cleaning division, the city area is divided into twelve dis- 22 vn (RARE i gE " on ee ae KOGOg, oo ver Wittens aha | Laie Spee, ots we eens le ASST ENGR. ORGANIZATION OF BUREAU OF HIGHWAYS PHILADELPHIA , PA. EXISTING ORGANIZATION 1923. [DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS | | COIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS | OIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS BUREAU OF HIGHWAYS CHIEF BUREAU OF HIGHWAYS DEPUTY CHIEF DEPUTY CHIEF OF HIGHWAYS | | CHIEF CLERK | BOOKKEEPERS CLERKS ASST. ENGINEER ASHES, RUBBISH & STREET CLEANING STENOGRAPHERS SUPERVISING ENGINEE ASST. PAVEMENT OF STREET CLEANING ASST. ENGINEER GARBAGE SUPERINTENDEN PERMITS | VIOLATIONS SUPERVISING INSPECTOR WEIGHT INSPECTOR ACCIDENT ere MAINTENANCE SUB-SURFACE | INSPECTOR pORAUGHTSMEN REPAIR SHOP INSPECTOR STRUCTION TU ASPHALT PLANT pichonenitents | ASSISTANT | ASST ENGR : a eens ENGINEER MAINTENANCE ea oe SUPT. OF SUPT. OF SUPT OF HORSE SUPT. OF SUPT. OF SUPT. GARBAGE | OF 3 Sapa EN ACCOUNTS HORSES EQUIP & SUPPLIES MOTOR EQUIPT. CONSTRUCTION REDUCTION PLANT, = AF TSME FOREMEN CONSTRUCTION ghee! aan LABCRERS { LABORERS CLERKS CLERKS CLERKS CLERK ASST. SUPT. s CLERKS VETERINARIANS WHEELWRIGHTS MECHANICS CARPENTERS MECHANICS STENOGRAPHERS ARNESSMAKER: BLACKSMITHS CHAUFFEURS BRICKLAVERS FIREMEN SanioR gle 3 STOREKEEPERS FOREMEN ELECTRICIANS SORE HORSESHOERS LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS PUBLIC INFORMATION @ PUBLICITY INVESTIGATION OF COMPLAINTS EDUCATION LAW ENFORCEMENT DIRECTOR OF PUBLICITY INSPECTORS SPECIAL OFFICERS CLERKS HIGHWAY DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION @& MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS OISTRICT ENGR ASST. ENGINGERS INSPECTORS CLERKS FOREMEN LABORERS DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES DIST ENGINEER ASST. DIST. ENGR PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION + MAINTENANCE! ASST. ENGINEERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT. OF STREET CLEAN & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT. OF STREET CLEAN & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS HIGHWAY DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION f& MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE DIVISION ENGINEER HIGHWAY HIGHWAY HIGHWAY HIGHWAY | STREET CLEAN STREET CLEAN, STREET CLEAN DISTRICT OISTRICT DISTRICT DISTRICT OISTRICT |_DISTRICT DISTRICT TIMEKEEOERS INSPECTORS TIMEKEEDERS TIMEMEEPERS CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION FOREMEN Seen oeS, INSEECTORS INSPECTORS & MAINTENANC @ MAINTENANC 2 MAINTENANCE ORIVERS DRIVERS DRIVERS Serene OF PAVEMENTS OF PAVEMENTS 107 PAVEMENTS OF PAVEMENTS | LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS OISTRICT ENGR DISTRICT ENGR DISTRICT ENGR DISTRICT ENGR lOISTRICT ENGQ} ASST. ENGINEERS ASST ENGINEERS ASST. ENGINEERS ASST ENGINEERS ASST. ENGINEERS STREET CLEAN ISTREET CLEAN TREET CLEAN STREET CLEAN INSPECTORS INSPECTORS INSPECTORS INSPECTORS INSPECTORS DISTRICT DISTRICT DISTRIC DISTRICT | ccerKs | Pate Sy aces nae pees, TINSPECTORS, FOREMEN FOREMEN FOREMEN | FOREMEN | FOREMEN FOREMEN FOREMEN FOREMEN e : ORIVERS ORIVERS ORIVERS ORIVWERS LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS ] LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS LABORERS RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS | BUREAU OF HIGHWAYS [HEF ENGINEER = STREET CLEAN, DISTRICT TIMER PERS OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES | DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES DIST. ENGINEER ASST DIST ENGR. PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION j@ MAINTE NANCE ASST ENGINEERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT. OF STREET CLEAN. & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT OF STREET CLEAN. & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS CENTRAL ENGINEERING OFFICE DEPUTY OEPUTY | HIGHWAY ENGINEER |STREET CLEANING ENGR PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION &@ MAINTENANCE ASST ENGR PLANT AND EQUIPMENT CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE j OF PLANT ASSIGNMENT, INSPECTION ANO REPAIR OF EQUIPMENT ENGINEER OF PLANT # EQUIPMENT] 1 PLANNING DREDARATION OF SPECIFICATIONS, PLANS & CONTRACTS CHIEF DRAFTSMAN ORASTSMEN DISTRICT DISTRICT | CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES STREET CLEANING AND REFUSE HEADQUARTERS ENGINEER OF CONSTRUCTION COLLECTION PLANNING ENGINEER ASST ENGINEERS OIST. ENGINEER ASST DIST. ENGR DIST. ENGINEER ASST. DIST ENGR. BRIDGE AND SEWER PAVEMENT | MAINTENANCE MATERIALS REFUSE INSPECTORS Pestnt cated CONSTRUCTION TESTING DISPOSAL CLERKS A MAINTENANC & MAINTENANC INCINERATION ENGINES OF REFUSE Of BRIOGES AND SEWERS [ENGR oF Tests | OF TESTS ASST. ENGINEERS INSPECTORS ASST ENGINEERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN ASST. ENGINEERS LABORERS . FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT OF STREET CLEAN. & REFUSE IGARBASE REDUCTION DUMP DISPOSAL CHEMIST ILASORATORY ASSTS SUPT OF EQUIPMENT SUPERVISOR SHOPS REFUSE DISPOSAL CLERKS FOREMEN LABORERS INSPECTORS SUPT OF JSTREET CLEAN SUPT. OF PERMITS, LIVESTOCK SUB-SURFACE STRUCTURES &@ ENCROACHMENTS SUPT OF GARBAGE REOUCTIO & REFUSE ASPHALT PLANTS COLLECTION COLLECTION FOREMEN SUPT. OF ¥ FOREMEN LABORERS ASPHALT PLANTS 4 $ SUPT OF LABORERS INCINERATION PLANT SUPT. OF abit TREET CLEAN & REFUSE COLLECTION Bane k COLLECTION FOREMEN DUMDING WHARVES LasORERG LABORERS DIVISION \ CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES DIVISION ENGINEER CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES DIST. ENGINEER ASST. DIST. ENGR PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION @ MAINTENANC ASST. ENGINEER, INSPECTORS CLERKS FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT. OF STREET CLEAN & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT OF TREET CLEAN & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS STREET CLEAN DISTRICT TIME KEEPERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN ORIVER LABORE: STREET CLEAN. OISTRICT TIMEMCEPERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN ORIVERS LABORERS STREET CLEAN OISTRICT TIMEKEEPERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN DRIVERS LAZORERS STREET CLEAN DISTRICT TIMEKEEDERS INSPECTORS FOREMEN Oa2@ivees LABORERS DISTRICT CONSTRUCTION @ MAINTENANCE } OF PAVEMENTS STREET CLEANING & COLLECTION OF WASTES DIST. ENGINEER ASST. DIST. ENGR PAVEMENT CONSTRUCTION & MAINTENANCE ASST. ENGINEERS} INSPECTORS CLERKS FOREMEN LABORERS SUPT. OF STREET CLEAN @ REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS TREET CLEAN & REFUSE COLLECTION FOREMEN LABORERS PURCHASING CLERICAL STENOGRAPHIC BOOKKEEPING & ACCOUNTING OFFICE OIRECTOR CHIEF ACCOUNTANT BOOKKEEPERS CLERKS REPORT BY BUREAU OF MUNICIPAL RESEARCH OF PHILADELPHIA, a3 tricts of various sizes. These districts are defined by more or less natural boundaries which do not necessarily coincide with the boundaries of wards or other political subdivisions. Exten- sive changes were made in the district boundaries in 1921 when municipal work was introduced in two districts, and other changes were made in 1922 and 1923. Additional modifications may be expected in the next few years as comprehensive studies are com- pleted of the street operation and of the amount of work to be performed. It is necessary to balance the mileage of streets to be cleaned and the quantity of refuse to be collected against the facilities available, such as stables and points of refuse dis- posal. The boundaries of street-cleaning districts will be subject to change until stable, shop, and refuse-disposal facilities have been permanently located. TABLE II-1 POPULATION OF STREET-CLEANING DISTRICTS OF 1922 (1920 Census Population Plus 4 Per Cent) Neeser aiacempitan A. tN. of. Market) vo 0. 0. cies k ve te ae cee 185,700 ¢ be : TP oA ee ek ees 188,900 Baers imcerpnia. A CNV. Of Broad)" 4.5 00. eile deo eee 195,600 . " Eng Rd A SARS BUDS 2 cle a 249,500 NI oo, REP ooh ss oc soe Se Gol BESS vty Oa wo 258,700 ee aae me <8 Ss Pomme ho, SS Nacsa ao hs de hw g oalere evens 181,500) ONS sa Ue FP racemes SSP OAT pam ta aeds 206,500 NR I i CNG ok nw bg bles woe oOo ade ¢ ey alee 143,200 TEE o's 5 6 arg ie « pines ac RMON CR BN ad ee ee a 37,000 es se ene rd oR ee ties eek SRE PE Ue hey 103,000 RE ICI io, sald veuie gd waa unis Rath a die WR ee ein 107,900 EM OR. 55's aeons Doace SU BGh a Rae ates 42,500 I ng ca. osc ghvietr es BE ame eet Gy eee oie th heute weemiee mes 1,900,000 Chart II shows the street-cleaning districts as established in 1922 and also the two important changes in boundaries effective January 1, 1923. Table II-1 shows the populations in the various districts in 1922. The very large area of South Philadelphia below Chestnut Street has been divided into east and west dis- tricts separated by Broad Street. West Philadelphia, instead of being divided into north and south districts by Market Street, is now divided into east and west districts by a most irregular boundary line. While at first glance such a boundary line may appear incorrect, it was fixed as a result of an intensive study 24 CHART II CITY OF PHILADELPHIA STREET CLEANING PLANT. SHOWING DISTRICTS, STABLES, GARAGES AND OTHER FACILITIES. SCALE IN FEET F, FARIS Se, : BP - LEGEND- STABLES STABLE BpeLAY STA. MopeL FARM © Gansace REDUCTION GARAGE Bnepaing @ INCINERATOR WAGON REPAIAS 9% DUMPS Garpace WuarrF @ Boat Dump AsH WuHarr @orppaaGa ~LOCATIONS~ 4 55™& Summer Sts. {2 1204 E.Montcomery 2 38™= Marker ~ 13.47% & WromING Ave. 3 30™*+SeGaroen « 44 Frankroro & GLENwooo 4 25™-Moore « 15 State Ro. & Devereaux 5 43™ «SHunk «© 46 Hawes & MAGNOLIA 6 3300 S. Broan St 17 Wawut Lac MitcHete 7 1820 Race St. 18 Penrose Ferry Roap 8.1245 Cotreee. Av. 419 Green St. Witare €9 2713 Frercuer St. 2049 Scrvyekice Ay, #10 2610 CattowHnn €21G. St & Ramona {i 257 & Sensrey Av. €22 GLenwooo & Diamono € New facilities net yet in openation June ist .4923) NOTE ==——Indicates change in District Lines in 1923. # Facilities temporarily m use. 25 of the conditions in West Philadelphia. This method of sub- division creates no difficulties for citizens, because they need not be familiar with the boundaries of the district in which they reside. Their contact is directly with the central office at City Hall. Furthermore, it is advisable for the best interests of the service to disregard division and ward lines in laying out street- cleaning districts. District Organization The work in each district is under the direct supervision of a district superintendent. Upon him depends to a marked degree the success attained. He has his office at the stable from which the activities in his district radiate, and keeps in touch with the working force by use of a motor car. The execution of the work is entrusted to foremen and sub-foremen. In each district there are foremen, in charge, respectively, of street-cleaning work proper, of ash and rubbish collection, of garbage collection, of dumps, and of stables. Sub-foremen are placed in charge of the subdivisions of these activities, such as gangs operating on the different collection routes. There is also the necessary quota of truck drivers, ash-, rubbish-, and dirt-wagon drivers, garbage- wagon drivers, machine-broom and sprinkler-wagon drivers, col- lection helpers, dumpmen, gangmen, inlet men, blockmen or “white wings,’ stablemen, blacksmiths, blacksmith’s helpers, and a few men engaged in making minor repairs to equipment. Each district office employs a timekeeper and a clerk, who keep the records from which the payroll is prepared, make out reports, and do the clerical work incidental to appointments, dis- charges, and approval of bills. There is also an inspector who investigates complaints of derelictions in service or violations of ordinances. The timekeeper, clerk, and inspector are, in reality, part of the general administrative force operating under the super- intendent of accounts, at City Hall, although they are under the disciplinary control of the district superintendent. At present, the district superintendents are not provided with an adequate force of foremen and sub-foremen, particularly sub-foremen, If work by blockmen is to be increased, there must be more adequate supervision by sub-foremen, or the work will be ineffective and unsatisfactory. Effective supervision can be more readily exer- cised if the supervisory forces are provided with sufficient trans- 26 portation. Motor cars are now furnished to a number of the principal supervisory and staff officers, and each district super- intendent has a motor car without driver. Some foremen and sub-foremen are provided with horses and buggies, but others have none. To obtain the best results, the foremen of major operations should be provided with motor cars or motorcycles, and other foremen and possibly some sub-foremen with bicycles. AUXILIARY SERVICES To prevent interruption of the street operations, it is neces- sary to maintain the equipment in good repair. Small forces are occupied in each district with minor repairs, but the more impor- tant work is done in regularly equipped shops. Maintenance of Motor Equipment Major repairs are made and motor equipment is reconstructed in two shops, one at Thirtieth and Callowhill Streets, the other at 3300 South Broad Street. This service is in charge of the super- intendent of motor equipment, who, with the necessary comple- ment of clerks, has offices at the former shop. The city has provided fairly complete equipment for motor repairs and carries on its payroll the motor mechanics and other labor necessary for this work. The superintendent of motor vehicles is responsible for the operation of all motor equipment, which is assigned to the several districts as needed. Records are kept of the use of each piece of motor equipment and of the repairs and supplies necessary. The motor equipment is most important, and, in the interests of economical street operation, it is essential that it be kept in constant use. The records which are kept of motor-vehicle use should prove of inestimable value as guidance when new equip- ment is bought or supplies purchased. Maintenance of Horse-Drawn Equipment Shops for the repair and rebuilding of horse-drawn equip- ment are maintained in conjunction with the motor shops and are in charge of the superintendent of horse equipment and sup- plies. These shops are fully equipped to make major repairs, and even to manufacture new equipment. During 1922, about fifty new ash wagons were made. The city can be sure of the 27 best material and good workmanship in equipment which it makes in its own shops; but it is doubtful whether these shops can com- pete in price with larger commercial wagon shops. This question, which time did not permit us to analyze in detail, should be studied fully in order that the city may adopt the most satisfac- tory method. Even if the city does not construct new wagons, there will always be sufficient reconstruction and major repair work to make wagon shops essential; and such facilities, of course, make it possible to experiment with new designs. Garbage wagons are repaired and painted at a shop at Twenty-fifth Street and Sedgley Avenue under the direction of a wheelwright foreman. This shop, however, does not have suf- ficient equipment and personnel to make all woodwork repairs while the iron bodies are being overhauled. The wagons, there- fore, are transferred to the wagon shops for part of the repair work, Shops All of the property used as shops for the repair of horse- drawn and motor-drawn equipment is leased, except the garbage- wagon shop at Twenty-fifth Street and Sedgley Avenue. The property at Thirtieth and Callowhill Streets is owned by the Schuylkill Navigation Company, and is leased by the city from year to year at an annual rental of $10,000. It is improbable that the present owner would willingly sell the property, but it may be condemned by the city for park purposes, in which event the shops located there must be moved. The property at 3300 South Broad Street is held under a five-year lease at an annual rental of $10,000. The buildings are of little value and it is doubtful whether the location is desirable as a permanent one for shops. The irregularly shaped piece of ground at the corner of Twenty-fifth Street and Sedgley Avenue was acquired with the purchase of the garbage-reduction plant. A dilapidated brick building, only partially roofed over, which had been used for some years as a storage place and repair shop for garbage wagons, stands on this property. The repair equipment is not very com- plete; but owing to the fact that a modern shop may be con- structed at this location, only temporary improvements have been made, or are proposed for the present. This shop is valued at $10,000 on the books of the street-cleaning division. The prob- 28 lem of providing permanent and adequate shops, either independ- ently of or in conjunction with other city bureaus, must be given early attention by the city. Care of Horses A superintendent of live stock is responsible for the housing, feeding, resting, and handling of the animals. Daily inspections are made by veterinarians who are employed on a contract basis and are paid at a rate per horse per year. The veterinarians are under the direction of a head veterinarian who has quarters at the city’s model farm. Medicines are furnished by the city. At the model farm there is a fully equipped horse hospital, while at the several stables some special arrangements are provided for sick horses. At each stable there are facilities for horseshoeing and for the repair of harness. Early in 1924, the chief of the bureau of highways announced that the division of street cleaning could not shoe its horses as economically as it could have them shod by contract. Subsequently a contract was let for this work. If the city requires work of quality equal to or better than its own work, it is surprising and regrettable that the contractor, who must make a profit, can do it more cheaply. The superintendent of live stock has an office in the rented building at 1120 Race Street, and has a clerical force to maintain the animal-service records. Storehouse and Supply Service At Twenty-fifth and Master Streets, a discarded city bath- house has been converted into a storehouse for supplies and ma- terials used in the street-cleaning operations, and also in the highway-repair work. A storekeeper is in charge, and several laborers are employed in receiving and issuing materials. Sup- plies are delivered every day to the various stables and other places, which makes it unnecessary for these units to maintain large individual stocks of the supplies. The supply service is directed by the superintendent of horse equipment and supplies. Clerical and Accounting Service A superintendent of accounts located in the central offices at City Hall is responsible for the conduct of the clerical and ac- counting work that is performed there, and also supervises the 29 work of the timekeepers and clerks who are assigned to the district offices. The work at the central office includes the usual typing and stenographic service, the clerical routine incidental to the employment and discharge of laborers, the receiving of com- plaints, and the more detailed and important work of bookkeep- ing and cost accounting. PLANT AND EQUIPMENT Plant Acquired The provision of the necessary plant and equipment has been a problem of the first magnitude. To a considerable degree, the city depended upon the acquisition and development of such facilities as were already used by the contractors. This, of course, was a logical step; but, unfortunately, stables and certain other plant facilities were leased instead of purchased. To the extent that the contractor’s equipment was usable, it was to the best interests of all concerned that the city should acquire it, even though the city was under no obligation to do so. After the decision had been made to initiate municipal work in the central district of Philadelphia on January 1, 1921, the city council appropriated the sum of $400,000 for the purchase and erection of plant, buildings, ground, and equipment. The city had previously requested bids for the furnishing of horses and used equipment, and had received bids from practically all the contractors. Bids had also been obtained on new equipment, and, after consideration of the two groups of bids, sufficient equipment was purchased to handle the limited municipal work begun in 1921. At the election held on November 2, 1920, the electors ap- proved the creation of a loan or loans not exceeding $33,000,000, of which sum $1,000,000 was designated for the acquisition of plant for the division of street cleaning. Of this latter amount, $500,000 was used in accordance with an ordinance of February &, 1921, to purchase the garbage-reduction plant, garbage wagons, and the garbage-wagon repair shop. Appropriations have been made from the remaining $500,000 for the erection of an inciner- ating plant and a stable. These projects will entirely exhaust the loan authorization. On August 10, 1921, the city council appropriated from the general fund (as temporarily increased by an emergency loan) 30 TABLE II-2 RecorD OF EQUIPMENT PURCHASED DuRING PERIop From OcTosER, 1920, TO DECEMBER, 1922, INCLUSIVE New and used New equipment Used equipment Kinds of equipment es | No. Cost No. Cost No. Cost Total 2295 |$891,411.18| 1439 |$746,213.18| 856 $145,198.00 Flushers 23 | 177,113.10 23) 377,113, 10 - ve Trucks, 5-ton 33 | 130,304.39 22 | 108,394.39 II’ | 22,000.00 Trucks, 2'%-ton 52 | 174,001.85 41 | 152,056.85 II” | 21,945.00 Tractors, 5-ton I 3,750.00 I 3,750.00 a Tractors, 10-ton 2 12,894.30 2 12,894.30 Motor sweepers Zz 14,171.04 2 14,171.04 Passenger automo- biles 19 19,835.00 19 19,835.00 et Ms Truck bodies, 5-ton 5 750.00 Bs ne 5 750.00 Snow loaders 2 10,993.00 2 10,993.00 oe we Snow plows 35 0,530.00 a5 9,530.00 Truck trailer I 1,775.00 I 1,775.00 aig a Wagons, wood 699 | 196,424.50} 336°] 144,722.50} 363 51,702.00 Wagons, iron 114 | 41,820.00 8a | 36,600.00 34 5,220.00 Wagons, iron, gar- bage 300 | 30,000.00 e ey 1as 00 30,000.00 Wagons, drop bot- tom 10 1,000.00 uy we 10 1,000.00 Wagons, sprinkling] 84 | 25,740.00 50 | 22,015.00 34 3,725.00 Machine brooms 159 | 32,815.00 75 23,975.00 84 8,840.00 Blockmen’s carts 754 8,404.00| 750 8,388.00 4 16.00 *Eleven 5-ton used trucks bought in 1920 for $22,000 traded in at an exchange value of $13,200 on the purchase of eleven 5-ton new trucks for $58,129.77 in 1921. 4Eleven of these trucks bought in 1920 for $21,945; in 1921, two traded in at an exchange value of $3,000 on the purchase of forty new trucks for $151,150. *Capacity without sideboards, generally 334 cu. yds.; with side- boards approximately 5 cu. yds. the sum of $1,250,000, comprising varying amounts earmarked for definite kinds of equipment, improvements to leased property, and consulting services. The department of public works was given somewhat broader use of this money by an ordinance of November 28, 1921. In the foilowing year council made certain transfers between items. These transfers were made to meet readjustments in the plans for purchasing equipment and to pro- vide additional money for improvements to stables. At the close of 1922, this appropriation was practically exhausted, and the division of street cleaning was left dependent upon a relatively small appropriation for replacement of equipment. a STREET EQUIPMENT Table II-2 shows the quantity and purchase price of new and used equipment of the several kinds acquired from October, 1920, to December 31, 1922. Including major and minor items, 2,282 pieces of equipment were purchased at a cost of $891,411.18. It is apparent from an examination of this table that although a rather large quantity of used equipment was purchased, new equipment actually predominated. Practically all the motor ve- hicles now in use were new when purchased. The city did not buy any used motor flushers, and while 11 used five-ton trucks were acquired in 1920, they were later traded in for new trucks. Approximately one-half of the machine brooms and sprinkling wagons, and two-thirds of the iron-body wagons used in the col- lection of street dirt, were new when purchased. More than 50 per cent of the wooden wagons purchased for the collection of ashes and rubbish had been used by the con- tractors, They were bought at an average price under $150, which is a little more than one-third of the average price of over $400 for new wagons. Many of the old wagons have already been discarded, or have been completely rebuilt. Some were never used by the city. In fact, the total number of new ash and rub- bish wagons, machine brooms, and sprinkling wagons on hand has been almost sufficient to meet all needs, so that the city has not depended to any appreciable extent on the used equipment. The money paid for the old wagons may be regarded as part of the cost of changing from one system of street cleaning to an- other. But little equipment has been rented by the city. The use of 12 five-ton trucks was contracted for in the winter of 1922- 1923 for ash and rubbish collection in West Philadelphia, to carry out the revised schedules which had been prepared after detailed study. Each of these trucks cost $18.08 a day with driver, while the total expenditure for this purpose did not quite equal the maximum of $20,000 appropriated by council. Addi- tional trucks are badly needed at present, particularly in view of the inavailability of dumps within convenient distance. The 300 garbage wagons included in the purchase of the garbage-reduction plant, and valued by the bureau of highways at $40,000, have undergone extensive repairs, and with occasional 32 help from trucks have so far met the needs of the garbage- collection service. However, the number of wagons in reserve at certain times has hardly constituted a safe margin. After 23 of the total number were discarded as unfit for use, there have been available 277 wagons, 259 of which are of the larger steel- body type having a capacity of 3,100 pounds each, or from 3% to 344 cubic yards. They are designated as the 134-ton type. The remaining 18 wagons have smaller steel bodies, with a cap- acity of 2,500 pounds each, or about 2% cubic yards. They are designated as the one-ton type. As many of these wagons have been in service from 15 to 27 years and the wheel boxes and axles are of varying sizes, it is difficult to interchange wheels in case of mishap. Undoubtedly the design can be improved as replacements are made. The steel bodies are covered with hinged iron lids which are subject to unusual wear and tear, and which rattle objectionably. In the immediate future, at least 50 addi- tional garbage wagons will be required for replacements, for the growth of the service with the growth of the city, and for the elimination of the unsatisfactory private-collection system. At least $300,000 is needed for this equipment and for equipment required in street cleaning and ash and rubbish collection. LIvE STocK The city has purchased 1,911 head of live stock, comprising 1,900 horses? and 11 mules, at a cost of $284,859. Of this total number, 315 were acquired in the fall of 1920 from two of the largest street-cleaning contractors, and were seasoned horses trained in street-cleaning work. The price per head ranged from $185 to $200. In preparation for city-wide municipal operation in 1922, the city purchased 1,600 additional head of live stock, about half of which were accepted, after examination for soundness and fitness, from the street-cleaning contractors at prices ranging from $99 to $169. The remainder were untrained horses pur- chased by contract at prices ranging from $137.50 to $169, but *By June 16, 1923, the number of horses had been reduced, through natural losses or by transfer of useless animals, to 1,727, of which 1,378 were working, 181 were fit but idle, and 168 were sick or being rested at the model farm. 33 with few over $144. The selection of these horses had to be done with great care. Skill was necessary, too, in handling the untrained horses until they became accustomed to work on city streets. With the purchase of the 1,600 additional head of live stock in 1921, the municipal government became the largest single owner and user of horses in the city. In this gasoline age, when horses have been replaced to so large an extent by motors, the purchase of so many horses by the city may doubtless appear inadvisable. However, for street work where frequent stopping and starting is necessary, the horse-drawn vehicle is superior in many ways to the gasoline-motor vehicle, and possibly in some ways to the electric-motor vehicle. The horse, moreover, is thoroughly reli- able, and there is less interruption to horse-drawn service than to motor service. In what proportions the city should make use of these two types of equipment, however, is a question requiring detailed study. Stables Good stables are essential to maintaining live stock in proper working condition, and it is also important that the animals be housed in a way that will not be objectionable to the neighborhood where stables are located. The municipal government, as the largest single operator of horse-drawn equipment within the city, should set the highest standard of stable construction and opera- tion. Conditions were found to be far from satisfactory in a large number of the stables that were leased, and an effort has been made to correct these conditions to the extent that money was available. On chart II are shown the locations of the various stables in use, and the street-cleaning districts which they serve. Prac- tically all these properties have been rented for a term not ex- ceeding five years, under leases which are terminable within that period. The leases usually provide for an automatic increase in rent equal to the increase, if any, in the amount of city taxes paid by the owner. Such improvements as may be made by the city accrue to the owner on the termination of the lease. The annual rentals and other terms of the contracts are indicated in table II-3. Agreements of purchase are not included. Descrip- Location : tion 13th and Stable Shunk Sts. Shand transfer station Stable I120 Race Street 2713 Flet- cher Street 1204 Mont- | Stable gomery Ave. Ath St. and Wyoming Avenue Haines and Magnolia Streets 25th and Moore Sts. Shur’s Lane & Mitchell Street 6“ 55th & Sum- mer Sts. 1245 W. Col- lege Ave. 3300 South | Wagon Broad St. jand motor sho Dp 2610 Callow-|Stable & hill Street |dumping wharf Montgom- Stable ery Ave. & Carlisle St. 30th and Wagon & Sp. Garden |motor Streets shop (Callowhill) 38th & Mar- | Stable ket Streets Frankford &| Stable Glenwood Avenues State Road &| Stable Devereaux Street 34 Other conditions 11/10/21| 5 yrs|/Tax increase over 1921 to be re- imbursed by city. E. H. Vare Co. re- tains office on second floor. Tax increase over 192I to be reim- bursed by city. Tax increases over 1921 and water charges to be re- imbursed by city. Tax increases over 1921 and water charges to be re- imbursed by city. Tax increases over 1921 to be reim- bursed by city. Tax increases over 192I to be reim- bursed by city. Lease terminated 6/30/22 . |Tax increases over 192I and water charges to be re- imbursed by city. Tax increases over 1921 and water charges to be re- imbursed by city. Tax increases over 1921 to be reim- bursed by city. Tax increases. over I92I and water charges to be re- imbursed by city. TABLE II-3 REAL EsTATE RENTED AND CONDITIONS OF RENTAL creak ih Date of Date of | Term rental | Possession} ordinance |of lease $10,000; 1/1/22 15,000] 1/1/22 | 11/10/21] 5 “ 1,200, 1/1/22 | 11/10/21] 5:: “ 7200) 1/1/22 |11/10/21;5 “ 4 000) 1/1/2214 aI7 10/215 6,000] 1/1/22 | 11/10/21; 5“ 4,500} °1/1/21 |) 2/11/2ig pee goa| 1/1/22 | 6/8/2275 e.~ 6,600; 1/1/22 | 6/8/22 }5 “ 3.600| 1/1/21} 4/6/2145 a 10,000] 1/1/22 | 11/10/21} 5“ 2.6004 81/1/2141 1/22/21 Bae 300 1/1/22 |11/28/21 jmonth per to mo. | month 7,750 | 6/15/21 | 7/6/21 |§ yrs 6,600 | 9/15/21 |11/10/2I |5 * 6,000 | 11/1/21 | 6/8/22 {5 “ 1,500 |12/15/21 | 6/8/22 |5 “ \$03,350 Total 35 Improvemenis to Leased Property Up to the close of 1922, about $200,000 was expended from the appropriations to the division of street cleaning for improve- ments made on the leased properties, and an additional $40,000 was used during the first five months of 1923. City forces paid out of appropriations other than those of the division of street cleaning also performed about $15,000 worth of work, consisting principally of paving in the yards of stables. The largest expend- iture on any one property, about $70,000, was made at Thirty- eighth and Market Streets, where a brick stable was erected after the William Penn Hotel, an old landmark, had been torn down. The most modern equipment for the care of work horses was installed in this stable. Extensive improvements were also made in the stables at Fifty-fifth and Summer Streets and at Thirteenth and Shunk Streets, while at Frankford and Glenwood Avenues about $25,000 was used to convert an old garage into a stable. The emphasis throughout has been placed upon adequate light, ventilation, and drainage. To attain the last, concrete runways were constructed which permit the extensive use of water for cleansing. While it was deemed advisable to use plank flooring in the stalls, very tight construction was adopted. Stables of this general construction can be operated without offense to the most fastidious and are practically rat-proof. The manure is removed daily to obviate storage on the premises and to prevent fly- breeding. Unfortunately, lack of time and funds has made it impos- sible to provide permanent stables of modern construction for the entire service. This work is perhaps not more than half com- pleted. Such an excellent building as the one at Thirty-eighth and Market Streets is offset by the grossly unsatisfactory stables at 1245 College Avenue and at Haines and Magnolia Streets. Ad- ditional funds should be provided to enable the street-cleaning division to hasten the completion of its program of stable con- struction, Even more urgent, however, is the question whether the city should lease or own its stables. It may well be questioned whether the city has not gone too far in making improvements on private property which is held under relatively short leases. Is this property to be leased permanently or is it eventually to be ac- 36 quired by the city? Will not the city pay double for the im- provements if the property is finally purchased? Will the use of draft animals increase or decrease in the future? These are pertinent questions which should be answered as soon as possible. This can be done most satisfactorily by referring them, with other questions such as those relating to permanent methods for refuse disposal, to. competent consultants employed to make a study and report upon the whole work. Purchase of Leased Property We have been advised that the leased properties now used . by the city which it can and will want to purchase may be bought for approximately $750,000. This represents an outlay of ap- proximately $500 per horse capacity. The total yearly rental of ‘these properties is $73,100 and their assessed valuation for the year 1922 was about $400,000. Approximately $250,000 has already been expended by the city for improvements. While it appears that the municipal government should have acquired in the beginning those properties which it might advantageously own, or should have leased them subject to purchase at an agreed price, it is not yet too late to conclude these arrangements. Per- haps, however, the city is depending on the right of eminent do- main and on its ability to fix fair prices for purchase by the usual methods of condemnation of property. The Model Farm At what is known as the “Model Farm” the city possesses rather unique facilities for the care of animals. Some years ago the city acquired the old Cannon Ball property in the extreme southwestern section of the city to be used ultimately as a site for sewage-treatment works. One of the buildings on the farm has been remodeled into a veterinary hospital and equipped with facilities pronounced by authorities to be of the very best. Horses which require conditioning and medical attention are taken to the model farm, where extensive pasturage is available. This farm is also used by the department of public safety for fire and police horses. The farm itself is managed, by the bureau of city property, which raises crops and engages in other farming activities. Some of the forage produced is given to the street- cleaning division for use at the district stables. OF City Stable at Glenwood Avenue and Diamond Street The first city-built stable for the street-cleaning division has been completed. It is located upon land which originally belonged to the Glenwood Cemetery plot but was never used for cemetery purposes. The land was secured by the city through condemna- tion. The stable is an L-shaped, brick building, one story in height, with two feed-storage rooms in a second story over about one-third of the area of each L. There are also two detached brick buildings, one for the blacksmith shop, the other for an office. The construction is of the most modern type, especially designed to be rat-proof and to have adequate drainage. Stalls are of tight timber construction. The buildings accommodate 230 horses, and cost, with equipment, about $125,000, which is approximately $500 per horse. According to report, this is about the same cost per horse capacity that would be incurred if the contractor’s stables were purchased. | Strong objection to the stable has been made by the peeidents of the locality in which it is located. Although no protests were heard when the city council, by an ordinance approved July 7, 1922, authorized the condemnation of the land as a site for a stable, the neighborhood subsequently became much aroused and obtained a preliminary injunction restraining the city from pro- ceeding with the work. After a hearing, however, the court re- fused to make the injunction permanent. Opponents of the project were instrumental in having a bill introduced and passed in the state legislature in 1923 to limit the building of stables in cities of the first class (of which Philadelphia is the only one). The bill provided that “no stable large enough to accommodate more than 50 horses at one time shall be erected in any city of the first class within 800 feet of any public playground, school, church, or other place of religious worship having a seating cap- acity for over 100 persons.” In the veto message of March 29, the governor states that, in the absence of a substantial reason why the proposed regulation should not be applied as well to second- and third-class cities, the bill would undoubtedly be held unconstitutional ; that the standards fixed were arbitrary ; that the bill violated the principle of home rule; and that it was intended to hamper municipal street cleaning. It is uncertain what will be the outcome of this first attempt to build city stables. As soon as Glenwood Avenue is opened 38 through the cemetery tract, access to the stable will be facilitated, and there will be less concentration of street equipment. The rear of the stable abuts on the New York division of the Penn- sylvania Railroad. Hence the most probable source of complaint will be from the houses on Diamond Street, the yards of which overlook the stable yard. In adding to the number of satisfactory stables which have already been provided, the city may desire to erect modern struc- tures at other points, and it is unfortunate that the city has not adopted a zoning plan to guide the department of public works in selecting locations. Because of the objections which may be raised to other locations, the stables now leased by the city, and already established in the neighborhood, have a special value. Their locations, however, may not always be the most suit- able. The whole question of -how and where satisfactory stables are to be provided is a complicated one and should receive intensive study. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS It is apparent from an examination of the organization chart (chart I), and more particularly from inspections of the work in the field, that the general supervision is inadequate. A volume of work too great for one person to perform fully is thrown upon the deputy chief. The work of the bureau of highways, involving as it does problems requiring technical skill of a high order, should be under the close supervision of engineers trained for this work. This is as true of the activities of the division of street cleaning as of those of other divisions of the bureau. The work of the division of street cleaning might well be consolidated more closely with that of the division of highways and thus brought under the direct supervision of the district highway engineers. An arrangement of this kind would bring to bear upon the work of street cleaning and refuse collection the entire engi- neering skill of the bureau of highways. In chart I are shown suggestions for improving the super- vising organization. Perhaps this ideal, organization cannot be secured at once, but must be attained by gradual improvement. The performance of street cleaning is seldom better than its supervision. At the present time centralized supervision is almost 39 negligible. Information from several reliable sources supports the view that the success which has been attained has been due very largely to the energy and resourcefulness of the district superintendents. The service would be materially benefited by the close personal contact of the superintendents with the district engineers and by the constructive direction and assistance which the former would receive from the latter. This supervision by the highway engineers should extend, however, only to the street work, namely, the street cleaning and collection of refuse, the disposal services being under separate control. To coordinate the whole work, the district highway engineers should in turn be under the supervision of division highway engineers who would administer the work of a group of districts. Probably not more than two division engineers would be necessary at the pres- ent time. By this arrangement the whole organization would be strengthened, adequate supervision provided, the entire street work coordinated, and the responsibility for execution properly placed. In order that efforts to improve the service and to meet changing conditions may be based on accurate and detailed infor- mation, a suitable number of engineers should be employed for compiling data and studying and formulating plans. Only in this way can changes in district boundaries, in schedules, and in the extent to which horse-drawn and motor equipment is used, be correctly made. Of equal importance is the keeping of rec- erds, particularly financial records and those designed to assist in the control of equipment. An adequate force should therefore be provided for this work. It has been pointed out that permanent and_ satisfactory shops have not yet been obtained. This is a serious handicap to the work of the division. The stables also are in some instances highly unsatisfactory, and, as.some of them are rented, money expended for their improvement will not be invested for the per- manent benefit of the city unless the city should be able to pur- chase them at their original value. The problem of providing permanent stables should receive immediate attention, and the question of renting or owning stables should be settled. As the result of our survey of the organization, plant, and equipment of the street-cleaning work, we recommend that: 4O 1. The organization of street-cleaning work be revised as rapidly as possible to agree with that shown in chart I. 2. Adequate transportation be provided for the super- visory services. 3. A sufficient force of engineers be employed to make the necessary studies and prepare plans to place the opera- tions of the division on the most efficient and economical basis. 4. An adequate number of clerks be provided to permit complete and accurate bookkeeping, accounting, and control record-keeping. 5. Permanent and satisfactory. shops be obtained. 6. Permanent stables of the best type be provided, and the question of renting or owning stables be settled. CHAD TERY Uy STREET OPERATIONS STREET CLEANING The actual cleaning of the streets probably appeals more to public imagination than any other service performed by the street- cleaning division. For a long time the unsatisfactory condition of the streets has been a subject of complaint in Philadelphia, and the public expected vast improvement under municipal opera- tion. Most certainly, public decency and convenience require that the streets should be kept reasonably clean, while consideration for the public health demands that at frequent intervals there should be thorough cleansing, especially of much-used streets. Difficulties of Street Cleaning It is obviously impracticable to keep all the streets clean at ali times. Even if expense could be disregarded, there are many practical difficulties. In the downtown district, for illustration, by using a very large number of blockmen, or “white wings,” it would be possible to remove accumulations of dirt so frequently that the streets would have the appearance of great cleanliness. Yet they would be covered with a fine dust that the blockmen could not remove, and this fine dust on a windy day would prove extremely objectionable. It can be removed only by cleaning methods that cannot be used during the working day, when the traffic is heavy. Even though this fine dust is removed during the night, there will be a new accumulation before the following business day is over. Some of this dirt comes from the side- walks, which the city does not clean, although they are a part of the public highway ; and some comes from store sweepings which are placed in the street in violation of city regulation. Unfortunately, the kind of paving used on many miles of streets cannot be thoroughly cleaned. The streets paved with rough, traffic-worn, granite blocks, originally laid on a dirt foun- dation without a joint filler, can, of course, be given only a rough cleaning. These streets, however, produce little dust on a windy day, because the dirt is held in the depressions between the blocks. While sheet asphalt paving, laid on a concrete base, can be very 4I 42 thoroughly cleansed with water, provided the street grades are not too flat, there are many miles of older asphalt pavements, laid on a broken-stone base, and now uneven of surface and fre- quently in wretched repair, which cannot be thoroughly cleaned. The mileage and area of the different types of street pavement in Philadelphia are shown in table III-1. From this table it is apparent that slightly over 50 per cent of the paving is sheet asphalt, which can be cleaned easily when in good repair, while about 30 per cent is of granite block which is difficult to clean. Of the remaining zo per cent, 14 per cent is vitrified block. TABLE. III-1 STREET AND Roap PAVEMENTS (EXCLUSIVE OF ParK Drives) IN THE City oF PHILADELPHIA, DECEMBER 31, 1922 Kind of pavement ; Miles Square yards Total 1,793.077 24,243,113 City Streets 1,249.326 19,982,922 Granite block 337.817 6,213,353 Asphalt (sheet) 680.888 10,319,662 os (block) 5.880 55,383 # (block, modern) 1.155) 15,238 Vitrified block 175.922 2,836,857 Wood i 21.392 315,997 Cobble 4.448 44,771 Rubble 3.720 54,660 Slag block 7.920 76,610 Cement and granolithic 10.184 50,391 Suburban and Country Roads 371.079 4,260, 191 Cement concrete 5.905 69,773 Bituminous 130.474 1,744,484 Waterbound macadam 228.709 2,439,815 Granite block on hillsides 0.591 6,119 Unimproved Earth Roads 172.072 Note: The predominant kind of paving in each street is taken in the com- putation of the mileage. The yardage is based on the actual yard- age of each type, including gutters and special types of paving be- tween rails. ; Improvements in Methods During the Blankenburg administration, while street cleaning was still done by contract, studies made of street-cleaning opera- tions in other large cities resulted in certain distinct improvements in the methods used in Philadelphia. The number of blockmen 43 ‘oyeurrxoiddy , OGEPZZ SS ESer Sis'9 16Q‘VI1Z'R ZQI ‘oS ‘oz Qe SV £g zcOl oo00'z6Z‘z} , o00‘00Z‘z | , 9SV‘QSe*Z osP‘gre‘z1 61 cv 98 ozo ‘spf ‘bs ‘spf ‘bs "sp “bs soynor suIooIq uauyoorg | surysnpqz aaa "spA “DS [23014 soysnpg | SI°PTUIAdS| suryoeyy Ajlep pouvs[o asepiedk ose19saAy pesn quswdmby “yeaK 7ZOL NI MYXOMA IVMIOINNJT HLA, OZOI NI MYXOMA LOVALNOD JO NOSTYvdWOD oor'SOS'i{ QS ae o0z‘SI6 | vzo'Iee | QSz‘gv i Ogo'rZe‘I| .. 000'Rf0'C yunAeuryy pue UMO}URUIII+ ozZ‘goo'r} 4 ss og6‘zoZ | ooz‘€6 | ooZ‘€gz | .. gsZirgr | .. 000'SSo‘z ueso7y o000'SZ ~, Ges we is 3% giZ‘ooz | .. * 000 '6S6'E Aude oL0‘Z11 8 CI QTOL Tha c% ooo‘ogI |} SQOZ*PEE TI) .. a psojyuel y vor‘ere ve ee as god‘s€g | S6Q%RzE | .. 1zo‘OL6‘I| .. 000'SS7'z [ysreyy SvL‘OL9 69 * os goc‘hz6 | ofo‘srS | .. ror‘cSh'1| ooo'S1Z | oo006Ez‘E eIquinjo7 Z11'g0v | 99 | .. ‘a e goZ‘1eg | .. a 6Sr‘zfg | 000'66S‘r 2eY go6'roz | OF | .. “ bi oor‘gsh | .. . 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But the changes in cleaning methods made since the inauguration of municipal street cleaning, have been far more extensive and beneficial. Many more motor flush- ers and blockmen have been used. Machine brooms have been relegated to the rougher streets, especially streets where heavy traffic exists, and are used on other streets only once a week, immediately after ash and rubbish collections. Some of the more obvious defects in the old street-cleaning schedules have already been corrected. While a major revision of the street-cleaning work in West Philadelphia was made effective on January I, 1923, radical revision of the work throughout the city is waiting upon detailed analysis by the engineering force, which is too small to meet the demands upon it. Quantity of Work Performed Table III-2 shows a schedule of the street-cleaning work for each district and for the entire city, and indicates the method and frequency of cleaning. This schedule can be compared with the accompanying record of the work performed during 1920, the last year of city-wide contract performance. The area of pavement to be kept clean approximates 25,000,000 square yards, of which the average area cleaned daily during 1922 was 14,700,- 000 square yards, whereas the daily average in 1920 was only about 10,000,000 square yards. From this area a total of 504,246 cubic yards of street dirt was collected in 1922. In table III-3 is shown the quantity of street dirt collected in each month of 1922. It appears that the smallest monthly collection was made in January and the largest in October. Although the number of machine brooms remained prac- tically constant, the use of flushers doubled, and the number of blockmen increased 70 per cent. In some sections, machine- broom cleaning has been practically discontinued except for one cleaning a week, following the ash and rubbish collections. How- ever, in some sections of the city, notably South Philadelphia, it has been found advisable to increase machine-broom cleaning, which has kept the total amount of this kind of work in 1922 about equal to that in 1920. 45 TABLE III-3 Quantity oF STREET Dirt CoLLecTeD IN 1922, BY MoNTHS Quantities col- Months lected in cubic yards andary ei. otk CEE We Re ates cal ct stds exert wales wes 24,216 POTS Te ery 6 TNO ck ant AIDC ie ea ape ar ae, are Fn Os UNE aa me CO A 31,372 Aa PRs Sree ee et cas Fats ou oa ord o 40,964 RE A ame ee ee er ee ne tk a's ses Uw ce a Re 43,285 De eT eee ere oe les oa abe tig Peek ede ue 44,506 MR Me Swe as RENEE OO ek Pogue Peed etaeebes 46,146 De cere cont, . er oe Sirs A Megat Saris 40,987 RR Eas hen tee shared « k's SEMEN Re eres feast hla ae wal ean 46,419 Dem DET Age ©. 6. so 5. MEME tea aide 44 ns id ae paw ato alee 43,860 DROME Sorta sc a cia 0.15, REE E AIRES ae wl @ Hoceln Shaws 51,225 NI Sa AM AIRE an 8s. 5. Ses RS pa Sees 50,774 ee, see, beled EME Ce tT Cee lb ceed: 40,432 UPR T NIE ote eae aN Fr PO ne 504,246 Relative Value of Various Methods To analyze the methods of street cleaning now employed in different sections of the city, or to attempt to indicate what meth- ods are best under the conditions encountered, is beyond the scope of this report. It should be understood that there is no one method of street cleaning that is effective under all conditions of pave-- ment surface, street traffic, and weather. The most effective and economical apparatus and methods must be determined by study and experience, and the apparatus and methods must be changed from time to time as conditions require. Perhaps the motor flusher has at present the greatest all-round usefulness; but it cannot be used on many of the older pavements, especially those composed of blocks laid on a dirt base. However, on a smooth, impervious pavement surface which has a proper crown and grade, the use of sufficient quantities of water under pressure, as from a motor flusher, is very effective in removing not only the coarser dirt, but also the finer dust. This 1s especially true if the street is flushed twice, or if it is sprinkled prior to flushing. Water may also be applied by hose flushing, although this method is used less now than formerly. Vacuum sweepers have given.a certain amount of satisfaction in some cities, but they are of no 46 value when the pavements are wet, and other conditions also reduce their value in Philadelphia. The horse-drawn broom is used more or less in practically all cities. It removes only the coarser dirt, and on a smooth pavement usually smears the dirt in a thin film over the entire surface. On rough pavements, where a high degree of cleanliness cannot be obtained, the use of horse- drawn brooms is doubtless economical. The motor sweeper, which sprinkles and sweeps with one operation, and which is usu- ally provided with a pick-up belt and a dirt-storage box, should not be viewed as a new method of cleaning, but only as a step in the substitution of motors in place of horses and men. The motor sweeper is also made with a special broom for cleaning the gutter. Like some other forms of street-cleaning equipment, it operates best on well-paved streets with an even curb and gutter; its use on roughly paved streets is destructive of the mechanism. The motor sweeper doubtless has some field of usefulness in Philadelphia, although the street-cleaning division has not been very well satisfied with the two machines that have been operated for short periods. Of great importance in the list of facilities are the blockmen, or “white wings.” It is impossible to build a machine that has the intelligence of a workman. The hand-broom sweeper can do well certain kinds of cleaning that a machine cannot do at all. The so-called alleys must be cleaned by hand labor, and on streets with numerous depressions or irregular gutters, hand brooming alone is effective. If he cleans only the gutters and the scattered accumulations of dirt on the crown of the street, the blockman is capable of covering a considerable territory in a day’s work. Automobile traffic throws the dirt from the street into the gutter, and in many localities all that needs to be done to make a street attractive is to clean the gutters and to pick up the litter. In districts with well-paved streets, cleaning by block- men is very effective if supplemented by flushing. As a result of a detailed study of methods, the officials of the street-cleaning division are of the opinion that the number of blockmen will be further increased by as much as 75 per cent in a few years. lf blockmen are to become so important a part of the organization, their wages should be increased so that better laborers can be obtained. Heretofore, the most inefficient and the physically defective have been used as blockmen. 47 The appearance of the workmen has not received sufficient attention. In the eyes of the public, blockmen personify the street-cleaning work, so that untidiness may easily be assumed to imply inefficient work. Neat workmen, on the other hand, may inspire in the public a desire to cooperate in the work of keeping, the streets clean. It is probable, also, that a man who is neatly uniformed will feel a desire to justify his equipment and appear- ance and will do better work. For these reasons, it is important that the blockmen be neatly dressed when they are at work, and as the white uniform is typical of cleanliness and has become tra- ditional in this service, it should be continued. In order that the cost of this equipment may not prove burdensome to the work- men, provision should be made for it in the wage. COLLECTION OF ASHES AND RUBBISH The collection of ashes and rubbish is an important part of the work of the street-cleaning division. During 1922, as shown in table III-4, 1,795,557 cubic yards of ashes and rubbish were collected. To collect this huge volume of refuse efficiently and economically requires not only careful planning and organization of the work by the street-cleaning division, but also the co- operation of the householder. TABLE III-4 Quantity or ASHES AND RussisH CoLLECTED IN 1922, By MontHs Quantities col- Months lected in cubic yards PSE VRE hi oie. 5. be de Dare watenle pe wt See ele 213,228 PCA Ey) Mette MUR Fs. 50. 5:0 civ aie BAIR leltie ote wis elvis tassels 258,461 Ree A Pa cs 5. oo vis ae sale Sse clea ie He. steals 108,626 Ne re OE Fao 0 0 62 vias win 4 Ma pep ses ae > 175,285 cs Ban eas! one, i iii iSite sce circ ns 145,551 eV Ee ss is we ale Sha kode Seeman Wile 87,485 rae es ee ems. 5! 25 lochs ae eee ate vies ti 77,808 IgE Ce ree |. 6 5. Lk lw tn a bea earmaide nae 70,012 PRC MME MEE. , «55.4 3'dig Sie a Scie al seve« Cae thle & 68,870 OR re ORE NGE 6 oo cons wo Oa aay lc a eee ole 80,374 DOME OGI IG Vi ARP G ME a. os ve ovis Vas: Cole fe sowie Bene 166,452 ETO DE Serer Ok os bs a bs - bee +o Deals oh setae alot 253,405 SRy Ed LE ae PPMENRTE 5 5 5 vip. ost 3 ota wie sate < Goes mir eae 1,795,557 48 Separation of Household Wastes For collection purposes, household wastes are required to be separated into three kinds: garbage, ashes, and rubbish. This classification is a result of experience with various methods of waste disposal. For a number of years, over half the city’s gar- bage has been treated by the reduction process, whereby certain constituents which have a commercial value are extracted, while the remainder has been used largely for pig feeding. Accordingly, it has been necessary to collect the garbage as free as possible from other household waste, and it is required that there shall be a separate, non-leakable, covered receptacle for garbage in each household. To some extent, other kinds of waste, particu- larly tin cans, are mixed with the garbage, and of course some garbage is thrown with the rubbish and ashes; but the extent of this practice is not known. Since 1909, an ordinance of council has prohibited the mixing of rubbish with ashes. This regulation was made to permit the contractor to salvage salable material from the rubbish, thereby making possible a lower price to the city for the collection service. To insure the separation of ashes and rubbish more effectually, about ten years ago the collection of ashes and rubbish on differ- ent days was instituted. This practice permitted the use of wag- ons specially designed for each kind of waste. Since the collection on different days of the week was inconvenient to householders, however, and resulted in littering the streets on two different days of the week, the collection of ashes and rubbish in recent years has been made on the same day oi the week. Also, since little use has been made of the opportunity to salvage the rubbish, both ashes and rubbish are now usually collected in the same wagon, the capacity of which is increased by the use of side- boards when the larger part of the load consists of rubbish, which is bulkier than ashes in comparison with its weight. When ashes and rubbish are mixed in the wagons and disposed of together, their separation by the householder is not so important. On the other hand, the introduction of incineration, which ordinarily is used for rubbish disposal only, will make it necessary for the househoider to comply rather faithfully with the ordinance requir- ing separation. 49 Method of Collection Ashes and rubbish are collected once a week throughout the year in the entire city. The householder is required by city regu- lation to place the containers at the curb. While this is generally done, it is extremely difficult to prevent the collectors from carry- ing the refuse from the house, if paid by the householder. The street-cleaning division is quite aware of the existence of the practice of accepting tips. Recently, however, when the wages paid by the city have not been so high as those paid in private employment, it has perhaps not been expedient to make any effort to prevent this practice. The system of tipping is by no means a weakness peculiar to municipal operation, but existed also under contract operation. Undoubtedly, many householders would be glad to pay the increased cost of collection if the collectors would carry the household wastes from the yard or from the house. Some sentiment in favor of this method has been expressed in city council. The refuse could be carried out by the city’s col- lectors more easily from detached or semi-detached houses, or from row houses which have a door to the cellar from the street ; but since the majority of houses are built in rows without such means of access to the street from the cellar, it would be neces- sary for the collectors to go through the house, and would thus place upon the city a heavy responsibility for safeguarding private property. There are 21 ash and rubbish routes in the 12 street-cleaning districts, some districts having as many as three routes. A col- lection route, in general, comprises the territory served in one day by the district ash- and rubbish-collection equipment consisting chiefly of horse-drawn wagons and the necessary complement of helpers or loaders. Trucks are also used, particularly in the Columbia and Fairhill districts, where the hauls are unusually long. In the course of studies of methods of ash and rubbish col- lection in the several districts, it has been found, as in West Philadelphia, that, on certain routes, trucks can be used more satisfactorily than wagons. When adequate refuse-disposal facili- ties become available at more centrally located points, wagons doubtless will be greatly preferred. At present, however, addi- tional trucks should be provided, particularly for replacements. 50 Changes in Schedules At the outset of city-wide municipal collection, the city used the collection routes developed under the contract system. This was necessary to prevent confusion on the part of the collecting forces, which had been largely employed under the contractors, and also on the part of the public, which had become accustomed to collections at certain fixed times. It was realized, however, that while these collection routes had apparently been laid out with some attention to density of population and length of the haul to the dumps, they had not been planned for the building up of new sections or for the changes in the location of dumps. Arbitrary limitations, moreover, had been imposed upon these routes by district lines which divided the work of different con- tractors. Experience in ash and rubbish collection during the winter of 1922 disclosed the fact that the contractors had not properly proportioned the work to the equipment and labor em- ployed and that there were great inequalities in the amount of work assigned to the different days of the week. Some readjustments have been made in the layout of the collection work to overcome the more obvious defects. Owing to the lack of comprehensive and reliable information about the work done under the contract system, it has been necessary to study each section of the city in detail. Adequate revision must depend upon the more comprehensive records now maintained and upon special studies made in the field. Radical changes can be made no faster than these studies can be conducted. The methods which are used for disposing of ashes and rub- bish are described in Chapter IV, but it may be mentioned at this time that the refuse is hauled in the wagons or trucks in which it is collected directly to the dumps or barges. Experiments are being conducted with waterproof brown canvas covers, especially made to stand the hard service, and the results have been satisfactory except in freezing weather. These covers can be drawn down tightly to prevent spilling even when wagons are overloaded. Since overloading is the general practice, the canvas cover is more desirable than the iron cover which stands partly open, revealing the load. 51 GARBAGE COLLECTION From July 1 to October 1, garbage is collected each week- day in the section of the city south of Hunting Park Avenue and between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers; elsewhere it is col- lected at least three times a week, and an attempt is made to collect four times a week. During the rest of the year, collec- tions are made three times a week in all districts, except in Tacony and Manayunk, where they are made twice a week. Manner of Collection Garbage, like ashes and rubbish, is collected according to fixed routes which determine the work for each week-day. Ordi- narily, the garbage route covers the work of one wagon only, and the driver makes the collection himself, although sometimes he 1s assisted by a helper. To some extent, the city has experimented with the use of trucks in collecting garbage. The truck is able to make quicker delivery to the point of disposal; but in a house- to-house collection it must be started and stopped many times for each loading, the motor must be kept running during short stops, and, on account of the many stops and starts, the average speed is much less than the most econoniical speed of the truck. Even where a gang of loaders is used to speed up the collection, it is doubtful whether a saving of cost can be effected. Trailers to be drawn by horses during collection of the load, and by motors when the load is transferred to the point of disposal, might be adaptable in some sections. Private Collectors Private garbage collectors still operate to some extent in Philadelphia, but there has been a 50 per cent reduction in their number since the war period. Prior to 1921, the city contracted for all garbage collection and disposal in one annual contract. No attempt was made to control the private collector, except that by ordinance he was supposed to obtain a license from the city’s board of health. The contractor for garbage collection and dis- posal welcomed the private collector in outlying districts from which the haul to the reduction plant would have been expensive, and was also grateful to the private collector for removing the garbage produced in summer in excess of the capacity of the reduction plant. 52 At the close of the war, the drop in the price of pork reduced the number of private collectors who desired garbage for pig feeding. Also, restrictions of the health authorities have consid- erably reduced the number of locations in Pennsylvania where piggeries can be operated, although considerable garbage is taken to piggeries in New Jersey, where the restrictions are not so severe. Since the private collector is ordinarily irresponsible, and cannot be depended upon for regular collections, the decrease in the number of private collectors is a distinct improvement. In 1921, when the city took over the operation of the garbage- reduction plant, but contracted for garbage collection except in the central part of the city, private collectors were permitted to operate only as agents for the collecting contractor, who was held responsible for their work. Under this restriction, it became the custom for the contractor to put men on the streets to help load the private collectors’ wagons, and some of the private collectors were also paid by the contractor, usually in the form of a wage to the driver. This latter arrangement was continued in substantially the same form by the city in 1922 when it assumed direct contro] of the entire garbage collection. In spite of the rather close super- vision thus exercised over private collectors, it is estimated that a large percentage of the complaints of poor service are due to the derelictions of private collectors. It is desirable, therefore, that the city service should completely replace private collection in all sections, eventually even in collections from hotels, restau- rants, and hospitals. This step would probably have been taken by the city before were it not that more garbage is produced than can be disposed of in the reduction plant. The operators of pig- geries would doubtless be willing to carry away the garbage col- lected by city forces, a method which is already being used at a transfer station in Germantown. Equipment in Use In table 1II-5 is shown the number of garbage wagons oper- ated by the city in each district in 1922, the number of paid pri- vate collectors, and the number of licensed private collectors. Of paid private collectors, there were only 11 at the close of the year 1922, and these were operating in the northern extremity of the city. There were 74 licensed private collectors, 25 of whom oz £z SIOJIIT[OO oye atid pasusol] jo suoseM | Jo suosem FO “ON 3° SON ‘suOseM [IPS PUe sc1e] VyYZ PUR BOI UsaMjoq PolieA, ‘SUOSeEM ]][eWIS puUe sdIe] SOI pue QrI UsaMj}eq PolieA, “AyDeded U0j}-1 JO SUOBeM ][BUIG =>S ‘Apioeded uo0}-Y{I JO suodem agiey = 7] Aj10 9y} Aq pazer1ado suosem jo JaquinN 6£ es e IZ : e II 5 Ze OI irez 9 est at Z c mK ee (Ss js ¢ ; S S cz I QI I 9 I 9 I gI A OI I ee I oe e C : f cf QI s II a . a Y 1¢ An Gy = 4 2 vs ce ee re S ov Qe : I £ oS : Qe I Ss T Ss TI s T ) S.10JD9T[OO seated suo8em areds Jowumns ur JOJUIM UT pred posn o8e19AVy posn sseisay TROL 19z z Sons Or ads 06 eee 0 2.8 ee ee poauulapuo7) ¢ Pare et rae Wide eke sams Bw eS ee doys ut gSz Cr eee JOLI}sIp ul [VIO L A wite's6 eles) ite © pilecs aie sens, axe yundeueyy Qc 5 pe 66 GF, ame Legh, @ 6 Ler er sane UMOJUPUIIOL) Fer OWI Wega ee oe ger, «lb oe Hime uesoyT ee (Cac Ge cis ‘dials pe a. @ stk. (e.eace «mam ©. . AuOde J, Gee a 2 oie aN eo 6 Whe; S6h.e; 0: e psojyyuely Te we ® 0 © @ 2 846 6% 2 ae. 6 6 F's 6 eeee [Use Qs : 6 & eo w be lew © orev e @ oe SIQUIN][O7)-IIbY th 5 She vsis acer éne! kee e's . q y V “eI ‘Ss €S Oe SO ee Ee a ee ay ae nee "mM $}9113SIq Zz6I NI NOILOGTIO) FOVAIV) NI SYOLOATIOD ALVAING ANV ALID Ad CASE) LINAWAINOY S-III ATG VL 54 operated in West Philadelphia, 23 in South Philadelphia, 22 in the northern-central section of the city, and 4 in the outlying northern districts. The greater number of these collectors operate from New Jersey. Garbage-Collection Complaints The records of the street-cleaning division indicate that 4,272 garbage-collection complaints were received in 1922, an average of one to each 100 houses. The average number of complaints received daily during the entire year was 14; from June to Octo- ber the daily average was 22, and for the rest of the year it was 10. About 40 per cent of these complaints were not well founded. Many of them, for example, were complaints about the lack of daily collection during May and June, which are not months dur- ing which daily collections are made. The complaints received were turned over promptly to inspectors in the districts from which they came and were investigated to learn whether the col- lection service had failed. Some complaints, such as those made of failure of collection when the garbage was not accessible, are unreasonable; but they serve to keep the operating personnel keyed to the highest pitch. On the other hand, an accumulation of complaints when the work is being handled with great diffi- culty, as in time of a labor shortage, is discouraging in the ex- treme. During the late spring and early summer of 1923, it was practically impossible, because of the low wages paid and the disagreeableness of the work, to obtain a sufficient number of garbage-wagon drivers; consequently many complaints were re- ceived. Frequency of Collection While garbage is collected each week-day during the summer in some of the more closely built-up sections, it is not collected daily in all sections. This is a basis of complaint from persons who move from the central section of the city, where they have been accustomed to daily collections, to sections, such as West Philadelphia, where garbage is collected every other day. There really is no sound reason for making collections less frequently in one of these sections than in the other. But since the exten- sion of the daily collection service will add to the cost, it may be impossible to accomplish this immediately, although there is doubt- 55 ‘q] OO1 Ysnsny sq] ogh‘z a? gy a}eArid ,, ” 3” sq] OchE paysiam S10zDa]JOD pred Jo peo] sde1aAy ‘sq{ 4Zzo‘1 “pA ‘nd Jod aseqies jo JYySsIIM s8eIDAV ”? a9 ” ” ” ” ” 9 ‘q[ zg°0 ‘1ea04 Sulinp uosjod Jod oseqies Jo uoronpojid Apiep osesisaAy "000‘000‘I ‘uolejndod jejoy, SOS ‘z tvZ‘z ZOE'I SQZ‘S LvL‘z ZeS‘°Q £99‘Z1 zge‘Sl reseesess JaquIaIC Z00‘% 969 ‘z $90‘1 ggZ‘s R99‘z VS9‘8 LEZEI 6zz‘gI ia ae ToqulaAo Nf S16‘% egs‘v gro‘! REz‘L 669'E LEVII gge‘Z1 1Q7Z‘OZ, TSS SOO zgi‘t Lzg‘Z LPQ‘I 622° ZrO’ 1zl‘cI S61 ‘zz LSE‘Sz nesses se taquteydag 6s1‘€ 96S ‘6 £66‘I giV‘ol g60'°V ZiS‘VI £o1 ‘gz zQz‘6z Scere S Sat Sehr Zoo's bre'Z oZ6‘I 209‘ 6Si‘v LoL‘zi 1Q6‘'1Z 996 Fe Ri aipenis Leshe te ere eet Ayn beg‘z gzo‘e 006‘I por'Z LZzv'¢ 1z6‘O1 LeZ‘o1 19S‘61 ai ae Swe een eae oun C272 olz‘¢ 009‘I €z£‘9 090‘ for‘6 6LV'VI zSe‘LI be ie a 10h'z S991 009‘T 1fz‘S cove £Q9°Z Qee1I OfZL‘C1 to) ee Oe ae LLV'z CQET ooZ‘I zgz‘S Coz‘ LzS‘Z OI9Q‘OI LQ0E1 ie SS er Ue W le eh arhaw Yoseyyy £907 ooe‘T 10£‘T LQEV CrZ‘t O£1‘9 1Z9'Q PQg‘o1 ares 8s ee ATCA eT O16'I oof‘ 6ch'I 6fz'P bre‘ €g19 Zz0'9 ZEQ‘O1 Se tes a SAE, Q92'ct eeZ‘Ly £95 ‘oz QrS‘6Z ZzQ‘OL OLI‘QII gor ‘vgi PSL‘QIZ a teal NG $10}93][09 sasieq Ag A]}OIIIG [e230], ; SwIey 10 ayeatid pred [e10y, eal panera pee el yuetd uorljonpar-aseqies 0} paA2Au07 P HT Ag 0} paxaauor I payoottes satis S10}D9[[00 3a}3vAtid pred pure sad10y AyD AG [esodsip jo poy. IvSodSIq SI] 10 SGOHLAJ, INV ZZ61 NI GALOITIOD JOVAAV) AO SNOT, JO WaaWAN O-IT WIdVvsL 56 less a strong popular sentiment in its favor. As a matter of fact, it is not necessary to collect garbage every day to prevent it from becoming a source of nuisance or inconvenience. Collections three times a week would conform to the most stringent rules of sani- tation if every householder would provide a garbage receptacle of adequate capacity and of the proper kind. Amount Collected The amount of garbage collected in 1922 by city and private forces was 133,923 loads, or 216,754 tons, exclusive of garbage from hotels, restaurants, and hospitals. The distribution of this amount over the 12 months of the year is indicated in table Tll-6. Of the total, 163,903 tons were collected by city forces, 20,563 tons by paid private collectors, and 32,288 tons, or about one-seventh of the total, by licensed private collectors. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS We have found that, in general, the work of cleaning the streets has been well done under municipal operation. The work is extensive and presents many difficulties. These difficulties are due in part to conditions, such as narrow alleys, and street sur- faces of types not easily cleaned, which cannot be changed imme- diately, if at all. Other difficulties, arising from such conditions as poorly-constructed pavements and improper uses of streets in some localities, can and should be corrected as soon as possible. The municipal forces have been able, during the compara- tively short period of their operation, to render satisfactory ser- vice is removing ashes, rubbish, and street dirt. However, this work has been done under serious handicaps which must be elim- inated as far as practicable before the work can be conducted on the most efficient and economical basis. In the plans for future development of the collection service, the problem of ultimate disposal of ashes and rubbish must be given serious considera- tion. One of the principal difficulties in the collection of garbage arises from the lack of team alleys. Since this condition cannot be changed where it exists, the collection methods must be adapted to it. From necessity, the work was conducted at first in accord- ance with schedules arranged by the private contractors who “ff previously did the work. These schedules, being poorly planned in many instances, must be readjusted. We have found that the garbage-collection service has been well maintained and extended, but that, because of difficulties encountered and lack of funds to overcome them quickly, much needs to be done to place the service on a high plane of efficiency. The failure to provide for ease and rapidity of refuse collection when city blocks are planned and houses built adds to the diffi- culties of the work of collection. At present the private collector is an important factor in the problem, and should be eliminated for the good of the service. It has been necessary for the division of street cleaning to pros- ecute the work with an insufficient number of wagons and under disadvantageous labor conditions, These are matters of vital im- portance which should be corrected by the provision of adequate funds. Careful studies are necessary to determine the best methods of operation, the most effective equipment and the proper adjust- ment of personnel for the street-cleaning and refuse-collection services. These studies must be correlated with studies of the whole problem, of. which street cleaning and refuse collection are only a part. It is not to be expected that the operating forces can undertake the exhaustive investigations needed for broad, general planning. Competent specialists should, therefore, be em- ployed to make this study. When the general study has been completed and a plan de- veloped, much work will be necessary to put it into operation and to make the adjustments which changing conditions will require. To do this work, an adequate force of engineers should be per- manently employed by the division of street cleaning. With the need of improvements for the betterment of the service in view, we recommend that: 1. An adequate engineering force be maintained to make the necessary studies and prepare plans to place the street operations on the most efficient basis. 2. The workmen, particularly the blockmen, be neatly uniformed while at work. 3. An adequate number of wagons be obtained for the collection service, and the conditions of labor employment be 58 adjusted to provide a sufficient number of employes at all times. 4. The street operations be included in a study of the whole problem by competent consulting specialists in order that all parts of the service may be correlated. CHAPTER IV DISPOSAL OR RELUSE The volume of refuse collected annually from the streets and dwellings of Philadelphia is immense. During the year 1922, the municipal forces removed from the streets 504,246 cubic yards of street dirt and collected 1,795,557 cubic yards of ashes and rubbish and 184,466 cubic yards of garbage, in addition to which 32,288 cubic yards of garbage were collected by private collectors. After this vast amount of refuse has been collected, disposal is necessary. The purpose of this chapter is to describe the meth- ods of disposal that are used. DisposAL OF ASHES, RUBBISH, AND STREET D1rT Dumbs At present, ashes, rubbish, and street dirt are disposed of en- tirely upon land dumps. The greater volume is hauled directly to the dumps in the collection wagons and trucks, although barges are used to transport mixed refuse from dumping wharves on both sides of the Schuylkill River, near the Spring Garden Street Bridge, to dumps in South Philadelphia, and relay trucks have been used to carry material from a transfer station formerly main- tained at 1120 Race Street to dumps east of Broad Street in South Philadelphia. Dumps for the disposal of mixed ashes and rubbish are be- coming scarce, and must be sought at constantly increasing dis- tances from built-up sections. Chart II shows the scattered loca- tions of these dumps. The city always secures the consent of the land-owner for the use of his property by a written agreement terminable by either party on ten days’ notice. In the few instances listed in table I1V-1, the city pays a small remuneration for the privilege of dumping ashes and rubbish, It will be observed that the prices paid are relatively small— averaging less than four cents per cubic yard. This is especially apparent when the prices are compared with the charge usually made by owners of dump property to building contractors for the privilege of dumping excavated dirt. Ashes and rubbish, more- 59 60 over, constitute a much less desirable fill, because they settle slowly and cannot be built upon for a considerable period. Land-owners are always reluctant to grant the city the privilege of dumping mixed ashes and rubbish, when private building contractors will not only pay more for the privilege of dumping but use better materials for fill. TABLE IV-1 RECORD OF RENTALS Paip FoR ASH AND RuppisH Dumps IN USE IN 1923 , “ Average Location Payment Conditions amount of material dumped Fishers Lane _ and|$3,500 annually No limit to quan- |142,000 cu. yds. Harrowgate Lane, tity dumped in 1922 Wheatsheaf Lane and Cedar St. Manayunk Ave. and} 750 73 6 19,000 cu. yds. Leverington Ave. in 1922 Ridge Ave. and Har-} 750 cH 19,000 cu. yds. vey St. in 1922 Walnut Lane and} 1,800 to fill (com- 63,000 cu. yds. Ampho St. pleted Dec. 31, 1923) Thirty-second St. and] 5,000 to fill (com- 80,000 cu. yds. Midvale Ave. pleted June I, (capacity ) 1923 ) Clean ashes alone are most excellent filling material: the combination of fine dust with larger particles settles quickly into a mass that has good sustaining power. Mixing rubbish with ashes, however, destroys almost completely the good qualities of the ashes as material for fill. The mass of mixed refuse contains large voids and does not settle readily; it therefore harbors rats which feed on garbage mixed by the householder with the rub- bish in violation of city ordinance. Fires occur with great fre- cuency in the combustible material. This, to some extent, con- stitutes a fire menace, and always creates a smoke nuisance in the immediate neighborhood. Dumps used for mixed ashes and rub- bish, moreover, are extremely unsightly and offensive. Harrowgate Incinerator The time is not far distant when public opinion will demand the discontinuance of the practice of dumping mixed ashes and rubbish. Because of the great difficulty already experienced by 61 the division of street cleaning in securing convenient sites for mixed-refuse dumping, a start has been made toward the instal- lation of incinerating plants, capable of burning the greater bulk of rubbish easily and cheaply, and operating under such high temperatures that garbage can undoubtedly be consumed also with- out creating offense. The Harrowgate incinerator will serve the northeastern section of the city. It will have a capacity of 280 tons of mixed refuse each 24 hours. The furnaces are of the Sterling type, similar to those in use in Toronto, Canada. The plant, which will cost slightly over $400,000, will be available for use in 1924; its location on a hillside will greatly facilitate the operation. Since this initial incinerating unit is in a sense an experiment, the results of its operation may determine whether the city will construct other plants. It will be recalled that the department of public works was authorized by an ordinance approved August 4, 1921, to proceed with the construction of the first incinerating unit at Eighteenth and Cambria Streets. Plans had been drawn and bids received, when opposition to this project resulted in council’s withdrawing its authorization on October 21, 1921, and upsetting the depart- ment’s plans to complete the first unit in time to relieve the acute need for garbage-disposal facilities anticipated in the summer of 1923. The department expects such satisfaction with the opera- tion of the Harrowgate plant that further appropriations will be made for constructing three additional plants, one in the German- town-Chestnut Hill section, one in West Philadelphia, and one in South Philadelphia. It is estimated that at least $1,500,000 will be necessary to complete this program. So urgent and so vital to the convenience and health of the people does this program ap- pear, that the necessary funds should be provided at the earliest possible moment. Aspects of the Incinerating Project No provision is being made at the Harrowgate plant for the reclamation of valuable material from the rubbish, nor for the utilization of the heat which is generated in the combustion process. The financial gain from picking over the rubbish before it is burned is so uncertain, and depends so directly upon market conditions for salvaged materials, that it is questionable whether 62 the city is justified in making the additional investment in the facilities that would be needed, or whether the city should add this troublesome activity to its present problems. Utilization of the generated heat would also require additional investment, which might be justifiable under some conditions, and not under others. Problems of this kind should, of course, be decided on the advice of competent specialists. DISPOSAL OF GARBAGE Methods have to be found for disposing of the vast quantity of garbage collected annually in Philadelphia. As pointed out in Chapter III, 216,754 tons were collected during 1922. Although 32,288 tons of garbage were collected and disposed of by licensed private collectors, there still remained 184,466 tons which had to be disposed of by the city. Because of the city’s inadequate disposal facilities, it was necessary, as an emergency measure, to place 47,733 tons on farms in West Philadelphia, South Philadelphia, Richmond, and Tacony. The farmers were glad to receive the garbage because it constitutes a cheap and good fertilizer. Garbage, however, is not suitable for use as fertilizer until it has decayed for about two years. This method of disposal may, therefore, prove objection- able to neighbors unless the odor is neutralized and fly-breeding prevented. If land disposal is to be used to any considerable ex- tent pending the provision of other means of disposal, the garbage should be buried under a layer of earth. To do this, to be sure, would entail some expense, but would doubtless prove cheaper than some of the other substitute methods of disposal. Garbage Keduction The garbage-reduction plant, which was erected in 1906, is located on the west bank of the Schuylkill River at the foot of Forty-ninth Street. This plant was acquired by the city in Janu- ary, 1921, from the Penn Reduction Company, which for some years had held an annual contract for the collection and disposal of garbage from the entire city. The purchase price was $500,000, which included, however, 300 garbage wagons and a repair shop. According to the bureau of highways, the wagons and shop may be valued at $40,000. Of the remaining $460,000, the land is 63 worth $60,000, the buildings $100,000, and the machinery and equipment $300,000. A process known as the modified Arnold system is used at the plant. The garbage is cooked by steam under pressure, and is then pressed to separate the water and grease which are conducted to skimming tanks. The solid residue, after drying, is treated with naphtha for the extraction of additional grease, and is then dried and screened. This finely divided residue, known as tankage, which is used as a fertilizer or as a fertilizer base, and the grease, obtained in the two operations mentioned, are salable by- products, the market price of which largely determines the extent of the net cost, or the net profit, from the operation of the reduc- tion process. During the period of the World War, garbage grease brought as high as 14 cents a pound, and tankage over $15 a ton. Following the armistice, these prices took a sudden drop, and during 1921, the first year of the city’s operation of the plant, all tankage produced could not be sold, and grease prices were so low that it was not profitable to operate the percolators for the extraction of all the grease. Grease prices increased considerably in the first few months of 1923. Under a three months’ contract for the sale of grease, beginning May 1, 1923, the city received 7.05 cents a pound. Conditions were favorable for the operation of the reduction plant during 1923, and the results reported for the year show a profit. These conditions, however, should not be accepted as more than temporary, nor should it be assumed that extensive additions to this plant, or the construction of other garbage-reduction plants to dispose of all the garbage produced in the city, is preferable to some other method of disposing of the surplus that cannot be treated in the present reduction plant. If allowances for deprecia- tion and interest on the investment are included, the cost of oper- ating the reduction plant during 1922 appears greater than the re- turn from the sale of by-products. Other years of loss will doubt- less be as frequent as years of profit. The objective should be a method of rapid and sanitary dis- posal which creates no nuisance. In general, the plant at the Schuylkill River and Forty-ninth Street has not been so objection- able in its operation as some of the garbage-reduction plants in other cities. The gases which arise from the drying of the tank- age are about the only source of objection, A taller chimney, 64 equipped with a spray for washing the gases, has been completed, so that the washed gases are discharged at a higher elevation. If necessary, some provision will be made to treat the offensive fumes that are not absorbed in the washing. Since the entire plant, how- ever, becomes saturated with odors from the cooking and drying processes, its location close to residential districts is undesirable. If additional garbage-reduction plants would have to be placed at remote points, it might be preferable, from a financial standpoint, to adopt some other method of disposal, the necessary plants for which could be more centrally located. Although such a system might cost more per ton for treatment, it should result in a net saving because of cheaper collection and transportation costs. Results of Operation of Garbage-Reduction Plant Quite satisfactory results have been obtained by the garbage- reduction plant under city operation. Fortunately the city was able to retain as superintendent, a man formerly employed at the plant under private auspices, who enjoys a high standing among garbage-reduction-plant operators. The plant has been kept in continuous operation with not more than the ordinary amount of maintenance costs, Certain expensive replacements, however, must necessarily be made in the next few years. Oil is soon to replace coal as fuel under the boilers, with a resulting increase in horse- power, a simplification of the operation, and a decrease in cost. The record of operation of the plant has entirely allayed fears that the municipality could not operate such a plant as success- fully as a private owner. Success hinges primarily upon efficient supervision and freedom from external interference; and so long as the city is willing to pay for efficient supervision, and the op- erating personnel is appointed and retained on the basis of merit, the operation of the plant should be a success. Obviously, since the managers of the plant cannot control the market prices of its products, the success of the garbage-reduction plant should not be judged only by the net profit or net cost. Nor should the plant be expected to handle all the garbage col- lected, or to work at an overload for an extended period. The nominal capacity is 520 tons for a day of twelve hours. Because of the necessity for making repairs and cleaning the equipment, the plant cannot be operated at full capacity over an extended 65 period. In August, 1922, on 27 weekdays, 13,832 tons of gar- bage were handled, an average of 512 tons per day. During the week of August 14-19, 6,756 tons were brought to the plant, an amount exceeding 1,000 tons per day, while on one day, Mon- day, August 14, 1,411 tons were received. The plant is not oper- ated at such a load in August because of any financial gain from the manufactured by-products, but only becatise it is imperative that disposal be made of the garbage. Garbage collected in Au- gust and September, when the fruit and vegetable season is at its height, is, of course, unusually high in moisture content and ex- ceedingly low in grease content. The greatest percentage of grease in garbage occurs in the spring months. Detailed information of the operation of the plant and production of grease and tankage is contained in table I1V-2. Garbage Incineration The Harrowgate incinerating plant previously described is designed to consume not only rubbish, or rubbish and ashes mixed, but also garbage. Similar plants have proven successful in at least one large city, and it is expected that this plant can be oper- ated even in the summer season with a large proportion of gar- bage without proving objectionable. On account of the necessity of burning rubbish, doubtless other incinerating plants will be erected, and, if the Harrowgate plant can successfully consume garbage, the present acute garbage-disposal problem will be sim- plified. Due, however, to the fact that garbage may be used as fertilizer on farms in outlying districts for some years to come, investigation should be made of the possibility and cost of com-. posting garbage, either under natural conditions or in zymother- mic cells. The city should be ever on the alert to investigate newly developed processes of garbage treatment that might prove more efficient or profitable. Water Transportation For some years the contractors who collected the city’s gar- bage used scows to transport garbage from a wharf on the Schuylkill River near Callowhill Street to the reduction plant. Since the city undertook the collection of garbage, this method of transportation has been continued under private contract. Dur- 66 TABLE IV-2 RESULTS OF THE OPERATION OF THE GARBAGE-REDUCTION : PLANT IN 1922 Expense Coals Suni SSCk ae ences igen bikes ek eso $118,907.96 Naptha 905.04. Sevan Ate capa se ee ere ke 12,848.12 General Supplies and Miscellaneous.......... 26,848.65 Paytoll: snp eta aeee ie Baer meee as ees ce 116,704.10 Operating 7Expense vi a eee is Bee een tachaek $275,308.83 | $275,308.83 Depreciation) on GPlantimc 208 aes. pas OSes 35,000.00 Interest at 5 per cent on depreciated average plant fvalne sot “4075007 oak eee eee 20,375.00 LOTAL “LGXPENSE Secon asses ae ncaa eee oe eee eee $330,683.83 Receipts Value spf Grease: Extracted 25.9.4). ued oe aoe $192,256.05 Value “of Tankace “Produced@..75.....4468- 43,587.18 $235,843.23 $235,843.23" Net. EXPENSE |.505.0.....0 7070. 252. $ 94,840.60 Unit Costs Amount: of. “Garbage. Treated. ij....... 3-75 3.60 4.50 GENERAL WORKING CONDITIONS Last to be considered are the general working conditions of employes: the hours of work, vacations, holidays, sick leaves, and provision for retirement. These vitally affect morale. It is pertinent, therefore, to inquire briefly whether the working con- ditions in the street-cleaning division compare favorably or un- favorably with conditions prevailing elsewhere. Hours of Work The formal hours for office workers in the street-cleaning division are the same as in other city-hall offices, and appear lib- eral in comparison with those observed in private business estab- lishments. Employes are expected to be on hand at 9 A, M,, and, when their work permits, may leave for the day at 4 P. M. One hour is allowed for lunch. On Saturday the offices close at 12 noon. In private business establishments office workers are usually required to start at 9 A. M. and continue until 5 p. M., with an hour’s intermission for lunch. The half-holiday on Saturday, however, is quite common in offices of all kinds. Laborers, both skilled and unskilled, who are employed by the day, are treated less generously. For them the standard work- day consists of eight hours. On account of a great deal of over- time employment, especially of unskilled laborers, the actual work-day is perhaps closer to nine hours than eight. The city, to be sure, pays per-diem workers for overtime, but only at the regular rates. Before the days of municipal street cleaning, per- diem employes in the bureau of highways, as well as in other bureaus of the department of public works, were granted a Sat- urday half-holiday with pay; but since January 1, 1921, the half- 87 holiday with pay has been abolished. At present, the standard work-week for these employes is 48 hours. It would be difficult to say whether these conditions are more or less favorable than those prevailing in private establishments in Philadelphia. Of 10 large local corporations which responded to inquiries as to their working conditions for unskilled laborers, two reported a standard work-day of ten hours, four of nine hours, and four of eight hours. In six of these ten concerns, the standard work-week was only five and one-half days as compared with the six-day standard work-week for street-cleaning laborers. Five concerns allow time and half-time for overtime, the other five allowing only “straight” time. The reports of working-time for skilled laborers were so nearly like those for unskilled laborers that the latter may be considered typical of both. While no sweep- ing generalization can be made from these facts, it seems fair to conclude that our city government is by no means at the head of the procession of local employers in shortening the work-day for manual workers. In the other large cities from which information as to wages and conditions of employment was obtained, street-cleaning work- ers appear to have more favorable hours than in Philadelphia. New York City has established the 44-hour week for practically all the skilled workers in its street-cleaning department, although its standard work-week for unskilled laborers is still 48 hours. The city pays 50 per cent above the regular rate for overtime. In Chicago, the hours for street-cleaning laborers, both skilled and unskilled, are the same as in New York, but Chicago pays double the regular rate for overtime. Most of the skilled laborers in the bureau of street cleaning in Newark, N. J., work eight hours the first five days of the week and only four hours on Saturday. Unskilled laborers, however, fare no better there than in Phila- delphia. In Milwaukee, the hours of work are practically the same as in Philadelphia for both skilled and unskilled street- cleaning laborers. Only slight changes in the hours of work in the street-clean- ing division appear to be necessary. Office workers might well be required to remain-regularly at their tasks until 4.30 or 5 P. M. on all working days except Saturdays. This would be more in conformity with the prevailing practice of the community. On the other hand, so far as possible, per-diem employes should be al- 88 lowed a half-holiday on Saturday, as was done prior to 1921, and as is done now by many private employers in Philadelphia and by other city governments. Overtime work by per-diem em- ployes should be discourged. Like adjustments in compensation, however, these changes would make for greater equity and better morale if introduced in all departments of the city government simultaneously. Vacations The city’s policy in granting vacations has been neither gen- erous nor niggardly. Salaried workers in the street-cleaning di- vision are allowed one day’s vacation, with pay, for each month of service up to a maximum of 12 days. Per-diem employes are al- lowed one-half day’s vacation, with pay, for each month of ser- vice up to a maximum of six days. In private business concerns, a vacation of 12 working days, with pay, for salaried workers is quite usual. Most private employers, however, appear to be less liberal than our city government in their vacation allowance to skilled and unskilled laborers. Of the 13 local corporations from which reports on this subject were received, only one grants any vacation whatever to manual workers. This one, however, allows as much as two weeks’ vacation to employes who have been in the service for 10 years, a shorter annual leave being permitted to those whose length of service for the company has been less than 10 years. In the street-cleaning services of the large cities with which other comparisons have been made, the practice varies. New York City allows three weeks with pay to both skilled and unskilled laborers; Chicago allows 11 days; Milwaukee allows 15 days to skilled workers who are paid by the month or by the year, but grants no vacation at all to per-diem manual workers; and Newark allows two weeks to nearly all skilled laborers, but none to unskilled laborers. There does not appear to be any need for changing Phila- delphia’s present practice. Holidays As a branch of the city government, the street-cleaning divi- sion is permitted to observe all the legal holidays, but in actual practice a more conservative policy is followed. The offices of the division are completely closed to the public only on Christmas 89 Day and the Fourth of July. Other legal holidays observed by such part of the office force as can be spared are New Year’s Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Election Day, Armi- stice Day, and Thanksgiving Day. Per-diem workers are al- lowed only three holidays: Christmas Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Part of the labor force always is on duty, but the men who work on these days are given time off with pay on other days. A wide variety of practice in observing holidays may be found among employers, both private and public. Office workers in private concerns are usually allowed the more important holi- days, such as Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving Day. In banks, all the legal holidays are observed. Skilled and unskilled laborers, however, fare not quite so well. Only two of the 13 local private employers from whom reports were received allow these classes of workers any holidays with pay. One of them grants seven holidays and the other all calendar holidays. Among four cities, New York, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Newark, none except Newark accords holiday privileges to manual workers. In the street-cleaning ser- vice of that city, most of the skilled laborers are granted six holi- days with pay, but none are given to unskilled laborers. In view of the general practice of other employers, the city government would hardly appear justified in liberalizing much further the policy in granting holidays now followed in the street- cleaning division. It is suggested, however, that a slight increase in the number of holidays allowed with pay to per-diem workers might be a good investment in morale. Sick Leave Sick leave with pay in the street-cleaning division is confined almost entirely to salaried employes. It has been the practice to pay these employes at the full rate during absences on account of sickness not exceeding 30 days. Under a resolution of councils approved July 15, 1913, the director of the department of public works has the power to accord the same treatment to per-diem workers, but this is done only in extraordinary circumstances, The city’s policy in this respect seems to be quite in conform- ity with general practice. Office workers and other salaried em- go ployes usually receive greater consideration in time of sickness than workers by the day. This is true in private business con- cerns, and also in other municipal services. Only one of the 13 local corporations from which reports were received allows sick leave with pay to manual workers, and these workers happened to be paid by the week. None of the four large cities previously referred to grants sick leave with pay to the skilled and unskilled laborers in their street-cleaning services. While the prevailing practice hardly justifies the city in adopt- ing a more generous policy with reference to sick leave than it now follows, the question still arises whether a more generous policy toward per-diem workers might not materially reduce the labor turnover and stimulate morale. The length of sick leave permitted with pay might well be varied according to the length of service of the worker. Provision for Retirement By an act of the general assembly approved May 20, 1915, provision is made for pensioning and retiring city and county employes of Philadelphia who are not taken care of by other pen- sion funds. The employes of the division of street cleaning are covered by this act. It provides that persons who have been in the employ of the city or county for 20 years may receive a pen- sion of one-half their average monthly salary of the last five years of their employment, but no pension shall exceed $100 a month. Employes are required to pay 2 per cent of their monthly salary into the pension fund, but no contribution need be more than four dollars a month. These dues are supplemented by appropriations by the city council. The act is mandatory upon salaried employes, but optional with per-diem workers. Thus far, less than a dozen of the per-diem workers have availed themselves of the provisions of the act. Although this retirement system is far from perfect, it is nevertheless of real advantage to the city and to the employes. It enables the city, without inflicting undue hardship, to remove from the service persons who on account of age or other disability have ceased to be useful or have greatly declined in efficiency. To the employes, it gives assurance that they will not be left wholly without economic support in their declining years. That up to the present so few per-diem workers have shown interest QI in the fund is unfortunate, but as time goes on and the street- cleaning labor service becomes more stabilized, more of them doubtless will do so. It is not possible, in this brief report, to analyze the retire- ment act applying to Philadelphia and to propose changes that may be desirable. The suggestion is made, however, that per- diem workers be encouraged in every possible way to avail them- selves of the benefits of this act. CONCLUSION General Appraisal Viewed from all angles, the city’s handling of the street- cleaning employment problem has been, in the main, in accord- ance with good practice. By placing the entire labor force, as well as the supervisory and office organization, under civil-service control, the city has assured itself of reasonable standards of fit- ness in the personnel of the service. The civil service commis- sion has exercised its control with moderation, and has made commendable efforts to facilitate the recruiting of laborers. With a few exceptions, the working conditions in the street-cleaning division are as favorable as may be found in the average private or public service, and are conducive to good morale rather than depressing. In certain respects, however, there have been shortcomings. Perhaps the most serious of these is the inadequate wage scale now in effect in the street-cleaning division. No doubt, the high turnover in the labor force is largely due to the low wages paid by the city. The hours of work for the skilled and unskilled laborers, especially for the latter, seem unnecessarily long and exacting. This condition, too, may have something to do with the high labor turnover. In the field of recruiting, there still remain a few avoidable obstacles to speedy induction of new workers into the service. Summary of Recommendations To overcome these and other shortcomings, the following recommendations are made: 1. That the character vouchers be omitted from labor applications, Q2 2. That, in times of labor shortage, applicants for labor positions be examined for physical fitness immediately after the filing of their applications. 3. That, in the absence of labor eligible lists, applicants who present themselves at street-cleaning stables where men are urgently needed, be examined for physical fitness at those stables instead of being sent to the offices of the civil service commission for examination. 4. That the wage scale of street-cleaning workers be re- vised upward as part of a more comprehensive program of classification of positions and standardization of pay. 5. That the formal closing time in city-hall offices be changed from 4 P. M. to 4.30 or 5 P. M. 6. That, so far as practicable, per-diem employes be allowed a half-holiday on Saturday. 7, That a slight increase be made in the number of holi- days with pay allowed to per-diem workers. 8. That a more generous sick leave policy be adopted toward per-diem workers. 9g. That per-diem workers be encouraged to avail them- selves of the benefits of the retirement act. CHAPTER) VI FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS While service, rather than cost, shouid be the criterion by which the results of the municipal street-cleaning operations should be judged, cost is, nevertheless, an important considera- tion. At this time, however, the public is looking for satisfactory results from municipal street cleaning, and it is with the cost of adequate and satisfactory service that we are concerned, and not with the lowest cost at which a pretense of doing the work might be made. The cost should be as low as js consistent with secur- ing the desired results, for if money can be saved on street clean- ing, just so much more will be available for other municipal ser- vices, or just so much smaller will be the taxpayers’ burden. Cost oF MuNICIPAL OPERATION In an endeavor to ascertain the exact cost to the taxpayers, the Bureau of Municipal Research made a study of the expendi- tures applicable to street cleaning’ during 1921 and 1922. It was easy to find out the expenditures from appropriations made to the street-cleaning division. Some expenditures for street-clean- ing purposes, however, were made out of other appropriations; and the exact amount of these was not easy to ascertain. Although fairly comprehensive records have been maintained in the street- cleaning division, and rather voluminous reports have been pre- pared from them to guide the administrative officials, these rec- ords and reports do not always show the relations between trans- actions and appropriations. Furthermore, because of incomplete records of the division’s plant and equipment, it was difficult to calculate how much depreciation should be included as part of the cost of the street-cleaning work. It was necessary to piece to- gether the various fragments of information secured, to set up a record of assets in summarized form, and to figure deprecia- tion from this summary. While for the present purpose an ap- proximately accurate analysis must suffice, the Bureau has made some suggestions for improving the accounting system, which, if *Throughout this chapter the term “street cleaning” is used to include not only the cleaning of streets, but also the collection and disposal of ashes, rubbish, and garbage. It does not, however, include snow removal. 93 94 adopted, should make it much easier to secure accurate informa- tion about the cost of street cleaning. These suggestions are em- bodied in a memorandum submitted to the department of public works on May 15, 1923, a copy of which is included as an appen- dix to this report. The results of the Bureau’s financial analysis are set forth in table VI-1. This table shows, for each appropriation for street cleaning, the actual expenditures of 1921 and 1922, and also those of 1920 that were in anticipation of municipal work in 1921. In 1920, the expenditures totaled $335,087.73, in 1921 they amounted to $6,927,459.86, and in 1922 they were $5,637,- 547.97. As each of these totals includes large sums for the ac- quisition of real estate and equipment, as well as for operating expense, they must be analyzed if they are to be of any real value. In this table the expenditures have been classified into ex- pense and outlays. As this classification had not been made on the books of the street-cleaning division, or of the bureau of high- ways, it was necessary to work backward from the records of the division’s plant and equipment, in order to ascertain the amount of outlays made from the several appropriations. The expenditures have also been classified to show how much of each item is applicable to each of the two years 1921 and 1922. Thus, all the expenditures of 1920 have been charged against 1921, and $455,675.35 of the 1921 expenditures, having been made primar- ily in preparation for city-wide municipal operation in 1922, have been charged against the latter year. Adjustments in the ex- pense totals have been made for the value of forage received from the model farm, for materials and supplies on hand at the beginning and at the end of a year, for bills paid in one year for services or supplies consumed in the previous year, and for over- head costs not included in the division’s records. Credit has been given for the receipts from sales of manure, hides, discarded equip- ment, scrap of all kinds, and by-products from the garbage-reduc- tion plant. The value of services supplied to the highway division, or to other bureaus and departments, has been credited to the extent that it was ascertainable. Depreciation of plant and equip- ment, figured at the rates shown in table VI-2, has been added as part of the expense. The rates of depreciation used are believed to be ample, and are based very largely on the ex- item Total or H: “ “cc cn 6c ‘a “cs \ ee “es Chat} ee o- $455,675.35 $3,641,001.26 116,704.10 106,648.22 232,218.60 $455,675.35 9,203.41 Expense $76,085.83 $76,085.83 _ $3,575,733.39 116,704.10 9,203.41 106,648.22 157,370.17 Expenditures applicable to 1922 Outlays $370,580.52 $379,580.52 $65,267.87 ee, ee 74,842.43, TABLE Vier SUMMARY oF ExpENpITURES FOR STREET CLEANING DurRING THE YEARS 192I AND 1922 AOS ice. re ic. — 7 item : Purpose Expenditures made Expenditures applicable to 1921 Expenditures applicable to 1922 = — during the year Total Expense Outlays Total Expense Outlays % 1920 and 1921 motes El: AS ; : : oe ree Personal UCT RASS) Ie Ree $920,292.31 $920,292.31 $920,292.31 S yy te By “ = 2 a8” ORCA MEMES Rese ORCT CaCO I ORCA ERAT? (at ee eMn ee seem ane ie 10 cts, ih = 7 s % ene ee 4 se eatin SCLMICCmmeyaretr eete a tse fee 2 eS o ee ; : ontract street 1 Bad or ae CEC RE CDS SON Tera BCH SOY CCRC ETE ha eee tara ie . x i 82 783. “ REM Carhase eae ere SEA See ee ee ee ed 3,892,009.13 3,892,009. 13 3,8092,000.13 i co ieee Ree OS age ae ee 494,87 1.00 494,871.00 494,871.00 “ 54 lest roce are NER AES Mane Weeds Malaika Amputee serie che Keen. ala 109,997.07 109,997.67 100,997.07 z ‘ Wl cecnod Sone aa oen tore er eeenne eae ee 2,705.1 2,765.1 2,765 Saar 55 Electric current ........ es ie 8 ae 5 POLI ERO ORE IGA 5 Oe CoP RY Ye oe ENERO SCTE ee aR eRe romaine 7 5 POL és i Supplies and LG GE 6 ong eee ee a anaes 192,317.30 nes trae Phe as Rerok. i: ; chins lle ce = ES ea Carn eres ten, 124,661.62 124,661.62 124,061.62 es “ ‘aan s ay buildings, etc; Bi Mre Ss Such ie te Tait GaMescon oflar'ea mites Volta “erievl ie} ai euieiconm lems neler 370,866.97 1 370,866.97 48,140.72 $328 726.25 B. of H 205 and, buildings, and equipment ............000 0000007) 500,000.00 500,000.00 500,000.00 aa ae Jain items with highway division ....................... 75,000.00 * : 75,000.00 7c 000.00 eri Be 2 ae m. 6 sl noha so Ak Seoue 6s ¥ eevee, 455,675.35 - ue oe $485,075.35 $76,085.83 $379,589.52 Total of 1920 and 10921 expenditures ............ $7,262,547.59 $6,806,872.24 $5,078,145.99 $828,726.25 $455,675.35 $76,085.83 $379,589.52 1922 eeeniegiae. == SaaS So = ae ea as oS ae iBerote EH: - & ” ee Personal SUEEAIRUES Az csc 9 at oe ee ee Ce ate ¢ ad $3,641,001.26 $3,575,733.30 $65,267.87 2s". A, Bi9g eee ROR OAR eerie es 116,704. &: a . 104- “ie a eee metien service Soiea p mie re oe ¥ ae bas Bisreiialon grounds, éfel uc... ss. sk. 106,648.22 i. a J 106,648.22 106,648.22 x 7 a5 ee and replacement Oke TECULTNOFISTO 4 wn gos aoenasacan | 232,218.60 ag cs . 232,218.60 157,376.17 74,842.43 Fe ; Bec CELUI SWISS cee c cd Gace renee a OE ee ee a 2,277.03 = Me 3: 2,277.93 2,277.03 an a 5 pcre CE LEU acronis. Hee ne ee wn ae 17,977.05 es EP - 17,077.65 17,977.65 PA ee a ae VS ras ce oe ede 1,281.82 en a a 1,281.82 1,281.82 oo ta ae upplies and ESOC Sn on oe a ee Rr ae 578,618.09 sé a, . 578,618.09 578,618.00 Spt oe hn) Leh eo re ee ee ee 140,052.28 re ake BE: 140,052.28 140,052.28 a8 = gs a sais ae buildings etc es) 5.0 = “Ginter Crcee cn eet ok oe ah é 4,646.00 bee be a ip re : “99.88 4,455-12 quipment, etc. .......... fetter mi SAC Roms Aes s oe 700,011.35 ae fs: .. 700,001.35 104,645.86 595,905.49 Joint items with Bipiiwaye IViStOM sheias,, =, seco 7223125 se ae .. 71,223.25 71,223.25 36 Deficiency BE DASE Tehel 1 Ot Sta ters Reker eee) ie eg 14,084.01 $14,684.01 $14,684.01 P ee Total of 1922 expenditures ...................., $5,637,147.97 $14,684.01 $14,684.01 e. $5,622,463.90 $4,881,933.05 $740,530.91 Total of 1920, 1921, and 1922 expenditures ...... $12,899,605.56 $6,821,556.25 $5,992,830.00 $828,726.25 $6,078, 130.31 $4,958,018.88 $1, 120,120.43 Expense additions (exclusive of depreciation and interest) pupplics. trom model. farm’ 9. .60s 21.06.40). o00.. ns on, $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Materials and supplies on hand at beginning of RV EAU Me meacaatc same eer 27,178.16 Bills paid from succeeding year’s AD OGODRIA Ot merae myer teen te 2,550.81 57,150.15 Misccllancous sovetherd \) eae ee ee 25,000.00 25,000.00 Total expense additions (exclusive of depreciation and in- = RERESL ) Meshes eo ee are $37,559.81 $119,328.31 OLN ERR yg CR a oP ea AAP Sec < | eet en nee Oe ee $6,030,380.81 $5,077,347-19 Expense deductions Materials and supplies on hand at end of year................-.. $27,178.16 $125,452.87 Receipts by purchasing agent for garbage by-products’ .......... 04,105.16 233,859.61 Miscellancousarccciptsm ewer mr cae ent) nl ees ae Lene oy 11,847.74 Electric current used by the highway division? .................. _ 6,409.62 IPN ROIS. HEADS. LeMMS joRMGl <4 255s a0 gan econ anon bs anon enounsaner. a 2,550.81 oral expense: eductionsmae see ener teen: ake. $122,616.03 $380,120.65 Total expense (exclusive of depreciation and interest)............... $5,907,773-78 $4,697,217.54 Depreciation ° ; On equipment purchased in 1920 and 1921 (cost $358,726.25)...... $82,443.81 $72,790.81 On equipment purchased in 1922 (cost $920,189.37) .....-....-..- as 188,261.53 On garbage-reduction plant (cost $460,000) .......... San po sduuiaee 35,000.00 35,000.00 On improvements to rented property (cost $109,931.06).......... Se 39,986.21 sGtalede pretation neccmmtme Ce reete seas tere otesce ccvatsesnels sca sscs vate to $117,443.81 $336,038.55 Motal-expense (exclusive: of amterest)) c2e.css.ccssscevecsn ase ance $6,025,217.59 5,033.256.09 Interest ; ; / Five per cent on the average investment of city funds in plant : And SeCipiment masse ee ee, Ea edb at verses alk ayeley ae $38,500.22 $82,359.18 Five per cent on the average investment of city funds as working Ca piballieey we ateee nines eke cer ea pred aneres er areca ih « ennv aie Mans ec cnduannnu re ates ecale-2 alee 7,500.00 25,000.00 Oral interest crn cecam et ere crea once cieerisinavn gti ata sine cone $46,000,22 $107,359.18 AIGA PSE INAS Bees «cet cee ir cecNen eee atone Rese seu crehrt ar epee ale hate Ha7ee term slevestr eet $6,071,217.81 $5,140,615.27 * $335,087.73 in 1920; $41,779.24 in 1021. * Estimated. * Estimated value of forage less cost of production. ; “Conservative estimate of value of time devoted (but not charged) to strect-cleaning operations by director of public works, chief of highway bureau, pay- master of the department of public works, employes of highway division, employes of the director’s office, employes of purchasing agent, and employes of civil service commission, together with an allowance for the rental value of offices. ; ; * Represents receipts from sales of garbage by-products, not the value of by-products produced. 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