Methods of Collection
Some cities have ash and rubbish collection done by contract; in others the work is done by city employees; in a few both plans are used; and in many small communities the work is done by licensed collectors. The last Census Report shows that in eighty-five of the 158 cities for which statistics are given the collection is made either by contract or by the city, 72 per cent. being collected by the cities and 28 per cent. by contract.
Collection by private collectors is by no means confined to the small cities, as the following table indicates:
| Table III.—Ash Collection by Private Collectors | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | Name of City | How Much Does Collector Charge Householder? | Does He Furnish Can and if so, Does He Require Deposit? | Type of Wagon Used | How are Ashes Disposed of? | Does City Own or Rent Dump |
| 100,000 | Duluth,[[36]] Minn | 15¢ per can | No | Box | Dump | Own |
| 17,000 | Glens Falls,[[36]] N. Y. | 10¢ per can | Furnishes can, no deposit | Dump | Own | |
| 10,447 | Johnstown, N. Y | 50–75¢ trip | No | |||
| 12,273 | Little Falls, N. Y | $1 a load | No | 1 horse, box | Dump | Own |
| 40,093 | Elmira, N. Y. | 10¢ per can | Yes, $1 deposit | Dump | Rent | |
| 13,000 | Cortland, N. Y. | $1 per load, 15¢ per can | No | Any wagon with tight box approved by sanitary inspector, canvas cover | Fill | Rent |
| 110,000 | Albany, N. Y | 10 to 13¢ | No | Dump | Free | |
| 10,474 | Oneonta, N. Y. | Dump | Own | |||
| 165,000 | New Haven, Conn. | 15¢ per can | No | Fill | ||
| 11,136 | Fulton, N. Y. | 10–15–25¢ a can | No | Dump | Own | |
| 8,317 | Oneida, N. Y. | 75¢ to $1. | No | Any type | Dump | Own |
| 23,368 | Oswego, N. Y | 10 to 15¢ | No | Dump and fill | Own and rent | |
| 131,000 | Grand Rapids, Mich. | 15¢ a week for residence, special for others | Dump | |||
| 10,711 | Rensselaer, N. Y. | 10 to 13¢ | No | Covered | Fill and dump | Own |
| 58,571 | Portland, Me. | 10¢ barrel | No | Open cart | Fill and dump | Free and own |
[36]. City also collects.
John H. Gregory is of the opinion that, as a general rule, the best results may be expected from municipal ownership and operation of collection equipment. The Chicago City Waste Commission reports that where the householder hires a private scavenger to remove ashes and rubbish it usually results in greater cost than when the work is systematically done by the city at public expense. If work is done by contract supervision at public expense is almost imperative when the best results are desired. Regulation must be strict and well enforced. The experiences of cities which have used all three methods are in favor of municipal collection.
The stringent contract regulating the collection of garbage and ashes by contract in West Orange, New Jersey, contains some suggestions. That part referring to the collection of ashes provides that the contractor must have an office in town with a telephone and a person in attendance from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. If notified of the failure of any employee to remove ashes the same must be removed within two hours. Ashes must be kept separate from garbage and collected in a different vehicle. Ashes must be placed in covered wagons and “properly constructed so as to conceal the contents and to prevent scattering on public streets and highways. Rubbish, papers, tin cans, etc., shall be considered ashes.” It further requires that wagons must not be overloaded, must be numbered and painted once a year and cleaned each day. The contractor must discharge employees guilty of neglect or insolence. The dumping ground must be kept clean, and papers, tin cans, etc., must be covered with three inches of dirt. “If the work is unsatisfactory the Council may by resolution terminate the contract and the surety company will be compelled to make good the damages the city shall suffer as a result of the breach of contract.”
In some cities where the refuse is disposed of by incineration, the municipality does the collecting and delivers to a privately owned disposal plant.