Municipal housecleaning

by William Parr Capes; Jeanne Daniels Carpenter

Equation No. 1

	D × C	1
S =		× F × N × R × V
	T

Equation No. 2

	P × R
W ×
	S × V

The person making this suggestion says it is frequently easy for a superintendent to determine how much time his collectors are spending unproductively in going to and from the dump. He should also be able, he says, to determine quite accurately the frequency of collection, total refuse, capacity of wagon and average number of trips per wagon per day. With this data he can estimate from Equation No. 1 the time required to collect from one house. If excessive he may find it advisable to secure better cooperation between the collector and the housewife.

Per Capita Production

Any attempt to estimate the local ash production of a community based on the experience of any other city will end in failure unless all peculiar conditions in both are known and compared. Some authorities say that the rubbish and ashes produced per capita is from 325 to 530 lbs. a year. The following table gives the figures for some large cities:

	Lbs. per Capita per Year	Lbs. per 1,000 Population per Day	Average Weight per Cubic Yard
New York	1,162	3,175	1,100
Boston	975	3,120	943
Washington	825	2,640	1,200
Cambridge			1,150
Rochester			900

Table IV (a)
ASH AND RUBBISH COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL BY MUNICIPAL FORCES
Name of City	Average Quantity Collected Daily		Annual Cost of Collection and Disposal	Number of Collections Weekly						Average Miles, Length of Haul	Cost, Collection and Disposal			From Where is Can Collected and Where Left	Size and Type of Can
				Business		Residential		Outlying			Cubic Yard	Per Capita Served	Per Ton
	Summer	Winter		Winter	Summer	Winter	Summer	Winter	Summer
Binghamton, N. Y.	21 yds.	44 yds.	$11,874.96	2	2	2	2	2	2	1½	$0.1025	$0.66	$1.73	Curb.	Metal, covered, not less than 10 gals. or more than 28 gallons.
Brockton, Mass.			16,000.00	3	3	3	1	½	½	1	.25	.25		Sidewalk.	Galvanized, 2½ cubic feet.
Cambridge, Mass.			85,000.00	1	1	1	1	1	1	1-¼	.39	1.00		Yard and gate.	Not larger than flour barrel.
Camden, N. J.			32,027.58	6	6	6	6			⅓	.3079			Front or rear of house.	All sizes.
Cincinnati, Ohio	815 cu. yds.	935 cu. yds.	124,532.16	⅔	⅔	2	2	2	1		.488	.304		Property line and gate.	Any size that can be handled by 2 men.
Cleveland, Ohio			209,920.85	0	0	⅓	¼	⅓	¼					Taken from back yard, left at edge of sidewalk.	Any size that can be handled by 2 men.
Columbus, Ohio			65,763.31	6	6	⅓	⅓	⅓	⅓	2	.42	.229		Alley, street entrance.	Not larger than man can carry.
Chicago, Ill.	3,515 cu. yds.	7,277 cu. yds.	1,077,786.91	[[37]]	[[37]]	2	[[38]]	1	[[38]]	6	.72	.427		Alley and curb.	Galvanized, covered, 15 to 30 gals.
Dayton, Ohio	280 cu. yds.	325 cu. yds.	28,494.29	1	1	½	½	½	½	1½	.30	.19		Alley and curb.	One that 2 men can handle easily.
Fall River, Mass.			38,889.76	1	1	1	1	1	1		.347	.31		Curb.	About size of flour barrel.
Holyoke, Mass.	75[[39]].	150[[39]].	37,084.00	2	2	½	⅓	⅓	¼	¾		.61		Yard or basement.	No. 2 Witt or can or barrel that size.
Hartford, Conn.	590 cu. yds.	840 cu. yds.	79,957.53	6	6	1	1	1	1	1	.3575	.615		Yard.	No larger than flour barrel.
Kingston, N.Y.			9,000.00	1	1	1	1	1	1	½
Lynn, Mass.			25,833.27	1	1	1	1	1	1	½	.314			Curb.	None specified.
Lowell, Mass.			21,277.51[[40]]	1	1	1	1	1	1	¼	.18[[40]]	.19[[40]]		Curb.	Not larger than flour barrel.
Los Angeles, Cal.			40,000.00	6	6	½	½	1	1	2–4				Curb.	Five to 30 gallon.
Milwaukee, Wis.			216,496.00	⅓	[[41]]	⅓	[[41]]	⅓	[[41]]	4½	.65	.46		Yard or basement.	One-half bushel metal basket for basement or metal lined box for yard.
Newburgh, N.Y.	78 cu. yds.	168 cu. yds.	8,796.63	2	2	2	2	2	2	1				Curb.	No standard.
New Bedford, Mass.			47,000.00	1	1	1	1			1				Curb.	No standard.
New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn)	12,996.	18,558.		6	6	6	6	3	3	¾	.9614	.8602		Within stoop line.	Cans 3 cu. ft. galvanized cylindrical in form.
Norfolk, Va.			13,929.75	6	6	6	6	6	6	1	.325	.14	.695–6	Curb.	Ordinary ash can, bushel and a half.
Passaic, N. J.	82 tons.	120 tons.	22,000.00	6	6	2	2	1	1	2	.53	.31	.74	Curb.	All sizes.
Rome, N. Y.	45 cu. yds.	50 cu. yds.		2	2	1	1	1	1	¾	.90	.51		Curb.	No standard.
Syracuse, N.Y.	100 loads.	270 loads.	131,000.00	3	2	1	1	1	1	2		.80		Yard.	Galvanized iron can.
Somerville, Mass.	200 yds.	400 yds.	38,000.00	1	1	1	1	1	1	2				Sidewalk.	Not larger than flour barrel.
Schenectady, N. Y.				6	6	1	1	1	1	1				Back yard and cellar.	Galvanized, from 1 to 3 bushels.
Wilmington, Del.	150.	250.	38,411.77	1	1	1	1	1	1		.36			Curb.	Not exceeding 100 pounds.
ASH COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL BY MUNICIPAL FORCES
Boston, Mass.	587.	1,315.	$804,344.94[[42]]	3[[43]]	3[[43]]	2	2	1	0	1	.70	.73	1.73	Back yard.	Galvanized, not larger than flour barrel.
Buffalo, N. Y.	425 tons.	775 tons.								1	.594	.45	1.50	Yard.	Galvanized ⅙ cu. yd. capacity.
Chattanooga, Tenn.				2	1	2	1	2	1					Sidewalk and alley.	Covered.
Duluth, Minn. [[44]]	30 cu. yds.	35 cu. yds.		12[[45]]	12[[45]]	12[[45]]	12[[45]]			1				Back yard.	Twenty gallons is standard size.
Glens Falls, N. Y. [[44]]										2				House.	Ordinary ash can.
Memphis, Tenn.	60.8.	70.7.	37,446.30	6	6	1	1	1	1	2	.34	.25	.60	Convenient place.	No special size.
Niagara Falls, N. Y.		92 cu. yds.	14,000.00	6	6	2	2	1	1	1	.92	.321	2.60	Yard.	All kinds.
Peoria, Ill.														Alley, yard, curb.	Fireproof receptacle of iron, brick or cement, must be covered.
Rochester, N. Y.	58 tons.	107 tons.	172,037.92	6	6	1	2	1	2	2	.514	.688	.969	Curb in business section, rear in resident section.	No standard.
Spokane, Wash.	48 cu. yds.	190 cu. yds.		6	6	2	2	2	2	1½	.65			Basement or yard.	Fifteen to 30 gallon.

Table IV (b)
ASH AND RUBBISH COLLECTION BY MUNICIPAL FORCES (Continued)
Name of City	Average Quantity Collected per Year					Population Served per Man Employed	Number of Men Employed Collection and Disposal		Number of Men Employed on Each Wagon	Type of Wagon Used	Number of Wagons Used		Motor Vehicles Used for Collection	Motor Vehicles Used for Short or Long Haul
	Tons	Cubic Yards	Loads	Cubic yards Per Man Employed	Cubic Yards per Capita Served		Summer	Winter			Summer	Winter
Binghamton	5,788.8	9,648	4,824	570	.64	882	17	21	3	Troy chassis, Lee body.	3	5	1.	Long
Brockton		57,080	28,540				17	17	3 to 2 carts.	Two wheeled dump and 4 wheeled rubbish.	9	11	None.
Cambridge		110,000		1,506	1.	1,883 summer and 1,294 winter.	60	85	2–3	Shabolt, single and double.	Varies.	Varies.	None.
Camden		104,013	30,479	3,467			30	30	1	Dump wagons and carts.	18	18	None.
Cincinnati		266,057	61,872	2,441	6.48	3,766	98	120	2	Two horse dump.	49	60	None.
Cleveland		356,337							5–6	Dump and trucks.			47.	Long.
Columbus		155,812	36,662	3,116	.78	4,400	50	50	1	3–4–5 dump, special 16 yd. for rubbish.	45	45
Chicago		1,499,667	300,228				240	420	1–2	Wood box hired by city at $7 per day.	380	675	None.
Dayton		93,915	18,783	3,757	.625	6,000	22	28	3	Star wagon, dump.	10	12	None.
Fall River		111,946	23,844	3,292	.89	4,025 in summer 3,372 in winter.	31	37	3	Low gear, with sides head and tail board.	9	11	None.
Holyoke						1,599	28	48	4–5	Single, dump, high sides.	14	26	None.
Hartford		223,547	49,680	2,850	1.72	2,239	46	69	4	Special, bottom dump.	16	22	None.
Kingston							12	12	2	Box wagon.	4	6	None.
Lynn		80,000	160,000–180,000	3,750–3,333			24	24	2	Ordinary dump.	12	12	2 trucks.	Both.
Lowell		114,059	30,827	3,168	1.05	2,999	36	36	2	Two-horse dump.	18	18	None.
Los Angeles		3,900					15	15	3	None.			7 trucks.	Both.
Milwaukee		333,375	111,125	555	.70	783		600	3	Three yard wagon.		200	3.	Long.
Newburgh		40,376					8	14	2	Dump.	3	6	None.
New Bedford	40,275		24,561				34	40	2	End dump.	10	14	None.
New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn)	3,477,313	9,125,974	3,383,044½		1.7759				1–2–3–5	Single horse and 2-wheeled dump.			30.	Both.
Norfolk	21,159	44,454	33,064	2,020	.46	4,318	22	22	1	Dump.	22	22	None.
New Orleans									1	Two-wheeled dump.	183	183	None.
Passaic	29,681	41,085	16,434	2,566	.68		14	18	2	Bottom dump.	7	9	None.
Rome		15,000	10,000	1.500		2,500	10	10	2	Dump.	5	5	None.
Syracuse							40	90	5	Dump.	20	45	None.
Somerville							45	65	3	Dump.	19	32	None.
Schenectady
Wilmington						5,300 in summer 3,785 in winter.	20	28	3	High sides, dump.	18	36	None.
ASH COLLECTION BY MUNICIPAL FORCES (Continued)
Boston[[46]]	324,313	795,862	238,361		1.004	1,553	235	439	2–3	Sheet iron, single and double.	107	178	3 in summer, 8 in winter.	Long.
Buffalo	157,978	385,015	70,171		1.				2	Dump.			None.
Chattanooga							22	22	1–2				1.
Duluth		15,000								10 × 3½ box, bottom lined with sheet iron.	2	2	None.
Glens Falls
Memphis	62,000	108,675	62,100	1,752.8	.73	2,403	62	62	1	2-wheeled cart.	62	62	1.	Short.
Niagara Falls	5,180	14,800	4,050		.33	3,460		13	1	Dump.		45	None.
Peoria									1	Iron body, covered.			None.
Rochester	177,555	334,852	83,713	1,913	1.33	1,428	115	235	2–3	Bottom dump.	38	84	None.
Spokane				7[[47]]			35	11	2	Bottom dump.	7	7	Five.	Long.