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67
REMOVAL OF HOUSE REFUSE, &c.
During the year 1902 a great change was made in the matter of
the disposal of the house refuse of the district. Up till the end of
April the old system of depositing the house refuse on a shoot by
contractors who were paid per cart load of one cubic yard, continued.
The total number of loads removed during these four months was
18,554 at a cost of £4,746 9s. 5d.
At the beginning of the month of May, the new Refuse Destructor
in connection with the Electric Lighting Station began to receive
regularly the house refuse of the district for destruction. The contractors
who had been removing and disposing of the refuse prior to
this date, continued for some weeks to remove it from the houses of
the district, but instead of depositing it on a shoot delivered it at the
destructor works. The payment for this was still continued at per
load; but the price was reduced during this period 1/3 per load.
The period in question extended from the 1st May to the 24th of
June. From the 25th June to the 26th July was a period during
which the Public Health Committee had the house collection made
directly without the intervention of contractors, hiring men, horses,
vans, etc., at 12/- for each man, horse, van, and implements.
During this period 2,926 tons of refuse were delivered at the
destructor works at a cost of £763 16s. This works out a little over
5/2 per ton delivered. There is no doubt that this cost would have
been much lower, if we could have advertised for tenders for the
supply of men, horses and vans, for a definite period : but there was
not time for this, and the terms had to be arranged at a few days'
notice for carrying on the work of collecting, until fresh contractors
had been engaged tor the work.
With the regular disposal of house refuse by combustion, it
was necessary to get fresh contractors to collect and deliver it
at the destructor works at a certain rate per ton, or during
emergencies, to collect and dispose of at some shoot at a certain rate