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37
Section III
SANITARY CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE BOROUGH.
Scavenging.—The collection of refuse and cleansing of streets, etc.,
are carried out by the Works Department.
I am indebted to Mr. Harley Heckford, M.Inst.C.E., the Borough
Engineer and Surveyor, for the following particulars:—
House Refuse.—Collected twice weekly by the pail system, the pails
being placed on the kerb by the householder. Two-thirds of the house
refuse is incinerated at the Council's Refuse Destructor, when it is tipped
into tubs and hoisted by cranes and shot into the furnaces, all handling
of the refuse itself being thus avoided. The other third is barged from a
riverside wharf.
Trade Refuse.— This is collected only when specially requested, and
its method of disposal depends entirely on its composition, it being sent
to the Destructor or Barge as circumstances warrant.
Street Cleansing.—The system for street cleansing includes hand
sweeping by gangs, orderly men, horse-drawn machine broom and
motor sweepers.
The main and other important roads are swept daily and nightly;
other roads mostly three times weekly. No road is swept less than twice
weekly.
The sweepings and/or slop are picked up and put into Barge at
Northumberland Wharf, or sent by rail by contractors.
Street Watering.—This service embraces the use of modern up-to-date
motor water vans, supplemented by horse-drawn water vans. The
extent of the watering depends almost entirely on weather conditions.