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61
Modernisation of Transport.— The scheme for the complete modernisation of
the Council's transport, approved by the Council in December, 1933, was started
upon by the purchase of three "Mechanical Horse " motive units and three refuse
bodies. With this type of transport the motive units can be used on practically
all the services of the Highways Department such as refuse collection, street flushing
and watering, and general transport work, by the attachment of appropriate bodies.
These bodies are "articulated trailers," the front portion being superimposed on
the rear of the motive unit and connected by a coupling device which can be operated
from the driver's cab, a complete change of body being effected in a few minutes.
The purchase of these three units and bodies enabled the Council to dispose of
two of its oldest motors, which had been in operation since 1919.
The refuse bodies are totally enclosed and the emptying of bins actually takes
place inside the vehicle, so that the operation is as nearly dustless as practicable.
The vehicles are fitted with "moving floors" (i.e. a composition of rubber and
canvas running over rollers) and a moveable "dam," so that the refuse may be
compressed towards the front of the vehicle whilst loading and the full load discharged
by reversing the travel of the floor, thereby overcoming the necessity to tip the vehicle.
These new vehicles proved very satisfactory on exhaustive tests under practical
working conditions and the Council therefore approved the purchase of a further
fifteen at its October meeting, but these were not actually delivered in the year
now under review.
In April, the Council approved the purchase of a 1,200 gallons water tank, fitted
with street washing equipment and mounted on a "Carrier" unit for operation
with a "Mechanical Horse." The machine was delivered and put into operation
in July and has proved very efficient and a great improvement on the old water tanks.
On a report by the Director of Public Cleansing that the orderly trucks were of
very antiquated and unhygienic design, the Council also approved the purchase of
twenty trucks of an entirely new type. These trucks are of all-metal construction,
mounted on rubber tyred wheels and fitted with two square covered bins which are
lifted out for emptying ; there is also a centre section for storage purposes and proper
racks for tools. The trucks were put into operation in April and in view of their
greater efficiency, easier manipulation and more pleasing appearance the Council
approved the order of a further sixty in June. It is proposed to adopt this truck
as the standard type for the future and eventually it will entirely displace the old
wooden truck.
Refuse Collection by "Container" System.—A brief description of this system,
which had already been approved by the Council in principle, was given in the last
report. It was first tried out on the Council's own housing estates and proved all
that was expected of it, i.e., more hygienic for the storage of refuse on premises
and considerably more expeditious and noiseless in collection. Before the end of
the year the system had been installed in several large hotels and at a hospital
and enquiries and requests were being received from so many other hotels, clubs,
government buildings, etc., that it was obvious that the system would be considerably
extended in 1935.
Refuse Disposal.—For some time past the Council had been considering schemes
for the erection of the necessary plant in order to centralise the disposal of the whole
of the City's refuse at Grosvenor Dock, which was reconstructed in 1929 at a cost
of nearly £100,000 with this intention in view. At its February meeting the