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23
PUBLIC CLEANSING.
House refuse and salvage collections, refuse disposal and street cleansing are
under the jurisdiction of the Cleansing Committee and the scheme is administered
by the Cleansing Superintendent (Mr. Stanley G. Martin, M.J.Inst.C.E., M.R.San.I.,
A.M.Inst.P.C.).
Refuse and Salvage Collections.
All premises in the Borough are visited at least twice weekly, the first call being
made for the collection of house refuse, and the second for salvage to be used for war
purposes. Much valuable raw material has been obtained in this way. In addition,
at premises in over sixty streets scheduled for collection from the "kerb" a thriceweekly
collection of house refuse and salvage is carried out.
During the year 35 intimation notices and 4 statutory notices were served by
the Sanitary Authority in respect of defective bins. All were complied with.
The "container" system for business premises, hotels, etc., introduced in 1925,
has extended yearly and over 230 containers are now in use. These are purchased
by the owners or occupiers, and are collected on alternate days by specially designed
vehicles and emptied, cleansed and disinfected before return. Immediately plans
of new buildings in the Borough are deposited, the architects concerned are urged to
introduce containers in suitable cases.
The fleet of vehicles used for normal collections consists of totally enclosed
in side-loading petrol-driven lorries with steps fitted to facilitate entry.
Street Cleansing.
The "beat" system, with each sweeper responsible for a definite section, is in
operation for day gangs, who are provided with pneumatic-tyred orderly barrows
with two galvanised bins, fitted with lids, for the reception of sweepings, which are
collected periodically at pre-arranged points by specially designed side-loading and
covered collecting lorries. Night cleansing is performed if and when required.
Gully cleansing is carried out by means of three entirely enclosed mechanicallyoperated
gully emptying machines.
Disposal.
All house and trade refuse, street sweepings and gully slop are conveyed to the
Council's Wharf and discharged into contractors' boats at the canal side for disposal.
Statistics.
The tonnages dealt with during 1940 were:—
House and trade refuse 27,511¼ tons.
Salvage materials 1,407¾ ,,
Street sweepings and gulley slop 3,797¾ ,,
A sum of £4,449 18s. ld. was obtained from the sale of salvage materials.
In addition, £824 1s. 0d. was received for the removal of trade refuse, green and
fish offal and for the cleansing of petrol interceptors.
Offensive Refuse.
Owing to the number of hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, and large private
establishments in the borough, considerable quantities of food refuse (hogwash)
are collected by pig-feeders daily, and close watch is necessary in order to ensure
that the requirements of the bye-laws relating to removal of offensive refuse, more
particularly as to the provision of proper receptacles, etc., are complied with.