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9
useful salvage is carefully taken out of the general refuse, sorted and
disposed of. At the end of the year every household was supplied
with a sack in which to place paper for salvage, thus ensuring that
this important material is kept separate and clean. The co-operation
of the W. V.S. in salvage has been very effective and greatly appreciated.
Apart from operations of a general nature this organisation has set up
a system of street stewards, and every street in the district has at least
one W.V.S. representative, who maintains contact with the householders,
encouraging and stimulating the salvage effort and providing
a means for the speedy investigation and remedying of complaints and
difficulties.
The quantity of paper received as salvage during the year was
approximately 243 tons, which figure takes no account of appreciable
amounts disposed of direct by private persons or firms. A quantity of
26J tons per month is aimed at, which it will be seen was not achieved
over the 12 months period. This datum was almost reached in
April, 1941, and as a result of the sack system and intensified efforts it
was actually exceeded in December. Efforts are being made in the
future to ascertain what amounts are disposed of direct and privately
so that the true recovery from the district may be more accurately
known and compared with the standard of 1 ton per 1,000 population,
indicated by the Ministry of Supply as a possible and reasonably
satisfactory yield.
On a similar basis the yield of bones should be 265 cwt. per
month, which has never been achieved. Among the efforts to improve
this item has been the enlistment of the assistance of school children
who are asked to collect and take bones to school and place them in
bins supplied and regularly cleared. The figures for the respective
schools are circulated to them all in an effort to set up a competitive
spirit between them.
Road gullies (in streets under the Council's control) are emptied
by a mechanical suction process. The gullies are cleared three times
in each year and resealed with clean water after emptying.