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13
Public Cleansing.
The collection and disposal of house and trade refuse is
carried out under the direction of the Senior Sanitary Inspector.
A weekly collection was maintained with the three existing
10 cubic yard freighters, but owing to the considerable number
of new houses erected during the year, viz., 917, and the
corresponding increase in tonnage, the cost of a new vehicle was
included in the estimates for the financial year 1938-9.
During the year ending March 1938, the total weight of house
and trade refuse collected was 7,147 tons, an increase of 1,156 tons
over the amount collected during the previous year.
The Council had under review the question of charges for
the collection of trade refuse, and a questionnaire was sent to
adjoining Authorities. The replies clearly indicated that there
was little uniformity in the charges made by various Authorities,
and it was due to this fact that certain traders coming into the
district were loath to conform to the Scheme which the
Chingford Council has put into operation. This provides for a
charge of 3d. per bin or 10s. 6d. per load of refuse collected, and
books of printed, gummed and numbered tickets are sold on
request at the Town Hall to the traders.
The net cost per ton for the collection of refuse was 6s. 0¾d.,
as against 6s. 2¾d. for the year ended March, 1937, and 5s. 10¾d.
for the year ended March, 1936. The cost of collection per house
per week remains similar as in the previous year, namely ¾d.
The net cost per ton for the disposal of refuse was 3s. 2d., as
against 2s. 5d. in the previous year, and 3s. 1d. for the year ended
March, 1936. The increase in the disposal costs per ton (an
increase of £688 or 9d. per ton), was due chiefly to additional
labour charges, £300, furnace repairs, £200, hedge and trees for
screening works, £50, and storage shed, £48.
The weighbridge at the Works was maintained under
contract and continues to fulfil a public service. Fees received
during the year amounted to £35, representing 1,400 weighings,
as against £27 in the previous year.
The income from the sale of salvaged articles and from other
minor items was £1,551, as against £1,282 for the year ended
March, 1931.7, Once again it is pleasing to report a record year
for income and a detailed analysis of the various items is given
on page 15. The main increases are in the sales of metals, rags
and bundled newspapers. In the early part of the year the
metal market was in a state of agitation, due to re-armament
schemes, but prices became normal in the latter half of the year.
The income from the sale of fine and coarse screenings is
considerably below normal, due to the fact that no tender was
received for these materials until the latter part of the year.
By burning the whole of the refuse, however, a better grade of
clinker was produced, and the increased income on the sale of
this material tended to balance the loss on the sale of fine and
coarse screenings.