STREET-CLEANING IN LARGE CITIES. 749 



born population, from the crowded condition of a considerable 

 part of its people in tenement-bouses, and from its peculiar street 

 and block construction, whereby it is necessary to remove ashes, 

 garbage, and house refuse through a front entrance to carts in 

 the public street, affords an example of the worst possible condi- 

 tions for street cleanliness. But the more fortunate towns are 

 not entirely exempt from the difficulties and embarrassments 

 which have for a long period surrounded this subject in New 

 York ; and, although they may be interested in a less degree in 

 the solution of this great sanitary and social problem, it will be 

 observed that the history of street-cleaning in New York during 

 the past twenty-five years is not uninstructive, and that the im- 

 proved methods necessary in the metropolis are more or less 

 applicable to all large American cities. 



During the past twenty-five years the people of New York 

 have earnestly demanded cleanliness of the streets ; the press has 

 echoed public opinion by a vigorous censure of the officials re- 

 sponsible for their filthy condition, and the sanitary authorities 

 have urged from time to time an improvement in this part of the 

 municipal service, as necessary to the public health and comfort. 

 When the Metropolitan Board of Health was organized in March, 

 1866, it inherited from the city inspector the duty of enforcing 

 an existing contract for cleaning the streets and removing the 

 ashes and garbage of the city. The board made an earnest effort 

 to perform its duty ; charges of inefficient and unsatisfactory 

 service and breach of contract were frequently made against the 

 contractors ; voluminous testimony was taken and counsel were 

 heard, but without the desired results. In answer to the testi- 

 mony of sanitary inspectors as to the condition of the streets, the 

 contractors were always able to produce abundant evidence from 

 their employe's that the streets had been thoroughly cleaned in 

 accordance with the provisions of their contract ; and they also 

 claimed that any just cause of complaint was due to the non- 

 enforcement by the police of the laws and sanitary ordinances 

 designed, directly or indirectly, to aid and facilitate their impor- 

 tant work. 



The hearings of the street-cleaning contractors by the Metro- 

 politan Board of Health demonstrated that cleanliness of the 

 streets is comparative and relative, and a subject upon which 

 men entertain different opinions. A dwelling which a good 

 housewife declares is filthy and intolerable, another housekeeper, 

 less tidy, industrious, and exacting, will pronounce cleanly and 

 satisfactory ; so the contractors insisted that the streets of New 

 York were clean, or " thoroughly cleaned," while the board and 

 its officers were firm in the belief that they were dirty, detrimental 

 to health, and discreditable to the city. It was also demonstrated 



