MODERN METHODS OF STREET CLEANING 



It is surprising that hand work should be so much 

 cheaper than machine work, in view of the fact that a 

 good machine will sweep about ten times as many square 

 yards of pavement as will a laborer in a given time. 



The charges for labor were large items of expense in 

 the calculations for hand and machine work. In hand- 

 sweeping the wages of the men represent almost the 

 whole cost. In sweeping with horse brooms, the cost of 

 labor was about 60 per cent of the whole. It was 

 assumed that six men would be required to collect into 

 piles the dirt which was swept into rows by a horse 

 broom. The wages of these six men make a large item. 

 The cost of putting the dirt into carts and hauling it 

 away was not included in any of the calculations, although 

 it was considered that this work would probably cost 

 less with the hand-sweeping, since by this system the 

 dirt is placed in barrels by the sweepers. 



When we take up the estimates for flushing, we find 

 that only two laborers were allowed for in hose flushing, 

 but in machine flushing four laborers were considered 

 necessary to collect the dirt in the gutters. Apparently 

 in the one case there was no dirt to clean up and in the 

 other there was some. The question of taking up the 

 dirt swept or cleaned from the pavements by whatever 

 means, appears to be the most expensive feature of 

 street cleaning. Hose flushing is economically possible 

 only because it carries the dirt into the sewers. 



In one important respect the costs of cleaning are not 

 comparable. The results are not the same. Hose 

 flushing is suitable for removing a small amount of fine 

 dirt and leaves the pavement very clean. Machine 

 sweeping is useful for removing a comparatively large 

 quantity of fine and relatively coarse dirt and leaves the 



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