MODERN METHODS OF STREET CLEANING 



One of the advantages claimed for hose sprinkling is 

 the ease and completeness with which it can be em- 

 ployed to reach and suit the peculiar needs of every 

 part of the street which requires attention. This is in 

 contrast to the work of sprinkling-carts which give the 

 same amount of water to every square foot of pave- 

 ment irrespective of the needs of any part. At the 

 same time the use of hose requires intelligent attention 

 on the part of the workmen, or pavements, especially 

 macadam, may be injured and traffic seriously impeded. 



The area of streets sprinkled was, on January 1, 

 1907, 12,858,000 square yards. Of this about 3,258,000 

 were sprinkled by hose and 9,500,000 square yards by 

 sprinkling-carts. 



House refuse is placed in boxes which the house- 

 holders are required to provide for themselves. The 

 collection of ^ ze an( ^ sna P e of these boxes vary greatly. 

 House Refuse They are placed on the sidewalk outside of 

 the house line in time for the early morning collection. 

 The contents of the boxes are sorted on the sidewalks by 

 rag-pickers just before the arrival of the collecting carts. 



These rag-pickers are an institution in Paris. They 

 are probably the best organized and most efficient 

 body of unofficial scavengers in the world. They 

 number about 20,000-25,000 and appear to have so 

 much influence, that objectionable as is their calling 

 from a sanitary standpoint, no satisfactory way of 

 abolishing them has yet been discovered. 



To see the chiffoniers to advantage it is necessary to 

 visit the boulevards in the early morning just before 

 Rag _ the great refuse carts with their noisy crews 



pickers appear. The refuse collections of the dwell- 

 ings, cafes, and shops have been put out for removal 



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